Friday, 29 April 2016

Shepherd's Crook by Sheila Webster Boneham (Cozy Mystery, 10/10E, short 'n' sweet review, NetGalley)

  November 2015, Midnight Ink, 336 pages, Ebook, Review copy from NetGalley

Content: murder, humour, family life

Summary from Midnight Ink
Animal photographer Janet MacPhail has just arrived at a sheepherding competition with her Australian Shepherd, Jay, when she learns that two-dozen sheep have disappeared. Police think the animals have wandered off, but Janet is convinced they’ve been stolen. 

Janet knows she should leave the snooping to the police while she attends to her own problems—new living arrangements, her mom’s wedding plans, puppy and kitten antics, and extremists bent on keeping people from having pets. But when a livestock handler turns up dead, the police and a pair of thugs pay Janet way more attention than she likes. Setting out to find answers, Janet puts herself in the killer’s crosshairs.

Nayu's thoughts
Animals don't mix well with murders, especially not sheep, which both Janet and the murderer find this out firsthand. Diving into this series at the final book wasn't an issue because I soon got to grips with Janet's friends & family, especially her mother who is quite a character. I love family and community based stories, especially where animals are involved. 

There were times when I wished that Janet didn't have so much on her plate but then that's true to life, with major events happening when you don't want them too. I'd never given much thought to animal photography, and it was extremely interesting to learn when it's used. I was often scared for Jane when she went off investigating, especially because of the violent and disruptive nature of the miscreants. I'm looking forward to reading the previous books for sure! 

Find out more on Sheila's website

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