Skip to main content

A 4-star review of Mystery of the Fox Down Dog and Other Stories

I received a 4-star review from my favorite review site: Pages and Paws. Shazam! Here's a link to the review: Just Click Here. 

Mystery Collection is the Dog’s Bow-Wow

by 4 Comments

The Mystery of the Fox Down Dog and Other Stories

By Doralynn Kennedy (2022)

Genre: Fiction/Supernatural Mystery, Cozy Mystery

Pages: 125 (Print)

Via: Author request

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Can two retired spooks figure out why a Ukrainian professor died, how his dog learned to drive, and why Archie had a homing device in his collar that may have had its origins in the jungles of Vietnam? 

Hold on to your fur, friends. Cuz that’s only a few questions swirling in this finely crafted collection of mystery-ish stories. The collection runs the gamut of emotions and covers the waterfront from creepy to cozy to the back woods to the dog house. 

The longest – and in our opinion, the strongest – story in this collection is the first one, The Mystery of the Fox Down Dog. Cuz, hey Dog! Hello!? ‘Sides. This story pulls you into the action like a dog after a bone (Hi, Kimmi). In one wag of Archie’s tail you’re neck-deep into a shadowy world of spies, sleuths, mystery, and “Boa Constrictor” nets. It’s just a lot of fun.

Arthur and Emily Gossington are two retired spooks. They live a quiet, pedestrian life until they find a mysterious device inside the collar of a stray German shepherd named Archie. Also: Do archeology and AI tie-in? How? And what’s up with Mr. Fitzgerald “Fitz” the pampered Persian cat? (Nobody’s purr-fect. Sorry. Couldn’t resist. – Kimber.) 

Competition

This story is smart. Sassy. Arthur and Emily put the crank in “cranky” and the “mudge” in “curmudgeon.” So Her Momness has some competition. And a coupla kindred spirits. Finally.

The one thing we didn’t like about this story was that you get to the end and it kind of goes “thud.” We didn’t get a sense that anything was solved or any mystery unraveled. It just kinda runs out of ink.

Meanwhile, The Adventures of Darrel and Lloyd is hilarious! Would-be bank robbers toting a skunk named Daisy into a bank! We kept seeing “Larry, this is my brother Darrel, and this is my other brother Darrel” from Newhart. The story’s a riot, whereas The Death of Jaime VanCamp is full-on creepazoid of the Edgar Allan Poe variety. The Mysterious Mr. Majestic is something you probably don’t want to start during a power outtage. There’s also illicit moonshiners and a Thing you don’t want to run into on a dark and stormy night. Or in the daytime.

Bravo!

One thing we really appreciated about this collection is that it’s a professional-level publication. It’s been proofread. And edited. It makes sense. Is structurally sound and briskly paced. (You wouldn’t believe how much stuff we see that’s None of the Above. Kimber: Gag me with catnip!)

Gotta admit that we missed the Gossingtons after the first two stories. Mr. and Mrs. Cranky put in an appearance in the second story, The Brownstone Mystery. That story unfolds in an old brownstone apartment on the Upper West Side. It revolves around disappearing Christmas presents. Are the disappearances due to sticky-fingered neighbors? Secret passageways? A former tenant? An escaped con on the lam or a runaway?

The game’s afoot when the Gossingtons show up in the next-door apartment. House-sitting for a friend. But Em and Art fly the coop after that. Too bad. Would’ve liked to have seen more of them in subsequent stories. Maybe a few cameos here and there. But let’s not get picky here, okay? After all. Fitz has that market cornered. Sheesh.

Overall

Overall, The Mystery of the Fox Down Dog and Other Stories is an enjoyable and engaging read. It’s also nice when one of us wants to grab something quick to read start to finish without investing hours in same. It’s chockful of colorful and richly textured characters that practically stand up and walk.

Full-Bodied

So if you’re looking for something fresh, nimble, and full-bodied like a fine wine, check out The Mystery of the Fox Down Dog and Other Stories.

While you’re doing that, I gotta find Mom. What? Hiding in the closet? Again? Sheesh.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thirteen Miracles Updates

I am running a promotions for Thirteen Miracles ; however, the trailer shows my original book cover. I ran into a few different problems with it, so I updated it to the cover you see on the left. It is available at Amazon in three different formats: digital, paperback, and hardcover. I removed it from Barnes and Noble due to some issues with that site.     Here is the link at Amazon. You can link to the different formats from this one link. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JJDWLYG Amazon  Once again, here are the blurbs and an excerpt, as well as the trailer.  Short blurb: A woman's search for God ends in a miraculous rescue mission in the marijuana fields of the Devil's Backbone. Here is the longer back-cover blurb: Legend says it was the landing spot for Lucifer when he was cast out of heaven. That's not the only thing it's known for. It is also a land of marijuana fields, opium poppies, kidnappings, and drug-related killings. It's the last place you wou...
Post a Comment
Read more

A New Christian Book About the Bible's Last Days

Photo by Ann from Pexels I am working on a new fiction book based on the Biblical End of Days. I have written several chapters and hope to have it finished later this year. (I am notoriously slow.) I originally published this on one of my other blogs, and I have archived this on the WayBack Machine, but I might take this post down in the future. This chapter is first draft, so there will most likely be some tweaks and changes. Here is the opening:   Chapter One The ticking grandfather clock was all that remained in the room now. Emily stared at it, holding onto it like a lifeline in a restless ocean, and the last remnants of the room faded away. Was she dying? Going blind? The clock’s noise grew louder, and each tick slowed, until the pounding thud reminded her of a steady, drawn-out drumbeat. What was happening to her? She tried to move but couldn’t; wanted to call out for Mike, but was silent, wished she could scream but wasn’t even afraid. Some invisible force held her ...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Five Star Review

Kristine, and Kimber the Magnificent, at Pages & Paws have reviewed Thirteen Miracles and have given it Five Stars! The link to the full review is at the bottom of this post.  They are my first readers and my first review. (Well, technically, my editor also read it, but she doesn't count. She was working and not what I would call "a reader".) I am on wings after this review. I didn't know what to expect because some of the reviews at Pages & Paws are a little on the scary side. (Actually, they're a lot on the scary side.) So, for my book to be labeled "a gem" and to get a five-star review from this formidable review site was more than I'd hoped for or expected!   Please visit the blog and check out the review. Here's the link: https://pagesandpaws.com/2020/10/07/thirteen-miracles-my-new-best-bud/ Here are some of my favorite bits: Bebo is now Kimber's new best bud. That made me cry all by itself. And Kristine said Thirteen M...
Post a Comment
Read more