Dollycas's Thoughts
The good people of Wagtail and her family are getting ready to celebrate Mayor Liesel Miller's (Oma's) birthday. Family is coming into town to surprise her and a couple of events have been planned. Holly is looking forward to it all but her attention right now is on the strange dog smiling at her as she wakes up. How did this dog get in her room? Where did he belong? Is he the dog she noticed across the lake?
Small world, the dog belongs to her cousin Josh. They haven't seen each other since they were children. In town to surprise Oma for her birthday, he and his girlfriend are camping across the lake. After Holly takes the dog back, she wakes up to him smiling at her again the next day. At least now she knows where he belongs. She still doesn't understand how he is getting to the inn and into her room but again takes him back to Josh. Only Josh isn't at his campsite and neither is his girlfriend. Instead, she finds Fred Burton, a guest from her inn in their tent, and he is dead.
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This is truly one of my favorite series. If Wagtail and the Sugar Maple Inn were real, I would either move there or vacation there as often as possible. The inn really caters to their guests, human and animal, from the food to the lodgings. Plus the town has great shops and restaurants and pets are welcome in almost every establishment.
Ms. Davis's core cast of characters are so genuine and welcoming not only to humans but cats, dogs, and other pets too. They have huge hearts, creative ideas, and are just plain fun. They all grow from one book to the next in realistic ways. Holly loves the inn, Oma loves the inn and the town, and Gingersnap, Twinkletoes, and Trixie are just perfect pets. This time Holly's father, half-sister, aunt, and cousin arrive for Oma's celebration and play major parts in the story. We also meet Josh's dog Radar.
Ms. Davis has written a complicated mystery. The inn is overflowing with guests and family members but it is cousin Josh and his girlfriend, Dana, that appear to be in the middle of everything. Holly can't believe Josh could kill someone but he does nothing to prove his innocence. Secrets, lies, twists, turns, and another murder keep the pages turning rapidly. A missing item appears to be the key to everything. I loved tagging along with Holly and Officer Dave and they ferret through all the clues. A surprising twist reveals part of the mystery. It felt good to know that I was kind of on the right track. There is an exciting reveal and showdown but the story doesn't end there. There is still one dangling thread . . .
The Dog Across the Lake was a Perfect Escape. Loveable characters, a fantastic mystery, and a wonderful setting come together to test us armchair sleuths and keep us totally entertained. Each visit to Wagtail ends much too soon. I am beyond excited for my next virtual vacation to visit Holly and the Sugar Maple Inn.
I highly recommend every book in this series. They can all be read on their own but to really enjoy Wagtail and all that happens there you will want to read them all.
The good people of Wagtail and her family are getting ready to celebrate Mayor Liesel Miller's (Oma's) birthday. Family is coming into town to surprise her and a couple of events have been planned. Holly is looking forward to it all but her attention right now is on the strange dog smiling at her as she wakes up. How did this dog get in her room? Where did he belong? Is he the dog she noticed across the lake?
Small world, the dog belongs to her cousin Josh. They haven't seen each other since they were children. In town to surprise Oma for her birthday, he and his girlfriend are camping across the lake. After Holly takes the dog back, she wakes up to him smiling at her again the next day. At least now she knows where he belongs. She still doesn't understand how he is getting to the inn and into her room but again takes him back to Josh. Only Josh isn't at his campsite and neither is his girlfriend. Instead, she finds Fred Burton, a guest from her inn in their tent, and he is dead.
____
This is truly one of my favorite series. If Wagtail and the Sugar Maple Inn were real, I would either move there or vacation there as often as possible. The inn really caters to their guests, human and animal, from the food to the lodgings. Plus the town has great shops and restaurants and pets are welcome in almost every establishment.
Ms. Davis's core cast of characters are so genuine and welcoming not only to humans but cats, dogs, and other pets too. They have huge hearts, creative ideas, and are just plain fun. They all grow from one book to the next in realistic ways. Holly loves the inn, Oma loves the inn and the town, and Gingersnap, Twinkletoes, and Trixie are just perfect pets. This time Holly's father, half-sister, aunt, and cousin arrive for Oma's celebration and play major parts in the story. We also meet Josh's dog Radar.
Ms. Davis has written a complicated mystery. The inn is overflowing with guests and family members but it is cousin Josh and his girlfriend, Dana, that appear to be in the middle of everything. Holly can't believe Josh could kill someone but he does nothing to prove his innocence. Secrets, lies, twists, turns, and another murder keep the pages turning rapidly. A missing item appears to be the key to everything. I loved tagging along with Holly and Officer Dave and they ferret through all the clues. A surprising twist reveals part of the mystery. It felt good to know that I was kind of on the right track. There is an exciting reveal and showdown but the story doesn't end there. There is still one dangling thread . . .
The Dog Across the Lake was a Perfect Escape. Loveable characters, a fantastic mystery, and a wonderful setting come together to test us armchair sleuths and keep us totally entertained. Each visit to Wagtail ends much too soon. I am beyond excited for my next virtual vacation to visit Holly and the Sugar Maple Inn.
I highly recommend every book in this series. They can all be read on their own but to really enjoy Wagtail and all that happens there you will want to read them all.
