About the Book
Author: Kathleen Y’Barbo
Genre: Christian Fiction / Cozy Mystery
Release Date: October, 2023
How Is a Missing Military Working Dog Related to Two Local Fires?
Snuggle with your trusty hound and settle into a small-town mystery in book 6 of the Gone to the Dogs series.
Air Force veteran Dr. Lane Bishop and Nora Hernandez’s romance has cooled. He is busy working as a researcher at the vet school, and she’s busy with her restaurant and opening an antique shop. What Lane hasn’t told her is his PTSD, which manifests mostly with nightmares, makes him believe he’s damaged goods. But that is about to change when he meets a stray pup that acts a lot like a military working dog.
When a tornado hits Brenham, there is damage in the downtown area and a fire is ignited in Nora’s new store. A Belgian Malinois dog is seen at the fire and later Lane sees him at a wedding venue where an explosion occurs. Not long after, a second explosion rocks Brenham and sends Nora and Lane on a hunt for the person responsible. Will the pair find the guilty party before more damage is done to the city’s landmarks? And will Lane find the words to tell Nora how much he loves her before it’s too late?
Click here to get your copy!
My Review
This novel is more about relationship difficulties than the previous novels in this series. I had a difficult time liking Lane. Yes, he did not want Nora to suffer through his nightmares due to his PTSD so he delayed asking her to marry him. That I can accept. What a shame, however, that he did not trust her enough to be honest about his nightmares.
What I really did not like about Lane was his assurance to Nora that he loved her yet missed time with her or was late because of his research work. If he really loved her, he would have dealt with his work to be with her. Like Nora, I would certainly doubt his love.
There is a dog in this novel and I would have liked more about him. I would have liked to see more personality put into the animal. This is a series about dogs and I would have liked more of a focus on him.
The mystery plot was mild and quite complex. I am not sure the locked apartments, the missing furniture, the blackmail, the people who were not who they said they were, and other elements all worked out to a suitable end.
I have enjoyed reading this series, especially the ones that focused more on animal rescue and the animals involved.
My rating: 4/5 stars.
About the Author
When she’s not spinning modern day tales about her wacky Southern relatives, Kathleen inserts an ancestor or two into her historical and mystery novels as well. Recent book releases include bestselling The Pirate Bride set in 1700s New Orleans and Galveston, its sequel The Alamo Bride set in 1836 Texas, which feature a few well-placed folks from history and a family tale of adventure on the high seas and on the coast of Texas. She also writes (mostly) relative-free cozy mystery novels for Guideposts Books.
Kathleen and her hero in combat boots husband have their own surprise love story that unfolded on social media a few years back. They make their home just north of Houston, Texas and are the parents and in-laws of a blended family of Texans, Okies, and one very adorable Londoner.
More for Kathleen
You’ve most likely seen military working dogs (MWDs) on television shows or in the news. Maybe you’ve seen police dogs in action or read about them. They’re often fierce looking and always well-trained and intelligent. Along with their handler, the MWD is a brave and not so secret weapon in the military and law enforcement world. And did you know that an MWD always outranks his or her handler? It’s true.
I was very aware of all of this, but I had no idea what happened to these dogs when they were too old or perhaps physically unable to continue in their roles. People retire from their careers, so it makes sense that MWDs would as well.
I first learned about retired MWDs from watching my friend Ronie welcome a gorgeous Belgian Malinois, Vvolt, to her family. Anyone who knew the family or came to know Vvolt through social media fell in love with that dog. With his ears cocked just so and his bigger-than-life personality, I knew I had to write about him someday.
When I was given the opportunity to co-write a cozy mystery series with my dear friend, Janice Thompson, I knew one of those books would have to include an MWD. Because MWDs are used in so many situations, from military police work to bomb sniffing to PTSD care and more—I had to narrow down the choice of what my dog would be doing. I won’t give anything away, but I can tell you that Pal, the fictional Belgian Malinois in NEW LEASH ON LIFE is very good at what he does. He also loves a good Whataburger when his regular kibble isn’t available, but I digress.
When I set out to create the personality for Pal, I looked to what I knew and loved about Vvolt. Big personality, toothy grin, and the ability to run and jump like a champ were all included in my dog’s version of the MWD. And like Vvolt, my MWD develops a strong bond with his handler and the family who welcomes him into their home. Pal is loyal, friendly, and apt to stand between his people and danger at the slightest provocation.
Pal’s person in NEW LEASH ON LIFE is Dr. Lane Bishop, a Texas A&M University research veterinarian and Air Force veteran. Lane deals with nightmares that came out of his military experiences. As you can imagine, this causes an issue or two with Nora Hernandez, the woman Lane adores but has not shared his worries with.
Then along comes Pal, a stray (or is he?) with a habit of disappearing and then turning up at the most unlikely places just when he’s needed. I won’t give away the story, but let’s just say that sometimes it takes an animal to show the humans what needs to be done.
Perhaps all this talk about MWDs has you curious about them. Maybe you’re someone who would love to explore the opportunity to give a retired MWD a second chance. Check the Airforce 37th Training wing’s website for details on how this can be done: https://www.37trw.af.mil/Units/37th-Training-Group/341st-Training-Squadron/Military-Working-Dog-Adoption-Program/ .
NEW LEASH ON LIFE is the story of new starts and second chances, of how God can doesn’t just use humans to achieve His purposes. For this and so many other reasons, the tale of Lane and Nora and Pal is dedicated to the memory of Vvolt and his people.
Well done good and faithful servant.
Blog Stops
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 26
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 26
Wishful Endings, October 27
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 27
Texas Book-aholic, October 28
Karen Baney Reviews, October 28
Locks, Hooks and Books, October 29
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 30
Boodock Ramblings, October 30
Lighthouse-Academy, October 31
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 31
Blogging With Carol, November 1
For Him and My Family, November 1
Holly’s Book Corner, November 2
Mary Hake, November 2
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 3
Splashes of Joy, November 4
Pause for Tales, November 4
Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 5
Bigreadersite, November 6
Cover Lover Book Review, November 6
Labor Not in Vain, November 7
Life on Chickadee Lane, November 7
Lily’s Book Reviews, November 8
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Kathleen is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon e-gift card and a copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/28973/new-leash-on-life-celebration-tour-giveaway
I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review. The rest of the copy of this post was provided by Celebrate Lit.
(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)
6 comments:
Thank you for the review.
I love cozy mysteries, thanks for sharing!
Love cozy mysteries.
Marilyn
What brings you joy?
This looks like a fun novel. Thanks for hosting this giveaway..
Retired dogs--what an interesting thing to base a story on!
Post a Comment