Title: Playing Possum
Author: Dane McCaslin
Series: The 2 Sisters Pet Valet Mysteries #3
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Release Date: October 5, 2021
Pages: 191
Book Source: Netgalley
“At Nora’s request, Gwen is happy to accompany her to a meeting with ex-hubby #3’s lawyer. Much to Nora’s surprise—and dismay—she’s been named executor of said ex’s will. The fact that the man has been missing for years and was just declared legally dead only makes an already complicated process more so. And besides, is he really dead? What’s not a surprise is that Nora’s twin ex-stepchildren are pressing for access to their father’s dry cleaning fortune …
With Gwen’s assist, it’s time for Nora to do a little digging. It turns out that the twins’ catering business is failing—and that their dad’s business was laundering more than clothing. Soon, Gwen and Nora are infiltrating a long list of dirty deeds, including fraud and illegal gains. And the perpetrators are all too close to home. The police may want Gwen and Nora to stick to their own line of work, but the pair are determined to make sure the truth comes out in the wash—before someone ends up in the discard bin . .” – Amazon
Kim’s Review
Although Playing Possum by Dane McCaslin is book three in The 2 Sisters Pet Valet Mysteries, it’s the first one I’ve read in the series and it was so good I may have to go back and read the first two.
Nora is a bit stuffy and an older woman who’s already made up her mind about people, but Gwen is the perfect balance with her devil may care attitude and love life to its fullest vibe. And while I would still consider this a cozy mystery, it is a bit different than some die hard cozy fans may be used to, but I really enjoyed the change of pace. With all the action and running around that Nora and Gwen do in the book, along with their sass, it reminded me a bit of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series.
It’s a good thing that Nora has such an understanding beau and they have employees that can handle the pet valet since they are rarely at the business in this book. Because they are out and about, McCaslin has the opportunity to be more descriptive about many places, which she does really well. But I definitely think where she shines is with her character development. You can really feel the bond between Gwen and Nora and she can also write quirky and mean characters perfectly too.
A fun book/series if you are looking for something a little bit more bold than the average cozy mystery.
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