Overdue Review Shelf - Chained + Between a Rock and a Hard Place Mini Reviews

Goodreads:  Chained (Kate Turner DVM #3) by Eileen Brady

Blurb:  Everyone in the charming Hudson Valley town of Oak Falls expected Flynn Keegan, their handsome blond "Golden Boy" to make it big in Hollywood. So when veterinarian Kate Turner identifies a bone dug up by one of her dog patients as human, no one thinks back ten years to remember Flynn. Until DNA and a smashed skull prove he was murdered.
With few clues available to the forensic team, the grieving family begs Kate to investigate. His four closest friends plead ignorance. Neighbors and teachers remember the charismatic young man but offer no real help. Meanwhile, Kate is juggling her eccentric house call clients, a silly pot-bellied pig wedding and the sudden re-appearance of an old college boyfriend. Anthropologist Jeremy Engels, who returns like Indiana Jones from an African dig, is eager to rekindle their romance and offer his help. Together, they plan to crash Flynn's high school reunion, a re-creation of his senior prom, and interview his fellow students. Time isn't of the essence with a ten-year-old cold case. Right? Her Gramps is convinced the killer is long gone, just like the illegally captured brown bear she helped save, now roaming free in the woods. But Kate soon discovers that chains of love can be as strong as those made of steel - and some deadly secrets have put her next on the kill list.

My Thoughts:  This was a fun read.  Reading the author's bio I was not surprised to see that she was a veterinarian herself as Kate was incredibly believable and capable at her job and honestly the vet parts were my favorite.  I really enjoyed seeing all the animals and how Kate and her staff treated them.  The mystery was interesting and the end a bit of a surprise.  Since I'm new to the series I didn't fully grasp all the undercurrents between Kate and Luke but that's a small enough part of the story that it didn't both me at all.  I do have opinions on Luke himself though.  If you're an animal lover and a mystery lover this is a great cozy series that I think you'll really enjoy!  My Rating: Really Liked It

Goodreads:  Between a Rock and a Hard Place (Potting Shed Mystery #3) by Marty Wingate

Blurb:  After her romantic idyll with the debonair Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Pearse culminates in a marriage proposal, Pru Parke sets about arranging their nuptials while diving into a short-term gig at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. At hand is the authentication of a journal purportedly penned by eighteenth-century botanist and explorer Archibald Menzies. Compared to the chaos of wedding planning, studying the journal is an agreeable task . . . that is, until a search for a missing cat leads to the discovery of a dead body: One of Pru’s colleagues has been conked on the head with a rock and dumped from a bridge into the Water of Leith.
Pru can’t help wondering if the murder has something to do with the Menzies diary. Is the killer covering up a forgery? Among the police’s many suspects are a fallen aristocrat turned furniture maker, Pru’s overly solicitous assistant, even Pru herself. Now, in the midst of sheer torture by the likes of flamboyant wedding dress designers and eccentric church organists, Pru must also uncover the work of a sly murderer—unless this bride wants to walk down the aisle in handcuffs.

My Thoughts:  This is a series I've really been neglecting and I'm so glad I picked up this third book in the series!  I really like Pru in this book (and in general).  She's a bit older than the typical bride and not the most fashion conscious so the whole wedding planning process is completely overwhelming and not very much fun yet she does want to have a celebration with those closest to her.  The dress fitting scenes especially were quite funny.  I liked all the garden history talk and loved the Edinburg setting.  The mystery was good though the reasons for some of the tension was a bit convoluted and I did feel like I guessed the who and the why fairly early.  I enjoyed the time with the characters enough that this didn't bother me but didn't make for a shocking reveal.  This is a lovely series with an interesting main character and gorgeous garden settings.  I'm looking forward to the next book where it looks like Pru is getting her hands back in the dirt.  My Rating: Liked It!