New in the national bestselling Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper series, from the Agatha and Anthony Award-winning author of the Dead End Job Mystery series.
Mystery shopper Josie Marcus is getting the dirt on doggy day-care centers, and discovers that one dog-loving local celebrity is really bad to the bone.
Josie has been asked to investigate Uncle Bob’s Doggy Day Camp, known for its commercials featuring Uncle Bob liking dogs so much that he acts like one. But Josie soon learns how Uncle Bob acts when the cameras are off. Her mother’s new tenant, Franklin, who works for Uncle Bob, plans to quit after seeing the man’s true nature. But before he gets the chance, Bob is murdered, and Franklin goes from the doghouse to the big house.
Now it’s up to Josie to clear Franklin’s name. Her investigation reveals that Bob was more of a dog than anyone knew—and had been kicked out of his house for bad behavior. As she digs up new clues, Josie will have to catch the killer quickly, before any more trouble is unleashed.
Newlywed Josie Marcus is enjoying a relaxing evening at home with her husband, veterinarian Dr. Ted Scottsmeyer and her twelve-year-old-daughter Amelia. Josie is amused by a corny commercial for a local day care center for dogs featuring “Uncle Bob” and his “talking” dog, Ralph. Coincidentally, Uncle Bob’s is one of the dog day-care facilities she needs to visit for her newest mystery shopping assignment. However, when Josie discreetly takes a tour of the premises, claiming to be looking for a place for her mom’s beloved shih tzu, she finds “Uncle Bob’s Doggy Day Camp” to be nothing like it’s advertised. The service is subpar, and Josie finds out Uncle Bob doesn’t even like dogs! Josie’s new tenant, and potential boyfriend, Frank is working there and the dog-lover is furious at the way Uncle Bob has treated one of the dogs in his care. Everyone there knows how angry Frank was, so when Uncle Bob is murdered, Frank is the prime suspect. Josie puts the undercover skills she gained through all of her mystery shopping experiences to good use investigating Uncle Bob’s murder and keeping Frank from going to jail for a crime he didn’t commit.
This book is the tenth in the Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper series. I’ve read all of the books in this series and enjoyed each one. The series remains fresh, because of the subject matter of each mystery shopping assignment, but also because changes occur in the lives of the characters. It’s nice for long-time readers to see Josie happily married and with a close, loving relationship with her mother, Jane. New readers are given enough background information to see how far Josie has come in her life and in her newfound friendship with her mother. Relationships between mothers and daughters are something Josie often thinks about throughout the book. I like how the author draws on the history of Josie’s previously turbulent relationship with Jane to give Josie hope that the tension she and Amelia have during the tween and teen years will get better. The book deals with some serious issues involving Amelia, but never loses the heart of the characters and overall entertaining tone of the book.
I’m glad this book has ample descriptions of Josie’s mystery shopping, because that is what makes this series unique. Choosing dog care facilities as the Josie’s mystery shopping assignment adds to the fun of the book. When Josie visits a few different dog kennels in the area with her mom or with her best friend Alyce, the descriptions are informative and entertaining. As in prior books, there are plenty of tips at the end related to the subject matter of Josie’s mystery shopping. At the end of this book there are several pages of helpful hints on finding day care for your own precious pooch. The St. Louis area setting is a plus and those who are familiar with the city and surrounding suburbs will enjoy picking out the real places mentioned in the book. Fans of this series and new readers alike will wish they could accompany Josie on one of her mystery shopping expeditions.
Reviewed by Christine
