It's the night of the big fundraiser for Fur-Ever Pets Rescue in Sylvan Creek, Pennsylvania, and pet sitter Daphne Templeton is in the thick of it. Since the party was at the rumored-to-be-haunted Sylvan Mansion in October, she assumed it was a costume party and dressed up as a witch, with her companion Socrates as a wizard, a pointy hat on his basset hound head. But Socrates' hat blew off, no one but Daphne and her best friend Moxie dressed up, Lillian Flynt (owner of the mansion and charitable heiress) is nowhere to be seen, and to make things more difficult, her power has gone out.
Daphne's sister put her in charge of the table of dog treats, but Daphne sees a mysterious figure in one of the windows of the mansion and decides to investigate. With Socrates by her side, she bravely makes her way to the front door and lets herself in. And it's just as scary as she expected--her realtor mother is there wiping away all traces of clutter and lighting scented candles in anticipation of a late showing. She immediately puts Daphne in charge of finding Lillian's prized Persian, Tinkleston, who made his presence known on her last showing, leaping from the top of the refrigerator to show his displeasure.
Unfortunately for Daphne, Tink is not all she finds. She also finds Lillian in the bathtub with an electrical appliance, explaining both her absence from the party and the loss of power at the mansion. But calling the police does result in the return of former Navy SEAL and current detective Jonathan Blake, and the complications that come next make Daphne's head spin.
Who killed Tinkleston's owner, and why? Daphne takes over the pet sitting duties while the handsome Detective Blake tries to find a killer. But her attempts to track down Tinks the Terror has her stumbling on clues, and wanting to prove that her mother wouldn't really make a killing to sell a house has Daphne and Socrates doing everything they can to figure out the mystery first.
Dial Meow for Murder is the adorable follow-up to Bethany Blake's Death by Chocolate Lab. Her Lucky Paws Petsitting Mysteries are filled with charming characters and lovable pets. Her fun characters are fueled by her sparkling writing, and she even throws in some recipes for homemade pet treats for good measure. Cats, dogs, and lots of fun in Dial Meow for Murder!
Galleys for Dial Meow for Murder were provided by Kensington Books through NetGalley.com, with many thanks.