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Murder Strikes A Pose (2014)

by Tracy Weber(Favorite Author)

3.74 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0738739685 (ISBN13: 9780738739687)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Midnight Ink

series

A Downward Dog Mystery

review 1: 3.5 starsI don’t read a lot of cozy mysteries these days—not because I don’t like them but because the edgier stuff tends to appeal to me more (a cycle that I’m sure will change as it does from time to time)—but, every now and then, I feel the need. It’s sort of like occasionally indulging my craving for peppermint patties rather than being on a continual sugar high. The timing of my stop on this blog tour was perfect because I was in the mood for it and I really wanted to check out Tracy Weber’s first book.This mystery suffers from two failings that are quite common in cozies—there is the seemingly requisite TSTL scene and the amateur sleuth is 100% convinced she can do a better job investigating than the professional detectives; to me, that makes her occa... moresionally very annoying. I was especially irked by a scene in which Kate thinks Detective Martinez is gullible because she actually believes several alibis after having verified them and then Kate accuses her of being apathetic with absolutely no reason. In short, Kate can sometimes be so arrogant and full of self-pity that I would momentarily lose any rapport I had with her.Fortunately, there are just a few of those episodes and Kate is usually likeable and involved in snooping for admirable reasons. I especially appreciated her dedication to doing what’s right for Bella, a dog who is in dire need of help, but also her willingness to re-think her own pre-conceived notions when it’s called for. On the other hand, the men in this story surprised me because every single one is overbearing or worse at one time or another. Still, Michael makes quite the nice romantic lead in spite of having the “manly man” attitude once or twice. Kate’s girlfriend, Rene, is a terrific buddy and made me envious with her ability to eat and eat and eat with no apparent consequences.At this stage, you might think I didn’t really like Murder Strikes a Pose but that truly isn’t the case. There are some uncomfortable scenes, some involving the plight of the homeless but even more focused on Bella. Animal lovers may—no, will—cringe sometimes but I urge you to persevere; Ms. Weber has points to make that matter, not least of which is the idea that we simply must do what we can to take care of the four-footed creatures who need us and only want to be part of our lives. Sometimes, that obligation comes about because of the evil that people can do and I applaud the author for not being afraid to show that evil. It’s this sort of thing—mingling life lessons in with a good mystery—that lifts this cozy above many others. When all is said and done, putting annoyances aside, I enjoyed this series debut and will be looking forward to Kate’s next adventure, Killer Retreat, in January.Oh, and I learned quite a bit about yoga ;-)Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, August 2014.
review 2: An entertaining, fast moving, cozy mystery with characters that will keep you smiling. Combine yoga, dogs, and a heart for the homeless and you have Kate... an irrationally humorous young woman. She investigates a murder using techniques learned from her father who is a cop. She's untrained and bumbles her way through. Though unrealistic it is a fun book. I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. less

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