Four Dog's Sake by Lia Farrell / Reviewed by Sharon Marchisello

Killer Nashville Book of the Day

Find Four Dog's Sake at Killer Nashville's associate, Amazon.com*

Lyn Farquhar

Lisa Fitzsimmons

Four Dog's Sake by Lia Farrell
Reviewed by Sharon Marchisello

You don't have to be a dog lover to enjoy Four Dog’s Sake, the fourth installment in the Mae December mystery series by Lia Farrell. Lia Farrell is a pseudonym for the mother-daughter writing team, Lyn Farquhar and Lisa Fitzsimmons.

In Four Dog’s Sake (Camel Press), Mae December, kennel owner and dog trainer, is one of four central characters, and although knowledge of canines is not essential to the plot, Mae’s connections and people skills are. The story unfolds from four different points of view, using chapter divisions whenever there is a shift. Dr. Lucy Ingram first suspects her recent patient, Chester Willis, did not commit suicide, contrary to the initial coroner's report. After some amateur sleuthing to give credence to her theory, she persuades her boyfriend, Chief Detective Wayne Nichols, to open an investigation.

Mae’s fiancé, Rose County Sheriff Ben Bradley, coordinates the operation while trying to run for re-election. His opponent is sleazy trial lawyer Ramsey Tremaine, who represents Rick Willis, one of the chief suspects in Chester’s murder. Ramsey generates plenty of publicity about wrongful accusations and harassment of his client in an effort to discredit the competence of the current administration.

Likeable Chester Willis does not appear to have had any enemies. Before his death, he cared for his terminally ill father, Leonard Willis, and stood to inherit a substantial fortune at Leonard’s impending death. With Chester out of the way, Leonard’s estate is divided between Chester’s older brother Rick—high-living stock broker engaged to socialite Meredith Flynn—and Brooke Piper, Leonard’s massage therapist, a young, attractive nursing student who is struggling to make ends meet.

Against the backdrop of a sweltering Tennessee summer, budding romantic relationships, and staff changes around the sheriff’s office, the four main characters work as a team to assemble the puzzle pieces and deliver justice for Chester. Something tells me this amiable group of characters will allow readers more glimpses into the continuing saga of their lives next time there is a murder in Rose County.

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Sharon Marchisello is the author of Going Home, a murder mystery inspired by her mother's battle with Alzheimer's. She has a Masters in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California and is a member of the Atlanta Chapter of Sisters in Crime. She lives in Peachtree City, GA, with her husband and cat, and does volunteer work for the Fayette Humane Society.

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If you have a book you would like featured, send an ARC for consideration. The Killer Nashville Book of the Day Reviews are coordinated by Clay Stafford with the assistance of Emily Eytchison and credited guest reviewers.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

*Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale. Killer Nashville receives zero compensation (other than sometimes the book to review) from publishers who have been selected for the Book of the Day.

Plain Dead by Emma Miller / Reviewed by Sharon Marchisello

Killer Nashville Book of the Day

Find Plain Dead at Killer Nashville's associate, Amazon.com*

Rachel Mast straddles the Amish world where she grew up, and the “English” world where she tried living for several years in corporate America, before returning to Stone Mill, Pennsylvania, to run a Bed & Breakfast. Plain Dead, the third installment in Emma Miller’s Amish mystery series, opens with Rachel organizing the Winter Frolic, a festival designed to bring in tourists with a much-needed cash infusion for the Amish community.

Newspaperman and gossip columnist Bill Billingsley threatens to expose a secret from Rachel’s stint on Wall Street that could jeopardize her standing in the community. The two argue publicly. The next morning, Bill is found frozen to death on his front porch, bound and gagged and locked out of his house.

Evan, Rachel’s fiancé, is the police detective assigned to the case. Although Evan does not believe Rachel could commit murder, the evidence against her mounts as one after another of the other suspects is cleared, often with Rachel’s help. Rachel feels betrayed that Evan could even consider her a suspect, and her meddling in the investigation causes friction in their relationship.

Emma Miller, who also writes Amish romances for Harlequin’s Love Inspired line, paints a vivid picture of the Amish culture, with honest insights into their beliefs and values. She has created a likable heroine in Rachel, whose understanding of the Plain ways and ability to maintain their trust uniquely qualifies her to probe where “English” law enforcement is shut out.

Clues like a lost hat and a buggy parked in the wrong place at the wrong time are dismissed by the police, but they lead Rachel down a path she would rather forego. She almost becomes another victim as the surprise murderer is revealed.

Plain Dead is not only an entertaining mystery, but it sheds light on a culture most readers know only in stereotypes.

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Sharon Marchisello is the author of Going Home, a murder mystery inspired by her mother's battle with Alzheimer's. She has a Masters in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California and is a member of the Atlanta Chapter of Sisters in Crime. She lives in Peachtree City, GA, with her husband and cat, and does volunteer work for the Fayette Humane Society.

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If you have a book you would like featured, send an ARC for consideration. The Killer Nashville Book of the Day Reviews are coordinated by Clay Stafford with the assistance of Emily Eytchison and credited guest reviewers.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

And be sure to check out our new book, Killer Nashville Noir: Cold-Blooded, an anthology of original short stories by New York Times bestselling authors and newbies alike.

“Murder, mayhem, and mystery!  Every story in KILLER NASHVILLE: COLD-BLOODED is filled with

suspense, sizzle and startling twists. I loved it!”- Lisa Jackson, New York Times Bestselling Author

*Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale. Killer Nashville receives zero compensation (other than sometimes the book to review) from publishers who have been selected for the Book of the Day.

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