Cozys for Petsitters

     This week's cozy mystery courtesy of NetGalley.com is Bethany Blake's Death By Chocolate Lab (Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery #1).  Who doesn't like a little chocolate and since we just passed Valentines and are going into Lent it seemed like a great choice.

     As it turns out, I was right.  It was a nice little mystery that was big on story and light on calories.   Daphne Templeton is the perfect pet sitter, although she does seem to have a better rapport with the pets than with their owners.  Her unique background, PhD in philosophy and vegetarian lifestyle gives her a quirky edge unlike her vet older sister who is no nonsense.  Then there is Maeve the realtor Mom who is a mover and a shaker and not always the most motherly towards Daphne, who "could be doing better" in Mom's opinion.  Apparently Mom has a favorite, Daphne's older sister Piper.  Thankfully Piper doesn't let it effect her relationship with Daphne and the two are supportive of each other.  Especially since Piper lets Daphne live with her rent free.

     While hunting a home for her foster Chihuahua one eared Artie, she manages to get herself and her loyal basset, Aristotle embroiled in a mystery.  Piper, her sister , might be Mom's favorite but she falls short in the love department and was still nursing some sore feelings for Steve Beamus, a guy that thinks higher of himself than well, everyone. Not only does he end up dead following a spat with Piper; he is found on Piper's property Winding Hill farm the day of the dog agility trial.  It's Daphne who comes to the rescue to clear her sister's name, of course she might have let it slip that she saw Piper and Steve have a not so happy encounter the previous evening. How was she to know that the lead investigator was behind her.  Speaking of the investigator, he is the new-to-town and dreamy Detective Jonathon Black who's past is a mystery that Piper would like to understand better.  She isn't sure why she is looses her faculties when he is around.  After all she has been content so far with her uncategorized relationship with Dylan Taggart, the hang loose dude, mellow vet tech.

     This story is loaded with many interesting characters and some possible romantic entanglements, especially when there is dog walking involved.  I would say more but I really don't want to give anything away.  A great read, looking forward to the next installment.  Want to see what Daphne is like?  Check out Dru's Blog for a day in the life of Daphne Templeton https://drusbookmusing.com/2017/02/27/daphne-templeton/#comment-70976

Dial Meow for Murder by Bethany Blake

Great follow up to Death by Chocolate Lab. Our Ph.D toting pet charmer Daphne is back  and this time she needs to use her observation skills to clear her own mother. Maeve Templeton is a real estate agent bent on being the best and this time that just might not be good enough when the owner of the Flynt Mansion turns up dead.

What sort of treasures have been left behind in Flynt mansion? In addition to the oh so precious Tinks the Cat or as others like to call him, Tinks the Terror! That won't stop a pro like Daphne who will get to bottom of this cat-tastrophy with or without distractions like handsome Detective Black.

I really enjoyed this second installment of the Lucky Paws Petsitting series and can't wait to read the next one, Pawprints and Predicaments. The story line is moved along nicely, although I'd like to see more along the lines of Daphne and the Detective scenario. Excellent read, perfect example of a cozy.

Flying Commercial is for the Birds

     It isn't often that I vent. in fact I try to be an upbeat and positive person.  After all you'll get back that which you toss out into the Universe.  So here is my beef...  It has probably been  5 months since my darling, dear, Gabe has been able to land at Raleigh Durham International Airport on time.  I suppose I should be happy that at least he makes it on the same day that he boards the plane but quite frankly, he could almost make it home by car in less time. 

     He is currently contracted out to a pharmaceutical company in New Jersey, Mondays thru Thursdays and I get him back Thursday nights.  So he flies out dark and early (there's no bright when I drop him off at the airport) Monday morning.  Usually there is no problem with this leg of the weekly journey.  It's the return trip that leaves one wanting.  Wanting more than the lack luster attitude of the major airlines.  That's right I used the plural.  He has switched between airports and carriers in an attempt to make it home without an extended stay in an airport or on the tarmac.

     I realize that weather can be an issue, after all; act of God and all that.  I also understand that things happen, one crew might be delayed because they haven't arrived from a connecting flight.  What I don't understand is WHY does this seem to happen EVERY SINGLE WEEK?  I suppose that in all honesty, I understand the "why."  After all it has become a bit of a game for me to track the flights back to there origin for the day and to see that one plane is used for 3 different flight before it even makes it to the Newark Airport in New Jersey.  So when it starts out in Chicago and the flight is delayed it starts a cascade failure, where wait times grow exponentially.  Oh and in case you were wondering, Air Traffic Control is likened to act of God according to Delta's customer service because it is out of their hands as a company if the Tower won't let planes go on time.

     Case in point, just this past week I was looking up the flights, writing down the origination locations and keeping track of the layover times.  We were looking good, there was plenty of room for delays and then the flight going to Newark was changed so that it originated in Charlotte by way of Texas.  Originally the plane was to go from Houston to Newark and then it appeared that a completely different plane would be doing the Newark to RDU leg.  It was going to be delayed getting to Newark, but it was still going to have plenty of time for an on time departure from Newark to RDU.  We should have known that we did not have Vegas odds that it would finally work out and be on time.  On time would have meant landing in Raleigh at 9:31 PM.  Nope, didn't happen, his arrival time was 10:39 and he didn't make it curbside until 10:55 PM.  Ironically they were delayed waiting on the flight crew to make it to Newark, the same flight crew that was coming from Houston before the flight was altered to include Charlotte.

     What I really don't understand is the complete lack of concern on the part of the airline companies.  Other than the fact that it is essentially a monopoly that is completely unregulated giving the consumer no where to go if they do not posses their own plane or take part in the Net Jet option.  Most of us are not at that financial status just yet, but rest assured; the Condie family has made it a life goal to not only get out of "cattle-class" but to get out of the main terminal and let Net Jet be our travel companion.  After all, if it's good enough for Warren Buffett it is certainly good enough for us.

     On the plus side, I had some extra time to read this week's free NetGalley download for review of When the Grits Hit the Fan by Maddie Day due out March 28, 2017.  See I really am a positive person.