Review: A Fatal Twist

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In this fourth installment of the Downward Dog Mysteries series, yoga instructor Kate Davidson’s life takes yet another turn toward complete chaos. First, she agrees to play doula to her close friend who is expecting twins any minute, when her partner decides to foster two adorable but endlessly destructive pups who stress Kate’s digestively-challenged German Shepherd, Bella. To make matters worse, Kate’s friend is charged with the murder of her husband, a rather obnoxious, unfaithful fertility doctor.

Award-winning author Tracy Weber writes a solid mystery that will keep the reader guessing until the end. However, what makes Weber’s books so enjoyable is her humor. Kate is not your stereotypical yogini. Instead, she’s trying to find patience just like the rest of us, and she often describes her situation in terms that will have readers chuckling out loud. Furthermore, Kate’s interactions with other characters such as Tiffany, her edgy crime-solving partner with questionable taste in yoga attire, and her pregnant friend, Rene, who has an endless appetite and a subversive desire to avoid anything nutritious, will leave readers smiling while they puzzle through the mystery. A Fatal Twist is a strong addition to an already great mystery series.

(Reviewed in exchange for a free copy of book for Netgalley.)

Book Review: Karma’s a Killer

Product DetailsIn Karma’s a Killer, yoga instructor, Katie Davidson, agrees to teach “doga” or yoga for dogs at a local animal rescue’s fundraiser, and chaos ensues. First, the doga class goes very wrong when someone insists on bringing Alfalfa the rabbit into the class filled with dogs. Then, animal activists stage a violent protest at the event. While Katie struggles to maintain her sense of inner peace, one of the activists is found dead, and a woman named Dharma, who claims to be Katie’s long-lost mother, is arrested for the murder. With her high-strung German Shepard companion, Bella, Katie sets out to discover the truth.

Tracy Weber provides a host entertaining characters. Katie is all too human and humorous in her struggle toward enlightenment in the midst of her investigations. Even Weber’s secondary characters are memorable. For example, Dale is a former high-powered lawyer who now hides behind the persona of a goat-farmer with a southern accent. Furthermore, Weber has a refreshing eye for humorous detail from the unusually appropriate mugs doled out by the local barista to Bandit, the terrier, toilet-paper terrorist. This second installment in the Downward Dog cozy mystery series is simply fun at its best.

(Reviewed in exchange for a copy of the book in Manhattan Book Review.)