Tortie Shorties on Mystery Monday

Welcome to this week's edition of Tortie Shorties on Mystery Monday!

We hope you enjoy our choices.

Murder, Handcrafted (Amish Quilt Shop Mystery) by Isabella Alan

From the publisher: Spring has arrived in Holmes County and Angie couldn’t be happier. She’s got great friends, a thriving business, and is in the perfect relationship with Sheriff James Mitchell. The only thing raining on her parade is her mother drafting her into a massive home renovation project—and using their sudden mother/daughter bonding time to comment on Angie’s ticking biological clock. 

The house’s repairs and upgrades between the Amish craftsmen and their Englisch counterparts are proceeding well until a tremendous shock comes to the workers when the electrician is found dead on site. With the sheriff suspecting foul play, it falls to Angie to root a killer out of the woodwork. . . .

Tortie Shorties Review: How can this possibly be the last Amish Quilt Shop mystery??? I have adored every book in this series and it seems like each one has been more wonderful than the last.

This fifth book finds Angie's parents settling into their new home in Holmes County and taking on a huge kitchen renovation project. When her dad is injured Angie's dear friend Jonah takes on the project and ends up becoming the main suspect when an electrician with a history of accidental deaths on his job sites ends up electrocuted in the back yard. Offended that her parents house has become a crime scene and determined to clear her friend's name, Angie is on the case. Everything spins completely out of control when an alleged Bigfoot sighting turns their cozy little town into a gathering place for conspiracy theorists. I was kept guessing until the very end, and as is so often in this series the killer ended up being a character with a personal reason for committing murder more than a nefarious one.

Humor abounds thanks in part to the animals in Angie's life: Dodger the kitten, Oliver the bird-fearing French bulldog and Petunia the goat. And as Angie and Jonah's friendship suffers a crisis, her relationship with Sheriff Mitchell reaches a turning point. By the turn of the last page I had a smile on my face and a special place in my heart for a cast of characters that I won't soon forget.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Lei Crime Series: Born To Love (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Keiki & Lia Thriller Book 1) by Amy Shojai

From the publisher: Can the past unlock the future and love preserve a life?

A puppy's job is to learn. Keiki relishes the sights, sounds and smells of her world, but people frustrate and confuse her. Why do humans control all the good stuff?

Lia Corazon channels her energy and emotions into the dogs she trains in her North Texas kennel. She especially enjoys four-month-old Keiki's enthusiasm, but the pup's owner makes her uneasy. There's something very...wrong about him.

When a vicious storm, violent flood, and scary creatures menace Keiki, her Rottweiler bravery comes through. But what can a good-dog do when a human enemy threatens? Keiki must use all she's learned if she's to save Lia from a killer.

Tortie Shorties Review: This novella is more action-packed than some full-length books I've read!

A prequel to the popular Lei Crime Series, this story focuses on Rottweiler pup Keiki's training for her future as a possible police dog or other protection role. As she faces threats from both mother nature and her evil owner, we see what made her such a strong and fearless dog.

Told alternately from Keiki's point of view and that of her trainer Lia (who's facing struggles of her own), I particularly enjoyed a glimpse inside the mind of a puppy during training. After all, who doesn't like to imagine what our cats and dogs are really thinking about everything going on around them?

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.