Dogs Don't Lie

February 1, 2011

An animal psychic depends on the voices around her to uncover the truth.

Pru Marlowe, almost-certified animal behaviorist, can't quiet the voices in her head. No, she's not crazy—not that way, at least; it's just that she hears the thoughts of animals all the time. In fact, though Pru tells her neighbors in the Berkshires that she left the city to take care of her mother, the truth is that she had to get away from all those voices. Country life suits Pru, and she makes a bit of money dog walking and animal training. Things turn sour, however, when Lily, a pit bull Pru trains, becomes the lead suspect in her master Charles' murder. Now Pru has to count on the voices of the animals to help her find the real murderer before she becomes a suspect herself. By her side, but not always on it, is her curmudgeonly tabby, Wallis. Added to the mix is every needy animal Pru finds on her path to the truth, including a few human specimens like Charles' fiancée Delia Cochrane and his business partner and playboy Mack Danton.

If Simon (Grey Matters, 2010, etc.) is more cute and cloying than usual, the plot compensates with more intrigue. Readers who can stomach the constant animal chatter will be rewarded with a story with some surprisingly creative twists.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

March 1, 2011

Berkshires pet psychic Pru Marlowe finds her highest-paying client dead in his living room with his throat torn out. The prime suspect is the victim's blood-covered pit bull, Lily. Trying to save Lily places Pru squarely on the path to danger. VERDICT Simon, author of the Theda Krakow (Probable Claws) and Dulcie Schwartz series (Grey Matters), launches a delightful new pet series that will appeal to fans of Shirley Rousseau Murphy and Rita Mae Brown.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 1, 2011
Pru Marlowe has recently returned to her hometown in the Berkshires, ostensibly to care for her dying mother. In reality, she fled New York when she was weeks away from completing her degree as an animal behaviorist, having endured a nervous breakdown caused by her sudden ability to hear animals. Only a few months later, after setting up shop as an animal trainer, Pru finds her best client dead, his throat ripped out, and his newly adopted pit bull, Lily, standing next to him, covered in blood. Spurred on by the desperate cries only she can hear, Pru commits herself to saving Lily and solving the murder. Simon writes a high-quality cozy mystery, well paced and plotted, with plenty of twists, and set in a New England small town full of intriguing characters. Prus struggles to deal with her abilities make this stand out among other animal mysteries, and the sad story of Floyd, the heart-broken Persian, will touch the heart of cat lovers everywhere. Recommend this series to fans of Blaize Clement and Rita May Brown (especially those who have grown weary of the Mrs. Murphy novels). Watch this series closely. It could well sprint to the top of the animal-cozy genre.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

February 14, 2011
This fluffy first in a new series from Simon (Mr. Grey) introduces Pru Marlowe, an almost certified pet behaviorist/animal trainer, who to her dismay developed "the ability to hear what animals are ‘saying' " as the result of an illness while a student in New York City. Back home in the Berkshire town of Beauville, Pru scrapes by with pet training jobs and referrals from Doc Sharp, the local veterinarian. When Pru's computer geek client, Charles Harris, is fatally mauled, apparently by his pit bull, Tetris, Pru is determined to keep the "killer dog," whom she renames Lily, from being euthanized and prove that a two-legged critter was the real killer. Her clever 13-year-old tabby, Wallis, provides snarky paws-on assistance. Pru can come across as pompous at times, but she's no slouch as a detective. Fans of Blaize Clement and Carole Nelson Douglas will be pleased.