Review: Groomed for Murder
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 5, 2013
This is second in the 'Going To The Dogs' series and it's less of a cosy mystery, more of an adult romance.  Zoe Dawson is a pen name for romance author Karen Anders.Brooke Palmer runs a grooming parlour for dogs, and unfortunately a show poodle's clip is damaged by a young groomer.  The lady client stalks out, stuffing the dog into a Louis Vuitton carrier and demanding a sacking. Brooke was at fault for putting an inexperienced person to work on the show dog, so can her business survive?Brooke goes to a wedding, taking her mind off her troubles, which is only relevant if you've read the previous book; as I hadn't I skipped a lot of the incessant chatter. The aggrieved client goes on a TV show and threatens Brooke with a lawsuit. Her attorney Drew Hudson calls to Brooke's home to ask her to settle for damages.  He enters uninvited and next thing a bulldog is hanging off the seat of his pants. The dog's owner refuses to settle... Drew admires Brooke and wishes they were meeting under better circumstances.  Sneakily he shows up wherever Brooke happens to be, whether volunteering at a homeless shelter or shopping for food, so he can try to get on her good side.  There's a partnership for him if he can pull this off, and he thinks Brooke must see reason.  Just as the two have a quickie at a party, the unthinkable happens. The poodle's owner is found dead... and the police list Brooke as the prime suspect.Brooke is an endearing character, feeding a careful diet to her elderly bulldog. She could have mollified the irate client by firing the groomer, but she chose to protect her employee and offered free services. I thought she was too quick to give in to attraction to this man, who could have just been using her. On the other hand, another girl complains that a man she dated was far more into his computer than into her.  Maybe good men are in short supply where they live. There's just about no clue-hunting and there are some bedroom scenes, so as I said it's more for romance fans with an edge of mystery.