Muzzled: A Kate Turner, DVM, Mystery (Kate Turner, DVM Mysteries)
Show dog business might be ruthless, but the shooting deaths of a local couple high in the industry’s ranks stuns not just Dr. Kate Turner, the veterinarian who finds them, but the whole community. The police quickly rule it murder-suicide, but Kate thinks that unlikely, mostly because the canines were loose in the house. When another dog breeder is shot and wounded at a regional show, Kate’s suspicions only deepen. The trouble is, she’s the newcomer in town and not sure whom she can trust—other than the animals—at this point. Consulting with her grandfather, a retired NYFD arson investigator, by phone, she picks up some investigative tips. But she needs to watch her back because someone is tired of her nosiness. VERDICT Winner of the Poisoned Pen Discover Writers Contest, Brady’s series debut is stellar. She weaves in details about the veterinary practice without overwhelming the plot, and the scenic Hudson River setting (think Rhinebeck) enhances the mystery. Recommend for Beth Groundwater readers: gentle but exciting, too. (Library Journal)Brady’s enjoyable, leisurely paced first novel introduces Dr. Kate Turner, who, like Brady herself, is a veterinarian. When Kate pays a house call on Vivian and Thomas Langhorne, who breed and raise champion Cavalier King Charles spaniels, she discovers the dead bodies of the elderly couple. The police call it murder-suicide, but Kate’s not so sure. In the course of her rounds, Kate discovers that many residents of Oak Falls, N.Y., had good reason to do them in, ranging from the heartlessly competitive dog show grande dame to the even more heartless, money-grubbing Langhorne daughter with a checkered legal past. Readers will want to see more of the likable Kate, who, as she snoops and doctors, provides an inside look at quirky pet owners and the oft-satirized dog show set (shoe polish shines a nose!). She even imparts wisdom on such matters as clipping parrot toe nails and the importance of doggie weight loss diets. (Publishers Weekly)I am impressed with new writer Eileen Brady, a veterinarian by profession, and her first mystery novel, Muzzled. There is no doubt she knows her stuff as a vet. She also did a great job of incorporating that knowledge into her writing. Brady begins her enchanting work with Dr. Kate Turner making a house call. Fun! I won't give away the introduction of Dr. Turner into the neighborhood of mystery writers. This scene is a classic. However, Dr. Turner's next call doesn't end so well. She finds an elderly couple shot to death and their prized King Charles spaniels running around the house loose. Authorities immediately determine the deaths are a murder-suicide. Kate (I can call her by her first name by now as I feel I know her) doesn't agree and, while making her house calls, questions her other pet owners. While she makes her calls as a substitute vet for a vacationing veterinarian, she becomes more and more suspicious that the value of these champion spaniels triggered (no pun intended) the shooting deaths. And by accompanying her, we meet some interesting characters: a tattooed biker who loves to bake; a filmmaker in trouble with the law; as well as an estranged daughter who wants her inheritance. While Kate asks her questions, someone must feel she is getting too close to unveiling the murderer, and she realizes she is being framed for murder. Muzzled is a delightful book and I look forward to the second in this new series. (Bookloons)A delightful and lively mystery that introduces Kate Turner, a veterinarian with heart, humor and a new penchant for solving murders.  A promising first novel that will leave readers begging for more. (Earlene Fowler, Agatha-awarding winning author of the Benni Harper mystery series)Here is a novel written with exacting authority, along with a frolicking sense of humor about life, animals, and the lengths to which someone will go to right a wrong, all while still maintaining a solid sense of tension and suspense. I look forward to future mysteries featuring the charismatic Dr. Kate Turner...and I’m sure you will, too! (James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of The Eye of God)A veterinarian moves to a small town whose residents have plenty to hide. Kate Turner abandoned Long Island and a romance gone bad for the lovely Hudson River town of Oak Falls; she's subbing for Doc Anderson, who’s on a trip around the world. Her new routine is soon spectacularly disrupted when she makes a house call and discovers two dead bodies—Vivian and Thomas Langthorne, whose lives revolved around their kennel of top-notch Cavalier King Charles spaniels. They would never have left their 27 valuable dogs running around the house, which is how Kate finds them. Unable to accept the police theory of murder-suicide, Kate begins to snoop for clues. She’s deeply upset when the Langthornes’ adopted daughter, Pippi, quickly sells all her parents’ beloved dogs. Their premier spaniel, Charles Too, fetches $1 million dollars from a Japanese breeder—a high price indeed for a fake, although Kate is unable to prove her suspicion. Soon, one of the rival breeders who bought some of the Langthorne dogs is shot (though not killed) at a dog show. Kate’s questions reveal that an awful lot of people had motives for murdering the dislikable Langthornes. As Kate goes about her daily routine, caring for grumpy dogs, cats, hamsters and parrots is the least of her problems. If she gets too close to solving the case, a determined killer may mark her for murder. Kate’s debut has plenty to offer pet lovers and mystery mavens alike. (Kirkus Reviews)