mystery

Dog Days of Karma by Jada Ryker!

I read Jada Ryker’s Pink Zombie with a Twist, a while ago and found myself with an open spot on my TBR. I looked for a more recent book by Jada and decided to try The Dog Days of Karma. Read on to find out my thoughts.

Synopsis (from the author):

Desperate to locate a missing person, Constance Twist decides to call a detective agency. Waiting for directory assistance and muttering to herself about karma, Constance jots down the address for the Carr—Maah Consulting Agency. On the way to the agency, Constance is shoved into traffic and nearly killed.

Celeste Carr is shocked when Constance storms into the office, demanding help. She tries to explain that Carr—Maah is a human resources consulting company, not a detective agency. Celeste grits her teeth when her mysterious business partner Ericka Maah overrules Celeste and forces her to take Constance’s case.

The killer rectifies the earlier error. Constance is brutally murdered as she leaves the agency.

Several hundred miles away, Jose is a restaurant manager and former agency employee. He helped Sonora escape her abusive husband by giving her a job and an apartment. After Sonora unexpectedly flees, Jose finds a hefty online reward for a lost dog. The posting shows Sonora’s image photoshopped with the picture of a dog. Jose follows Sonora’s trail back to his hometown and the Carr—Maah Consulting Agency.

Celeste, Ericka, and Jose, assisted by Hobart, the mysterious homeless man forced by Ericka to become the agency’s office manager, investigate. The clues lead them to a surfeit of viable suspects. His voice heated by the South African sun, Christoph Metre is the charismatic head of the rival consulting agency. Obsessed with the exotic Ericka, Christoph appears with his entourage in unexpected places, including the murder scene. Lovesick Mrs. Grant, in a one-sided relationship with Mr. Crispie, hated it when Constance Twist offered the spry widower lemonade with a Twist. Dr. Britta Spartan, head of the domestic violence shelter, writhes around Hobart like a predatory boa constrictor around a juicy mouse.

If Celeste and her friends can’t solve the mystery in time, they’ll be the next victims.

What I liked:

Jada Ryker writes in a conversational and easy to read way. Her characters are quirky, interesting, and have their own mysteries. For instance, who is Hobart Smith really? What late night activities go on while Hobart is upstairs? What childhood trauma did Celeste experience? These are but a few of the things to solve in this book. And, that doesn’t even include the actual murder the HR consulting firm reluctantly investigates. The Dog Days of Karma had enough action to keep me interested and the twists were fun.

What I didn’t like:

The only issue I had with the book was the ending. I thought it was rushed and tried too hard to tie the loose ends together.

Overall impression:

Dog Days of Karma was an interesting and enjoyable read. I liked the quirky characters, the various mysteries, and the action of the story. I would recommend this one to anyone who likes cozy mysteries!

My rating:

4.5 Stars (rounded to 5)

Connect with the author:

You can connect with Jada Ryker on her Amazon Author page or at her website. If you read Dog Days of Karma or any of Jada Ryker’s other books, please consider leaving a review. It helps authors know what people think of their work!

Connect with me:

Want to give me feedback on my review, please leave me a comment. I like to hear what you think. If you would rather connect with me on social media, I can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. You can also drop me an email at bill@williamlstuart.com.