Review: Muzzled by Eileen Brady

AUthor: Eileen Brady
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press 
Date of publication: May 2014

Making rounds to homes one wet spring morning, veterinarian Dr. Kate Turner rescues a family's hamster from a vacuum cleaner, then visits an estate whose owners breed champion Cavalier King Charles spaniels. Instead of sharing traditional tea with the couple, she confronts a bloody scene of bodies and twenty-seven blue-ribbon dogs running wild. Police initially suspect a murder-suicide, but when Dr. Kate proves the famous best-in-show champion is missing, a darker reality intrudes. She remembers her grandfather saying that there are two motives for murder-love and money. While treating local pets, Dr. Kate discovers suspects and motives everywhere in this charming town filled with people who wanted the couple dead. Was the couple murdered for money their champion could bring to another breeder? How is their daughter, anxious to rid herself of the pampered dogs, handling the wealth she inherits? Would the celebrity filmmaker living nearby kill to end a multi-million dollar lawsuit? Did long-buried personal secrets cause the deaths? And what's going on at the office behind her back? Is Dr. Kate now in danger?


I was in the mood for a cozy-type mystery and found Muzzled on my library's Overdrive site.  It was exactly what I was looking for.  The story follows Kate Turner who is filling on for a local Veterinarian for the next year while he travels the world.  Hoping to make a fresh start in a new town, she is sidelined when she stumbles on the dead bodies of a couple during a home visit. 

For the most part, I enjoyed the mystery.  I definitely did not figure out who the killer was as there were a lot suspects.  Kate, herself, was being framed.  The characters were engaging and fun. There were some very funny moments. I loved Kate.  She was a great lead who didn't take herself too seriously.  The fact that the author is a vet herself helped to lend an air of authenticity to Kate and the story.  If you  are in the mood for a fun cozy mystery to curl up with on a rainy day, I  do recommend this one.  I have Unleashed, the next book in the series on my iPod ready to listen to very soon.