A DEADLY BONE TO PICK

4 stars out of 5

Be still my happy heart: I read almost all the way to the end of a cozy mystery before realizing it's a cozy. Why? It's missing all the annoying hallmarks of other cozies: No hand-wringing heroine who won't listen to reason. No wacked-out loud-mouthed friend who gets her into even more trouble . No paranoia, questioning everything every other character says and does or waffling between two hunky guys. Better still, apparently it's the first of a series. My reaction? Thank you - and bring on the next one quickly, please!

That's not to say that Molly Madison isn't carrying around some serious baggage; after her husband's demise - for which some still blame her - the former Massachusetts police officer and private eye has moved to coastal California, taking very little except her beloved golden retriever, Harlow. Even before she gets settled in her new digs, she gets a visitor - in the form of a huge, exceptionally slobbery Saint Berdoodle (that's a blend of St. Bernard and, well, you know). Turns out he belongs to a down-the-street neighbor who is happy to share a dog he doesn't care much for anyway.

A practiced dog trainer (who shares her expertise with readers, a plus for dog-lovers), Molly tolerates the drools and takes a shine to Noodle  - as does Harlow. On a beach walk, though, Noodle starts digging around, triumphantly retrieving a human hand. Uh, oh, Molly thinks - time to call the cops. When she does, she bumps into perhaps the only similarity to most cozies: A cop with an ax to grind, and it's name is Molly - and his sympathetic, good-looking sidekick who steps in to dull his partner's blade.

After that, nothing much goes according to plan except Molly's training schedule for Noodle - approved by his emergency doctor owner - and training sessions for the dog belonging to super-smart eight-year-old Amy, whose parents are, shall we say, less than attentive. This is followed by a couple of neighborhood murders (which, of course, that unfriendly cop would love to pin on Molly if he could just figure out how). The closer Molly gets to the truth, though, the more she puts her own life in jeopardy.

The whole thing is an engaging romp with plenty of action from both people and canines, for which I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the privilege of reading and reviewing. For those who enjoy an entertaining, well-written book, I have this advice: Sit. Stay. Read!

A Deadly Bone to Pick by Peggy Rothschild (Berkley, February 2022); 304 pp.