Book Review: Murder Strikes A Pose

Author: Tracy Weber
Title: Murder Strikes A Pose
Publisher: Midnight Ink
Publish Date: Jan 8, 2014
Buy: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley
Book Blurb: 

Yoga instructor Kate Davidson tries to live up to yoga's Zen-like expectations, but it's not easy while struggling to keep her small business afloat or dodging her best friend's matchmaking efforts.

When George, a homeless alcoholic, and his loud, horse-sized German shepherd, Bella, start hawking newspapers outside her studio, Kate attempts to convince them to leave. Instead, the three strike up an unlikely friendship.

Then Kate finds George's dead body. The police dismiss it as a drug-related street crime, but Kate knows he was no drug dealer. Now she must solve George's murder and find someone willing to adopt his intimidating companion before Bella is sent to the big dog park in the sky. With the murderer on her trail, Kate has to work fast or her next Corpse Pose may be for real.

Review: Murder Strikes A Pose is a fun new book in the "Downward Dog Mystery Series" by Tracy Weber.

The plot revolves around the death of homeless man, George, who has left behind his special needs, German Shepherd, Bella.

I think Bella, really is the star of this book, with her personality disorders and her illness. When the book opens you can't begin to think that Bella is going to be a wonderful dog, but as things progress and Kate rather unwillingly accepts the dog into her heart, Bella blooms.

Kate is actually the character I have a little bit of a hard time with. She's a struggling yoga instructor/business owner. You can really feel for her, but at the same time you want to bop her, like her unwillingness to trust men with beards to the way she deals with Bella as well as her relationship with Michael the pet shop owner.

I did love how she cared about finding the reason for George's death and her relentless pursuit for the truth. I only wish that she would have turned into more of an animal lover by the end. I think that's the one thing that kept this from being a fantastic novel. I never felt that Kate saw Bella as more than "just a dog," and as a animal lover, that  bothered me.

I do look forward to seeing how this series goes, and how Kate, Michael and Bella get closer.

Oh and the murderer? I never guessed it!

Rating: 4 flowers