Fred and Watson are back
“…a bull elk stared at me from less than thirty feet away, its seemingly limitless pointed antlers forming a crown above its head…it huffed a steaming breath and then moved on, only then did I notice another five or six farther back in the trees.”
This is why I keep going back to Mildred Abbott’s books. I’m enamoured with Estes, Colorado. Bookshop owner Fred and her sidekick Corgi, Watson, are back at their antics. Fred has finally opened her bookstore The Cozy Corgi, and it is the centre of attention at opening. Katie’s baking, though, really has the crowds excited. And then Fred’s two potential suitors show up. Sergeant Branson Wexler has taken Fred out several times on what be considered ‘dates’ while wildlife officer Leo Lopez has indicated he has interest in spending more time with Fred.
As Fred observes after the two men greeted each other, “It was such a male thing to do. Almost like two bighorn sheep I’d seen on a drive in the park the other day, each circling and measuring each other. With any luck, Branson and Leo wouldn’t end the meeting with a skull-crushing head-butt.”
An interesting image. I am reminded of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. And I want to see Leo and Branson as Ranger and Joe Morelli, but cozy series are tamer, so we won’t get the hot bedroom scenes. A little action in the romance department wouldn’t hurt, though, and hopefully that will happen in subsequent books.
The actual mystery was interesting, mixing the discussion of wildlife versus keeping pets. Myrtle, the head of the birdwatching group, talks passionately about how even the most beautiful bird cage is still just that – a cage. As a society, we have decided that owning domesticated pets is acceptable. As society’s view of the environment changes, so does our view of animals. Humans are driving the extinction of animals and this book is a commentary on how nature should be protected.
Of course there’s a murder to solved. And despite being warned against getting involved, Fred does. There is humour in the book and I’m glad I listened to it. Angie Hickman is a great narrator for this series. I love her interpretation of Fred and she is fabulous with the other characters. This book provided a challenge with Myrtle’s voice being bird-like. Angie hit it spot-on. Another great collaboration.
And, of course, I continue to be a Watson fan.