~Disclaimer: I received the audiobook for free, but did buy the kindle version to read along myself. ~
A side note that doesn’t have much to do with the actual content of the book, but I CANNOT stand how Fred lets Watson eat whatever he wants. Gingerbread is given to Watson (p. 114), but gingerbread cookies often contain nutmeg. Nutmeg is toxic to dogs.
Fred decides not to fight Watson over the licorice candy that Watson finds because it isn’t worth it (p. 37). But yet again, licorice root isn’t good for dogs. It can raise their blood pressure.
Further, a lot of the things Fred seems fine with Watson eating are high in sugar and that isn’t good for the health of her dog either. I feel there are a lot of bad messages in this book for dog owners about what it is okay to allow your dog to eat and this upsets me. You can’t trust your dog not to eat things that can kill them. You as a responsible owner have to make decisions about your dog’s health because YOU are responsible for them.
The narrator was mostly something I enjoyed. But a few of the voices seemed a bit unnatural and I think this would have been better served not trying so hard to make the voices all different.
I generally liked Fred, but she did a lot of things that were arrogant and entitled. Her assumption that she could solve a murder because she read mystery novels/her dad was a cop was just ridiculous.You don’t just know how to do your parents jobs because you are the children; even if they talk about their job at home. It just isn’t how it works. Things worked out for her, but honestly it really (and realistically) could have gone really badly for her.
I thought there was a nice cast of characters that were solidly developed. Unfortunately, I foresee a love triangle in the future of this story, which is a major downside. And as much as I do love a story with a dog, I probably won’t read anymore of this series.