Customer Reviews

Animal Appetite (Dog Lover's Mystery)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Holly Winter, dog writer extraordinaire, is trying to write about a person, colonial heroine Hannah Duston, who, in another age would have been known as an ax murderer. She is also writing about an 18 year old murder, because the victim's dog was the proof it was not suicide. The two pieces would seem to be world's apart, but there are puzzling connections.

I am a fan of Ms. Conant and I cherish my friendship with Holly and her malamutes, but this is not up to her best writing. The story seemed oddly flat, and my favorite non-series character was murdered after one appearance.

Those who enjoy the series will certainly want to read this, but if you haven't met Holly and company before, don't start here!

Holly Winter, a writer for DOG'S LIFE magazine, makes a bet with her friend and neighbor Rita (a psychotherapist) that she can indeed write something that has nothing to do with dogs whatsoever. Thus, Holly begins research on Hannah Duston, who, in 1697 was captured by Indians--then killed her captors and returned home. At the same time she is learning about Hannah Duston, however, Holly is also finding out about John Winter Andrews, who died eighteen years ago (was it suicide or murder? the case was never solved)--and owned a Golden Retriever, the same breed of dog Holly's family has bred for decades. Surely there must be a kinship link of some sort, and Holly is determined to find out what really happened.

Holly is a fun person to hang out with--smart, smart-mouthed, and with a smart choice of companions: her two Alaskan Malamutes, Kimi and Rowdy. Think Kinsey Millhone transplanted from Santa Teresa, California to Cambridge, Massachusetts and immersed in the world of dogs. Holly's other friends--her lover (and vet) Steve, her next door neighbor (and homicide detective) Kevin, and Rita--are almost as engaging as the assorted canines who show up in the novel.

Be warned: the Holly Winter series is addictive! This reviewer read ten of them (of which this is number ten) in ten days. All are stronger on dogs than on the mystery elements--which is not to say the mystery elements are weak, they aren't--but that's just fine by me. It isn't necessary to read these novels in order, so grab the first one you can find (and all the others you can put your hands on) and dig in for a tour of New England, dog shows and obedience trials, colonial history... and, oh yes... rats.

Kimberly Borrowdale, Under the Covers

Susan Conant has written a series of books in which murders are solved by a very unlikely person. The "detective" in Ms. Conant's books is a dog lover with the unlikely name of Holly Winter. Holly makes a living writing for a dog magazine. Holly's life centers around her two Alaskan malamutes. I am not a "dog lover" but I have enjoyed meeting the malamutes and I have enjoyed in other books reading about the strange world of dog shows.

In Animal Appetite, Holly investigates the murder of a pubisher who died at his desk 18 years before the start of the tale. Concurrently, Holly is researching an actual historical event in which a woman who had been captured by native Americans managed to escape (killing several of her captors in the process). I enjoyed the combination of colonial history and wry humor aimed at dog fanciers and Harvard professors. I read Susan Conant because I enjoy the world she creates and the vivid way she brings dogs to life on the printed page. Don't expect the wild humor of Susan Evanovich or the well crafted puzzles of vintage Agatha Christy; expect an enjoyable romp with two wonderful malamutes.

Susan Conant is the dog show lover's writer. Every description of anything doggy in her book is 100% right on. Her credibility extends to the mystery as she investigates three different murders, one incident that happened to "savages" in the 1600's, another that took place 18 years ago, and the recent suspicious death of a Harvard professor. If you love dogs, dog shows, obedience trials and the like, you're going to love this book. The mystery is just another treat, like frosting on the cake.

Ms. Conant is at her best when she is writing about the dog world. In this book she attempts to branch out into the world of academia and the story falters. There are two mysteries to be solved here, and I didn't find either one of them to be particularly interesting. The only time the characters come to life is when they are relating to the dogs in the story, and those times were far too few. Surely there is enough weirdness in the dog world for several more books. I hope Ms. Conant returns there for her future stories. Still, if you are a confirmed dog person, as I am, you will want to read this one and then look forward to the next installment in the adventures of Rowdy and Kimi.

I've read Susan Conant's books from the beginning but one thing I've noticed about her writing: It has gotten very stuffy, with frequent lectures. Holly has become a one dimentional character who is obsessed with nothing but dogs (I'm obsessed with dogs but even I have other likes!). What happened to Holly's love of the Celtics/Larry Bird? What happened to her Dad? A good mystery but I'd have to say that Conant is getting to be too lecture-prone and her character development is awful.

I love the history of Hannah the axe-wielding "Indian" killer. I love dogs. But I don't love the heroine of this novel. Even if this wasn't Book #10 in a series and I haven't read 1-9, Holly Winter doesn't pull me into her world. The opening chapters were so off-putting, I picked up the novel several times before forcing myself to read on. The narrative voice makes the author so intrusive. "Ours is a friendship of opposites," the narrator tells us. "You could tell at a glance. For instance, if you'd magically peered in at us sitting at that table, you'd have noticed (etc)," and, "As you'd soon have guessed if you'd listened in, Rita is a clinical psychologist." Okay, maybe in 1997, that kind of writing was par for the course, but now it's known as "visible" writing -- it reminds me that I'm reading a book instead of cleaning house or weeding the garden or doing any number of more useful things than entering the "other world" of a novel.

The whodunnit aspect of the novel was less interesting than the coincidences that linked Holly and her dogs to the murder victim and his dog, and to people who knew the Hanna Duston story. Susan Conant does a great job bringing that story to life. And I love the way Holly uses her dogs to outwit the killer in the end.

Again, the history and the dog details make the book readable, but I have no desire to invest several hours of my life (and scant reading time) in the world of Holly Winter.

This book was so boring that I skimmed most of the pages just to get to the mystery. So much superfluous information that just seemed to go on and on. I do not recommend this book at all.

In this book Holly Winter is trying to write a story about humans instead of dogs. This decision was brought about with a bet between and her lodger, Rita. She delves into colonial history to research and write about Hannah Duston (a pioneer woman who was captured by Indians in 1697, who was remembered historically for her killing of her captors). While she is researching this, Holly is also drawn to an 18-year-old murder that seems to be connected somehow to her research. This is a good book, and even though there is less about dogs and the dog world in it, we still get to see Rowdy and Kimi. Ms. Conant also depicts a disfunctional family, and her characterizations of the people in this family are believable. The best part about these books is the three-dimensional characterization that Ms. Conant creates.

The usual fine work by Susan Conant. I enjoy all of these dog books, with enough mystery to keep me interested.