Customer Reviews

Nose for Trouble (a Dale Kinsall Mystery)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I like mysteries. I like animals. What could be better than BOTH in one book? I've been a fan of Durgin's for a while (if you like dog-related stories, check out her contemporary fantasy, A Feral Darkness), but this is her first straight-up mystery. I love her fantasy and action-romance books, but some authors don't translate well to new genres. I'm happy to say, Durgin's gift for characterization and well-paced storytelling comes through in the mystery genre as well. The main characters are well realized, and the secondary characters aren't given short shrift. Their interactions ring true, but don't distract from the story. And, although clues abound, it still kept me guessing and interested right to the very end.

She also *gets* how dogs think. At least, based on my dogs, she does. Dogs are not little people - they have different interests and instincts - and Durgin doesn't make the mistake of pretending they are. But the few passages that purport to be the thoughts of the beagle "Sully" ring true to this long-time dog owner.

Overall this is just a fun book, a fast read, and an intriquing mystery. With Beagle.

Doranna Durgin always creates well-developed characters--including the animals! In NOSE, readers get to meet Sully, a Beagle, who is a real dog, not a cutsie-poo device. Oh, and Dale is a winner, too, but Sully is the star!

I really enjoyed this book. Yes, I am a beagle lover which is why the book was given to me. Dale and Sully are wonderful!! I can't wait to read more of their adventures (please, oh please!).

I really liked Doranna Durgin's NOSE FOR TROUBLE. The story has just the right amount of humor, an adorable beagle, and characters just odd enough to remind you of some of your more eccentric friends.

I was also really taken by the setting--the high deserts of northern Arizona, an area I've come to really love for its beauty and majestic views. In reading the story I can really see areas I know around Flagstaff.

This mystery will keep you guessing and still offer a satisfying
resolution. Buy two, and give one to a friend!

Well developed, interesting characters. I love the point of view of the little beagle. All nuances are just absolutely perfect!!! beagle woo!!! Loved the book. A quick and highly entertaining read.

... loving this book. Dale Kinsall and his Beagle, Sully, pulled me into their lives right away, right into the parking lot of the Foothills Veterinary Clinic. Every character in the book, major and minor, is as real as every other, right down to the noisy children in the background. The pacing is just right, no slack, no yanking. And when the end comes, the surprise is just right--but it's no surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

This is a charming tale from a new voice in mystery. Fans of Durgin will be delighted to read Dale and Sully's first adventure. Veterinarian Dale Kinsall relocates to Arizona in hopes of curing his asthema, but gets a lot more than he bargained for when he finds a drowned man in dry as dust Flagstaff.

I can't wait for the second book in the series (Scent of Danger).

The fire burned down his Ohio clinic, but also seared his lungs as veterinarian Dr. Dale Kinsall tried to rescue his patients. Accompanied by his beagle Sully, he relocated to the dry Arizona desert just outside Flagstaff because of his asthmatic condition. At the Foothills Veterinary Clinic he meets an odd staff.

Also at the clinic he learns about a recent nearby homicide, but thinks that is far less a murder count from where he used to live. After nearly dehydrating, only to be rescued by Pine County Clinic DVM Dr. Laura Nakai, Dale and Sully find a corpse near their home. The victim John Heflinger apparently drowned in an arid drought infested backyard. The Midwest transplant informs the cops, but tries to ignore the incident until he realizes that he, his canine, and the eccentric crew at the Foothills Veterinary Clinic are at risk from a determined killer.

NOSE FOR TROUBLE is a lighthearted funny amateur sleuth tale starring a caring individual who seems to land in one doo-doo droppings after another in spite of his knowing to watch where he steps. The eccentric support cast, mostly those working at the clinic, Laura, and Sully, finds themselves in amusing predicaments that will have the audience laughing out loud. Still this is clearly Dale's tale as he tries to start anew, but trouble seems to be his magnet.

Harriet Klausner

If this one is anything like Doranna's other books, I suggest you click on the order button right now! When I pick up one of her books I can't stop until I'm finished with the entire thing. I can't wait to get my hands on this one and read it.

**** Finally received my copy and finished reading it. Wow, another great book from Doranna. The story grabbed ahold of me from the beginning and it just got better from there. Seeing the story not only from Dale's POV, but also his Beagle Sully was creative and really brought the characters to life for me. I look forward to seeing more Dale and Sully stories in the future.

I guess I did like this book, and hey, cute dog... gotta love that. But I felt like the author was in a horrible storm, and half her manuscript blew away, kind of randomly. But she turned the other half in, and they published it at a VERY large price for such a small book. But I just kept feeling confused throughout the book. (and he did NOT come from the east coast. Farms in Ohio don't count as the east coast). The book ended, and I was still confused, with few loose ends cleared up. I feel irritated that I was cheated out of some really good stuff. Oh well. Other reviews seemed to love this book, but I'm suspicious of their motivation. All that said, I liked the guy and the girl, and loved the dog. Makes for a decent read, but no way was it 4 or 5 stars.


PS. Add extra points if you like hearing the dog's point of view. I always love that, although there could have been more of it.