Customer Reviews

Putting on the Dog (Reigning Cats & Dogs Mysteries, No. 2)

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

 

 

I read Cynthia Baxter's first book in the series,"Dead Canaries Don't Sing" and found it enjoyable. I liked Dr. Jessica Popper, her rescue dogs and boyfriend, Nick. In "Putting on the Dog," some of the jokes from the first book returned and just sounded stale. How many times do we have to hear people making softdrink jokes about Dr. Pepper/Dr. Popper? Jessica's on again--off again relationship with her boyfriend is once again at one extreme or another, both in love and in detection. I guess what bothered me the most is that, in constantly trying to justify her reasons for investigating the mureder, Jessica impressed me as being just plain nosy. I didn't like her as much as I did in the first book. That said, I did enjoy Jessica's love for her animals, in fact, just about all animals. The plot also had some fun charectors. Not a bad read, but I hope the next one is better.

Cynthia Baxter's second book is certainly far better than her first. Her plot is more complex, and her cast of supporting characters better evolved. However, I still have trouble with her two main characters, Jessie and Nick. Jessie is naive and self-centered to the point where the reader has to resist a temptation to shred pages from the book, while Nick remains something of an unknown. At least this book is enough of an improvement to have me looking forward to the next installment.

Amateur sleuth, and full-time Veterinarian, Dr. Jessica Popper, is somewhat reluctant when she is asked to fill in for a fellow Veterinarian, Dr. Marcus Scruggs, at a charity dog show, where she will be manning the "Ask the Vet" booth. However, the lure of Long Island's East End quickly draws her in, and has her hitting the road with her faithful pooches, the one-eyed Dalmation, Lou, and the rambunctious, tailless Westie, Max. When she arrives, she is greeted by movie stars galore who are eager for their pups to take home many blue ribbons at the dog show, as well as luxurious mansions that would make anyone's jaw drop. However, on the first night, while attending a $500-a-plate fund-raiser, a celebrity photographer, Devon Barnett, is killed when a giant ice sculpture depicting LADY AND THE TRAMP falls on him. Soon Jessica is investigating the hated paparazzo's death, and finding it hard to narrow her suspect's down. As if that weren't enough, she's dealing with the affections of a gorgeous Hollywood heartthrob, as well as attitude from her on-again off-again PI boyfriend, Nick Burby. Not to mention that her investigations are quickly leading her to become the killer's next victim.

Cynthia Baxter has done it once again, and created an extremely enjoyable, laugh-out-loud funny mystery that would please anyone. PUTTING ON THE DOG is uttery unstoppable, and hard to put down, while the characters are all filled with crazy quirks, leading you to think that absolutely anyone could be the killer. Loaded with tons of pop culture references, as well as an exclusive peek at how the rich live, this is sure to be an absolute hit with all.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Dr. Popper, chipper veterinarian turned sleuth, has been coerced by an associate into giving advice at an ASPCA fundraising event in the Bromptons, Long Island's paradise for wealthy whatnots. When she stops to ask directions to the event she gets splashed with mud by a handsome actor in a sportscar, only to find that she is staying at his guesthouse during the event (whoddathunk?). Meeting cute, the two find themselves semi-attracted. This becomes problematic since Jessica's b.friend is supposed to join her for her stay. At the opening night of the fundraiser, a much despised papparazzo is killed by a giant ice sculpture. Jessica takes the matter into her own hands and what ensues is a week's worth of dull sleuthing antics. Accompanied by her two pooches Max and Lou, Jessica meets actors, famous locals, and is soon hobnobbing in a very casual fashion. Meanwhile she must fend off the advances of Shawn Elliot, the actor whose house she's staying at, and trying to placate her easily irritated and mostly whiny boyfriend Nick.

God, what an awful book. I would have set this book down if I weren't so compulsive--I kept wondering how the heck Cynthia Baxter was going to make her plot believable. Bad move. Putting on the Dog isn't funny or entertaining enough to warrant 368 pages. It's most clever points are in the punny title and synopsis on the back cover. Several editing errors only made the going more painful. Jessica Popper, DVM, is a supposed dog expert, yet early in the book makes a comment about Schipperkes being the basis for the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. Uh, like, Dr. Popper, Schipperkes are all black, about a foot high and very cute/fuzzy. OK, I give on the ears. Wolves and Schipperkes both have pointy ears. Four legs, too. This was followed by a comment about a white Abyssinian basking in the sun. Really? Abyssinians are sandy brown with almost mountain cat markings. And they breed true to type. So, I'm being a twit pointing these mistakes out, but I can't help but think that if you are going to write a book about an expert, then you ought to know the expert's subject or find someone who does and will edit accordingly. And don't even get me started on Jessica's love interests... Nick is whiny, deluded, and boring, yet the Jessica and the author both keep commenting on what a great guy he is. Too bad no one bothers writing something that illustrates this. Shawn Elliot's actions are attentive, kind, and thoughtful, albeit a tiny bit shallow, yet Jessica keeps acting as though he's a major moral threat. And I know this is just supposed to be a cute book yadayada, but is it really believable that the first movie actor she meets falls in love with her? How about his personal assistant or something?

If your thing happens to be animal-mysteries, and you are somewhat logical, then I say skip this one or wait until Ms. Baxter gets a better editor and research assistant.

I liked Cynthia Baxter's first book because the characters were interesting and different from most of the "cozy" characters. This book, however, just annoyed me. There's absolutely no growth in the characters...Jessica is still non-commital and nosy, Nick still hangs on waiting for her to grow up. The idea that someone is just "interested in murders" is ridiculous. Jessica has absolutely no connection to the murdered man and only the most tenuous of relationships with the dog allegedly responsible for the accident that caused his death.

And then there's the setting. Ms. Baxter is supposedly a native of Long Island. Yet she repeatedly says the Norfolk police are in charge of crimes in the "East End." That would be Suffolk county, not Norfolk county. And why make up the "Bromptons?" Just call it the "Hamptons" and be done with it. Spend a weekend out there researching the street names and the types of restaurants, shops, etc and then make it real. You don't need to use people's names to make something realistic.

Plus, people who guard their privacy don't let total strangers hang around them and ask prying questions, even if that person is a vet. People who love their animals as much as the characters in this book have a great deal of loyalty to the vet who cares for them. They certainly aren't apt to just open right up to a new one. Just because someone likes animals, doesn't make them automatically trust someone else who likes animals.

I enjoyed the first in this series 'Dead Canaries don't Sing', so bought the rest of the series anticipating several good reads. But the second was so poorly written, I gave all of the books to Goodwill.
In the first book, Jessica gets involved in a murder where the body is discovered on her clients land. She at least knew the people who owned the land and it took place in her neighborhood. In the second, she gets involved in a murder of a photographer at a party she is attending. That is my problem with this book. She has absolutely no ties to anything involved with this murder except being at the same party, but she is showing up at homes where she knows none of the people, sneaking on to property, tracking down people she does not know to ask questions, and the entire time, treating her so-called boyfriend like crap. She lies to him, misses dates, and there are references to her fear of committment, but that is never explained. About half way through, I had had enough of Jessica running all over the place being a pest and making very little sense doing it.
Maybe if the author would have kept Jessica close to home and developed her character and ties to her community better, I would have found her more likeable. And what the heck is the deal with the committment thing?

This paperback addition to the Baxter Reigning Cats & Dogs series takes a peak into the world of the rich, famous & beautiful of Long Island, NY . Readers follow traveling vet, Jessica Popper, DVM, to solve the "murder-by-ice-sculpture" of a hated papparazi where, as in true form, there is more below the surface to be illuminated by her investigation. Jessie & her two rescue dogs move among the north shore's beautiful people treating their pets' maladys & uncovering clues to the famous, local photographer's death that police have tagged a mere accident. A charity dog show serves as the backdrop for a story filled with twists of deceit, romance & suspense. What it lacks in actual dog show authenticity it makes up for in charm. Definitely a good summer read.

I was driven to distraction by all of the punctuation errors and repetitive phrasing ("Of course" seems to be featured several times on every page). Was Ms. Baxter's editor asleep?

As was noted in an earlier review, we're supposed to believe that within a day of the murder Dr. Popper, a stranger to the Bromptons, is being welcomed into the homes (and secrets) of the rich and famous? Uh huh.

For someone who was supposed to be spending a week manning a dog show booth, Dr. Popper seemed to leave most of the work to her 12-year-old assistant, Emily. Then again, this is the same character prone to leaving her canines in the van on hot summer days. I wasn't comforted by the fact that windows were cracked and water was available - within 10 minutes, those would have been some hot dogs. Gee, maybe that will be the title of an upcoming book, with Dr. Popper being investigated by the SPCA.

Too many unbelievable plot points made this a painful read. Two stars 'cuz I like doggies.

During the month of June, Jessica does a favor for a fellow veterinarian by managing the "Ask the Vet" booth at the society fundraiser to raise money for the SPCA in the Bromptoms, a rich enclave on Long Island. Since her office is a large trailer, she will also treat pets as well as offer advice. She is staying at the guest house of famous movie star Shawn Elliot who shows that he is interested in her even though her boyfriend Nick, a private investigator is staying with her.

She also meets paparazzi Devon Barnet the most hated person attending the fundraising because he has no ethics, stalking the celebrities to take embarrassing photos of them to sell to the tabloids. When an ice sculpture falls on and kills Devon, the police conclude it is an accident, but Jessica thinks it is murder. The ice sculpture was held to the gazebo with strong wire and she doesn't believe that the wire could come loose by a dog bumping into it. She starts her own investigation to prove someone got away with murder and she intends to find out who it is.

Jessica is PUTTING ON THE DOG, especially her own pets who she loves beyond measure and are an integral part of the plot. She has a tailess Welter and a one eyed Dalmatian who she lavishes with love; this endears her to any readers who has an animal companion. The mystery is simple but hard to crack because the victim had so many enemies with a motive to kill him. Cynthia Baxter knows how to write a good who-done-it complete with red herrings and enough twists and turns to keep the reader's interest.

Harriet Klausner

An ok, summer beach read type of book. Not much in the way of character development, plot, or suspense. A papaazzo dies under mysterious circumstances, everyone but Dr Popper believes its and accident, and she has less than a week to find the motive, the culprit, and convince the police that a crime took place, all the while tending to the cats and dogs of the rich and famous who summer in the fictional "Bromptons" (I found this off-putting. Obviously this was supposed to be the Hamptons, why not just call it that?)

Not great literature, but not bad, either. The story moves along well enough, but it has no depth, and the characters are very one-dimensional. It's a good airplane read-it will keep you occupied without overtaxing your brain, and if you forget it on the plane, you won't go nuts wondering what happened in the end.