Ruff Way to Go [Mass Market Paperback]

Leslie O'Kane (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2000

DOG THERAPIST ALLIE BABCOCK IS BACK--
AND SHE HAS A BONE TO PICK WITH A KILLER

Allie's dog therapy practice is booming. Her divorcing neighbors Edith and Travor have hired her to choose which one should have custody of Shogun, their silky terrier. Another neighborhood pair, Cassandra and Paul, need help with a fostered Siberian husky and her pups. Everything's great until Allie finds Cassandra's bludgeoned body on Edith's deck with a bloody pawprint beside it--and Shogun long gone.

Who murdered Cassandra? Where's Shogun? What makes the old couple down the block so hostile? Hounded by the police and in the doghouse with just about everybody else, sleuthhound Allie cuts to the chase--and unleashes a close encounter with a cold-hearted killer. . . .

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

DOG THERAPIST ALLIE BABCOCK IS BACK--
AND SHE HAS A BONE TO PICK WITH A KILLER

Allie's dog therapy practice is booming. Her divorcing neighbors Edith and Travor have hired her to choose which one should have custody of Shogun, their silky terrier. Another neighborhood pair, Cassandra and Paul, need help with a fostered Siberian husky and her pups. Everything's great until Allie finds Cassandra's bludgeoned body on Edith's deck with a bloody pawprint beside it--and Shogun long gone.

Who murdered Cassandra? Where's Shogun? What makes the old couple down the block so hostile? Hounded by the police and in the doghouse with just about everybody else, sleuthhound Allie cuts to the chase--and unleashes a close encounter with a cold-hearted killer. . . .

About the Author

Leslie O'Kane is the author of Play Dead, the first in her Allie Babcock series, as well as the Molly Masters mysteries: The Cold Hard Fax and The Fax of Life. She lives with her husband and two children in Boulder, Colorado.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044900161X
• ISBN-13: 978-0449001615
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,225,625 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun to read mystery, February 1, 2000

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ruff Way to Go (Mass Market Paperback)

Allie Babcock recently moved back to her hometown to live with her mother. Allie tries to establish a behavior therapist business that works with dogs in an effort to integrate the canine into a family and eliminate any behavioral problems. Allie meets her neighbor Cassandra Random, whose daughter shows off the puppies they are fostering.

She also meets another neighbor Edith, who is obtaining a divorce. Edith asks Allie to mediate custody of the family Silky Terrier Shogun, since both she and her estranged spouse want the dog. Allie goes to Edith's home to see whom Shotgun prefers as his human pet. However, as she steps onto the outside deck, she finds the murdered Cassandra. She also learns that Shotgun is missing. Allie begins to search for the lost canine and uncover the individual responsible, setting her up to take the fall in a neighborhood that seems to be in Eerie, Indiana.

The second Allie Babcock mystery is so good that it appears author Leslie O'Kane will gain awards for the series. The lead protagonist loves dogs so much that she knows their names but fails to recall the names of their owners, a quality that will endear her to animal lovers. RUFF WAY TO GO is an action-packed amateur sleuth novel that effortlessly moves from one character driven scene to another. Ms. O'Kane has another triumph with the lovable Ms. Babcock.

Harriet Klausner

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun mystery for dog lovers, August 10, 2000

By 

Sheila L. Beaumont (South Pasadena, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ruff Way to Go (Mass Market Paperback)

There's never a dull moment in dog behaviorist Allida Babcock's neighborhood. First she's called on to help Cassandra and Paul with Suds, the Siberian husky they're fostering, and her pups. Then divorcing couple Edith and Trevor want her to mediate in a custody dispute over their silky terrier, Shogun. Allie subsequently finds Cassandra murdered in Edith's back yard, and Shogun is nowhere to be found. "Ruff Way to Go," like "Play Dead," its predecessor, is an entertaining cozy whodunit that dog lovers will enjoy. The series should appeal especially to those who like Susan Conant's mysteries: Allie's world-view is as dog-centered as Holly Winter's; humor, though more low-key, is much in evidence; and there's an abundance of canine lore, including lots of useful care and training tips.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Terrific Read, April 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Ruff Way to Go (Mass Market Paperback)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's a terrific whodunnit, it includes loads of information about dog psychology (presented in an easy-to-understand fashion that's relevant to the storyline), and it's set in the Boulder, Colorado area--one of the most beautiful locations in the country. Bravo, Leslie O'Kane!