Aloha to L.A. Kornetsky and CLAWED, A Gin and Tonic Mystery - Book Review

In this fourth mystery in the charming and witty Gin & Tonic series, private investigators Ginny and Teddy—with the help of their faithful pets—must unravel their most intriguing case yet…

Even though she’s unlicensed as an investigator, the infamously nosy Ginny Mallard and her cohort Teddy Tonica have begun to make a name for themselves in solving cases. But Ginny still has her day job as an event planner, and the promise of a lucrative job draws her to Portland, with her shar-pei puppy, Georgie, in tow. Much to her shock and horror, however, she’s been led there under false pretenses—and discovers a body in the parlor of her client's house!

Though the cops warn her to keep her nose out of it, Ginny just can't resist the itch to solve this case, and soon gets drawn into Portland's seedy underbelly of identity theft, forgery, and of course, murder…with Teddy and his cat Penny's devoted sleuthing helping her at every turn.

Vintage Image of Portland, 1890
Public Domain (link)

Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine. - Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), Casablanca

Ginny walked into Mary's neighborhood bar ... and might borrow Rick's other famous line, "Teddy, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."  Ginny (with George the dog) and Teddy (with Penny the cat) have turned their friendship into a budding hobby of private investigation in three previous novels.  For their fourth adventure, CLAWED, Ginny's event planning business takes her (and George) out of town, leaving Teddy (and Penny) out of sorts.  Yet Portland welcomes Ginny with a dead body in the house of her new client.  Although the police (and Teddy) advise her to let the "pros" do their job, Ginny can't but take an interest in the murder mystery.  While Ginny (and George) poke their nose around Portland, Teddy (and Penny) run background checks on the victim and the client.  Teddy ultimately joins Ginny in Portland where they uncover nefarious dealings in the suburbs.

CLAWED is a lighthearted cozy mystery laced with humor, friendship, and fur therapy.  The plot follows the standard path with false leads and unorthodox methods.  Kornetsky keeps it fresh with the unique relationship between humans and pets.   Think Cheers meets Lassie.

I received an ARC from Pocket Books for an honest review.

I am giving away a copy of CLAWED to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about Portland - have you visited the Rose City?  I have not but I am curious to visit it!

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, June 6, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, June 7.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about L.A., her books, and her alter ego at lauraannegilman.net.

Aloha to Animal Welfare Week with LA Kornetsky's DOGHOUSE: A Gin and Tonic Mystery

 

Simon and Schuster is celebrating Animal Welfare Week with L.A. Kornetsky.  L.A. joins us for a special guest post ...

I'm getting ready for a move, and part of that is decluttering. Getting rid of things – objects, old paperwork – that I don’t need to haul with me any more.

But in a folder of otherwise no-longer-needed papers, there’s a sheet I’m keeping. It’s from the ASPCA, and it documents my adoption of the kitten once known as Minna, who became my beloved Pandora, gone now a little over a year.

There’s no point to keeping the sheet of paper. All it does is say that I paid x amount for a 4 month old female tiger kitten, spayed. But throwing it out isn’t an option, either. Because this was the first connection I had to Pandora, the first contract we made with each other: I would give her food, shelter, care, and a lap when she wanted it. I would give her a home. And in return, she gave me such love and companionship, letting her go at the end was no less a pain than losing a human friend.

I don’t have documentation from Indy-J, who was found on the street as a weeks-old kitten, and lived a long and adventurous life before cancer took her in 2000. But Pandora’s adoption paper will go in the current file, along with the papers for our current residents, Boomerang (aka Boomer you idiot), and Castiel the Kitten of Thursday (aka DamnitCas).

Because you keep the important moments, the documents that say “this is how you changed my life.”

(and some of you may note that I invite disaster in the renaming of my cats. You would not be wrong. But where’s the fun of living with Sir Napsalot?)

L. A. Kornetsky is the author of two previous Gin & Tonic mysteries. She lives in New York City with two cats and a time-share dog, and also writes fantasy under the name Laura Anne Gilman. She welcomes visitors to lauraannegilman.net, Twitter @LAGilman and Facebook L. A. Kornetsky.

DOGHOUSE:  A GIN AND TONIC MYSTERY

At her favorite Seattle bar, professional concierge Ginny Mallard can always count on a perfectly mixed gimlet and a friendly welcome for her shar-pei, Georgie, from resident cat, Penny. On this visit, Ginny gets an unexpected bonus. One of the regulars asks her and her sometime partner, bartender Teddy Tonica, to save an old friend who’s facing eviction. This is no simple landlord spat. Rumors abound of an underground dogfighting ring on the premises—a crime guaranteed to get Gin’s hackles up. Gin and Teddy want to believe the old man is innocent of all charges, thought a new piece of evidence suggests otherwise. Penny and Georgie keep their noses to the ground as they help their humans investigate the vicious animal rights case. But the truth is buried deep, and digging it up will unearth dangerous complications for owners and animals alike.

Pocket 

Simon & Schuster 

Amazon 

B&N 

Book Depository 

Indiebound 

Indigo/Chapters 

Mysterious Galaxy 

Seattle Mystery Bookshop

I am currently reading (and enjoying) DOGHOUSE - definite appeal to pet lovers and cozy mystery fans!

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash, including titles with animals, to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about rescue animals - do you have any?   We have several, including Lucky in the lei!

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, October 11, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, October 12.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City