Review by Kathleen Costa
Gemma Halliday Publishing is doing a “limited” release of some of their fun novellas originally part of the Pushing Up Daisies collection (now out of print). The next up is the novella ThatDog Won’t Hunt from the Birdwell, Texas Mystery series by Aimee Gilchrist. It is available on Amazon only from April 18 to May 31 for the low price of 99¢ … or better yet, enter to win an eCopy by making a comment below about a potpourri of favorites: (1) a memory of your pet, (2) best barbecue you’ve eaten, or (3) a memory of a small town you’ve visited or enter via email.
Helen Harding went from a wealthy, privileged life in the big city to having to fend for herself the best she could in Birdwell, Texas, from writing true crime novels to solving a few, from being unlucky in love many times over to taking a closer look at the local man of many hats and a strange Scottish name. But, it isn’t all for the best.
Image Source Gemma Halliday |
Aodhagan MacFarley is the calmest person Helen ever knew, even when faced, in his role as the local sheriff, with the most bizarre. Case in Point: the rants of Abilene Walker. It’s Billy, her corgi who, after being coiffed by Abilene’s daughter Thelma Sue, is the furthest from a dog as possible, and he’s missing. She’s adamant he didn’t wander off, and if Billy isn’t found, she’ll die. So, the first course of action, to save a life, even if it’s Abbie’s life, is to find Billy. It’s a small town on the border of New Mexico and Texas, and you’d only need to drive a mile or so in every direction to be on the outskirts of town, so there really aren’t many places in which the dog could hide. But, then another emergency call comes in … Roy Walder’s dog, Roy Jr., is missing, too. Weirder, and definitely cause for Helen to throw coincidence out the window, is the fact that three more people have lost their dogs. Was it some magical phenomenon? A black market dognapping ring? Or the mass exodus of the local canine population protesting working conditions?
Come One, Come All! Aimee Gilchrist has a quirky writing style that I found very entertaining. Sure, she uses descriptive language well to paint a picture of Birdwell and its good and bad attributes along with some oddball residents, but it’s Helen’s self-deprecating rhetoric that makes her endearing. She knows her weakness all too well, from a lack of cooking skills to trouble showing real empathy, and although she’s afraid she won’t met everyone’s expectations of her, including Mac, the man she likes, but doesn’t want to like, she still tries. The mystery was sans any bodies, and everyone was fine in the end, but even as a short tale, it was an entertaining read, I just might want to visit Birdwell again!
Birdwell, Texas Mystery
Digging Up Bones (2016)
All my Exes Live in Texas (2020)
Be a Big Aimee Gilchrist Fan!
Website: Aimee Gilchrist, Author
Facebook: Aimee Gilchrist Books
Enter to win an eCopy of That Dog Won’t Hunt by making a comment below about a
potpourri of favorites: (1) a memory of your pet, (2) best barbecue you’ve
eaten, or (3) a memory of a small town you’ve visited or enter via email, or simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "hunt,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen April 29, 2023. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via comment you have to include your email address so we can contact you. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.
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Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.Kathleen Costa is a long-time resident of the Central Valley, and although born in Idaho, she considers herself a “California Girl.” Graduating from CSU-Sacramento, she is a 35+ year veteran teacher having taught in grades 1-8 in schools from Sacramento to Los Angeles to Stockton to Lodi. Currently Kathleen is enjoying her retirement revitalizing hobbies along with exploring writing, reading for pleasure, and spending 24/7 with her husband.
The best barbecue I ever had was from a homemade cooker. It could get so much hotter than a normal cooker, that sealed the flavor in, and didn't take nearly as long as others. The crew won so many contests, they had to be barred.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun read. Would really like to read.
ReplyDeletediannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com
Our pet Guinea pig loved Christmas lights! He’d lay by the tree looking at the lights for hours! Eventually we purchased a tiny tree just for him that we’d set up next to his house where he could see it. Every Christmas when I see the lights, I remember him and his love of twinkle lights.
ReplyDeleteWe have a winner!
ReplyDeleteLorie Ham
We have a winner!
ReplyDeleteLorie Ham