Yoga instructor Kate Davidson tries to live up to yoga’s Zen-like expectations, but it’s not easy while struggling to keep her small business afloat or dodging her best friend’s matchmaking efforts.
When George, a homeless alcoholic, and his loud, horse-sized German shepherd, Bella, start hawking newspapers outside her studio, Kate attempts to convince them to leave. Instead, the three strike up an unlikely friendship.
Then Kate finds George’s dead body. The police dismiss it as a drug-related street crime, but Kate knows he was no drug dealer. Now she must solve George’s murder and find someone willing to adopt his intimidating companion before Bella is sent to the big dog park in the sky. With the murderer on her trail, Kate has to work fast or her next Corpse Pose may be for real.
REVIEW
Murder Strikes a Pose is the first book in the A Downward Dog Mystery Series by Tracy Weber. The story is told in first person by Kate Davidson, a yoga instructor and business owner. It took me a little while to get into the book. Once I did, I didn't want to stop reading.
Kate slowly befriends a homeless man named George and his German Shepherd Bella. After hearing noise outside of her studio one night, Kate stumbles upon George’s dead body. While the cops think George's death was simply a case of two drunks getting into an angry fight, Kate KNOWS that George wasn’t violent and would never get into a fight. With the police dismissing her and her concerns, Kate decides to do her own investigating.
Adding to her problem of trying to find George’s killer, Kate also has to find someone to adopt George’s beloved, yet seemingly aggressive dog, Bella. Kate doesn't want to keep Bella, but slowly Bella gets her to fall in love with her. When it comes to rescuing animals the question is always, “Who rescued who?” Having Bella in her life helps Kate start to heal from her own past.
With the help of her best friend, Rene, and new love interest, Michael, Kate slowly gets closer and closer to figuring out who murdered George and why. Kate encounters countless people telling her to end her investigation for her own safety. Just when she figures out who the killer is, she discovers her life and Bella’s are in jeopardy. Kate only has herself and Bella to get out of this situation, but with a gun involved, the question will be if they both will survive the night.
Without any question, I’m a dog lover. I will admit that towards the end of the book I actually cried. I mean SERIOUSLY, who in the world cries reading a cozy mystery? Even with that said, I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.
Rating: 4
Release Date: January 8, 2014
Book Length: 288 pages
Source: Publisher - Midnight Ink via NetGalley
Reading Format: Available in eBook and Paperback
Connect with Tracy Weber:
Thanks to Tracy, I’m able to giveaway one autographed copy of Murder Strikes a Pose. US addresses ONLY. Please follow the Rafflecopter instructions below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
After your comment about being a dog lover and crying towards the end of the story, you have me worried. I get so into stories that it is easy to get emotional.
ReplyDeletelinnydodd@comcast.net
I promise you, my book is a "Happily ever after" sort of book. Well, except for the murderer and the victim! The people who've told me that they cried, have done so because they were moved by the human-animal love story--tears of happiness, if you will. I don't want to give anything away, but I promise you that the book is upbeat.
DeleteHi Linny,
DeleteTracy said it better than I ever could. We got The Husky from a rescue and instead of rescuing him, he rescued me. It sounds weird to cry over a cozy mystery, but once you read the book, you'll understand why I cried. It's hard to explain, without telling you what happened in the book
But the tears were definitely tears of happiness.
Thanks, Kim. My dog Tasha saved me in every way. She's the reason I write the series.
DeleteThank you, Ashley! I hope you read and love it!
ReplyDeleteHi Everyone! I'm delighted to be here today on Read Your Writes! Please feel free to ask me questions about my book, yoga, or dogs--or anything else, for that matter. Thanks for reading!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for stopping by Tracy!
DeleteI really did enjoy the book. I'm not a yoga person, but I saw some poses I'm going to have to try out, since I'm sitting at the desk or reading so much.
I love the premise for this story--sounds great! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Christine! I hope you give it a try!
DeleteChristine, you will definitely enjoy the book. Bella is definitely BIGGER than your dog, but I love German Shepards and have since I was a child. She's adorable once you get to know her.
DeleteGerman shepherds are the best! (Then again, I'm biased.)
DeleteI've never had one. When I was a child, my grandparents' neighbor did. The dog protected me like nobody's business. When I was sick for a week and didn't go to my grandparents', he came to find me. My mom was terrified of him. She kept trying to make him leave. Once he saw me, he just sat by the door for a couple of hours and then left.
DeleteWow! Why was your mom scared of him? Amazing that he was able to find you.
DeleteMy parents had never seen the dog up until that day. They didn't realize that him and another dog would walk me home from my grandparents. So, he knew where to find me.
DeletePlus my mom isn't an animal person. Like the way people were with Bella, she didn't want to give him a chance. But needless to say, he won her over from a distance. :)
I'm glad he won her over. German shepherds have a way of doing that....
DeleteWelcome Tracy!! I look forward to seeing more books from you--I joined your mailing list:) Can't wait to read Murder Strikes a Pose as it contains two of my favorite armchair activities--yoga and mysteries, lol. I keep telling myself that I WILL do Yoga. I even bought my daughter and I Yoga mats. Oh Well. Maybe someday;)
ReplyDeletecindi @ Mommasez...blog
ccclubbs.com
Thanks, Cindi! Do give yoga a try. And if you try a class that doesn't work for you at first, try another. There are hundreds of different styles out there. I hope you love the book!
DeleteThanks for stopping by Cindi.
DeleteI have to admit, I'm afraid to go to a class. I tend to be a class drop out. I think I only made it to two pregnancy classes and I signed up for a yoga and baby class and just never made it out of the house.
Keep trying, Kim. Or find a book or video that you like. I generally recommend studying with a teacher, at least at first. You may have to drag yourself to the first few classes, but once you find the right fit, you'll be hooked!
DeleteWelcome Tracy and congrats on your book. It sounds like a real winner and I'd love to read it.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Good luck on the giveaway. I hope you read the book and LOVE IT!
DeleteHi Anita,
DeleteI totally recommend this book. I personally can't wait for the next one and I am doing my best to NOT harass Tracy about it. Maybe I should just find a yoga pose to practice patience. I don't know.
Oh, please. Kim, harass away! The second book is at the publisher already. I'm starting to write the third now. It feels GREAT to know that someone is looking forward to my next work.
DeleteSeriously can't wait for the next book!
DeleteThanks!
DeleteI'm sure my partner is going to adore this book. She went to yoga every week for years. Until her back could no longer deal with it. Funny though, it was because of her bad back that she'd started.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I think Tracy started yoga because of her back. But I could be wrong.
DeleteYes, I started yoga because I had a significant back injury. But I'll be honest--the first type of yoga I took made my back worse. It wasn't until I stumbled into a Viniyoga class (the kind of yoga I teach) that my back started healing. I'm not sure where you live, but if you check out my teacher's website at viniyoga.com, you might find a Viniyoga teacher near you. I hope you try the book and share it with your partner. And if you want some yoga book or video recommendations, let me know!
DeleteHi Ashley.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by today. It really is a fun little story. You'll enjoy it.
I want this book. I tried winning it when it was a Goodreads Giveaway but I didn't get it. I hope I win it through this giveaway.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Laurie! Good luck!
DeleteGood luck Laurie!!!!
DeleteIt's a really good book.
Welcome and congrats! I hope your book career is fabulous. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Brooke.
DeleteThanks, Brooke!
DeleteCongratulations on the new book! =D
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Vanessa!
DeleteThanks Vanessa! I hope you read and love it!
ReplyDelete