Paws for Murder

Book #30 Read in 2014
Paws for Murder by Annie Knox

This is the first book in a relatively new cozy mystery series; it is set in a pet boutique.  Izzy returns to her hometown and opens the pet boutique, making all sorts of costumes and clothing for pets.  Her childhood Rena partners up with her to create yummy pet treats to sell at Trendy Tails.  Their grand opening is going well until the body of a local rich girl/political activist is found in their alleyway.  Rena is considered a suspect.  Izzy teams up with Sean, her old friend who had a crush on her, who is now Rena's lawyer to try to find the real murderer.  Will they do so before Rena is arrested?

This was a good cozy mystery read.  I enjoyed the setting and the animal characters throughout the book.  The mystery was decent as I was kept guessing about the true identity of the murderer.  The romantic history between Izzy and Sean was another interesting element.  There was also humor in the book.  I loved Aunt Dolly trying to seduce Izzy's cranky business neighbor.  I will read the second book in this series.