Book 37, 2022

Dogs Don't Lie by Lisa Shay

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I finished an ebook last night. It was Dogs Don't Lie by Lisa Shay, and it's the first installment in the "Kallie Collins" cozy mystery series. Kallie is a veterinarian who can communicate with animals.

Dr Kallie Collins is called on to assist local police when a dog digs up a bone and refuses to relinquish it. Using her ability to communicate with animals, Kallie gets the dog to give up his prize and then lead her to the rest of the remains. When Detective Ben Jacobson asks her to come to the home of the man, whom they think is the victim, to communicate with his animals, Kallie is happy to help. She hadn't counted on her name being leaked to the media, nor to being drawn into a murder investigation. Ben admonishes her to stay in her lane, but Kallie takes a personal interest in the matter when she discovers that friends of her grandparents were hoodwinked in a shady land deal that seems to be at the heart of the murder investigation. Along with her friends Gracie and Sam, Kallie travels to some of the properties and finds herself in danger.

I really liked this story. Kallie was a fun and relatable character. I loved that she ate like a farm girl instead of a rabbit. Her BFFs are amazing, and I enjoyed Kallie's interactions with various animals. Most of the narrative was consumed with her sleuthing, although she was also shown at work and spending time with family and friends. On the minus side, the love interest being in law enforcement was a bore (overdone!), and I was a bit taken aback to learn that Kallie took an actual class on how to communicate with animals. I had thought perhaps she had a psychic gift, but nope. According to Kallie, any of us can learn how to do what she does. I wish! I was also dismayed to read ( Spoiler )

Authors, do your research, please. One other aspect of the story that got my hackles up was Kallie's overbearing, interfering mother, who kept ambushing her with random men in an attempt to set her up. You're a grown-ass woman, Kallie. Tell your mother, in no uncertain terms, to back off and butt out.

Favorite lines:
♦ "Oooo, a man who knows his sauce."
♦ Brin walked the Australian shepherd in, his head tipped to one side. "This is Echo, Dr Collins."
What?! There can be only one Echo!
♦ "Here. Eat this. It'll help. It's all right. It's chocolate." // "Thank you, Professor Lupin."

A lively, engaging tale, and I plan to read more in the series. Solid four stars.

It won't affect the score, but I'm putting this to my ( Trope Test )

Hm, that's fairly even, although there were more yes answers than no.