This reviewer is grateful that this book was not her first Dash mystery, because it would have been her last. Ms. Benjamin is too talented a writer to be judged on the basis of what one can only hope is a major and temporary lapse in judgment. If you're looking to try her work, go straight to her first book. In this book, Rachel Alexander comes off as not very likeable: wearing the victim's clothes and jewelry, sleeping with the victim's boyfriend, trying to live the victim's life....all of this has Rachel coming across as a rather sick voyeuristic woman...In fact, her treatment of the victim's boyfriend makes her a rather cruel and callous one. This reviewer does not understand the purpose behind having the victim's dog witness the crime or how the dog even figures into the plot at all. And not enough Dash in this book! Dash is but a secondary decoration in this book...and Rachel even goes out into a dangerous situation in the dead of night, and leaves him behind!!! The only good things I can say about the book is the writing style is good and you will be kept guessing as to what happened in the victim's last moment until the book's end; the problem is that by that point, you'll not care if Rachel herself winds up sharing the victim's fate. Ms. Benjamin is a better writer than this; her character needs rehabilitation after this book.....The readership deserves more Dash and less trash.....This reviewer's advice: Only resort to this Dash mystery when you've read all of the others......
This second book of Ms. Benjamin's was a huge improvement over her first book. At least in this book, the main focus is Lisa's alleged suicide and not the actual dog component of the book. However, as with the first book, I like the fact that Rachel throws herself into the case with tenacity. However, I think Rachel's concept of 'walking in Lisa's shoes' by going so far as to stay at Lisa's apartment, wear Lisa's clothes and jewelry, and doing all the activities that Lisa did was a little over the top. There's a big leap from putting yourself in somebody's place to completely taking over their life. The people who were part of Lisa's life who are Rachel's prime suspects are all odd and quirky, but it leant more to the story when trying to figure out which one did it and why.
This book really kept you quessing.
I really enjoyed this book. Being a dog lover I thought the book was great! Even if you are not a dog lover though the mystery was very good and it kept you guessing. It didn't spend too much time talking about dogs but just enough for us dog lovers. I have an Akita so that is the reason I read it but now that I did I will definately get other books by this author.
Well-written mystery, insight into "dog's world" is a bonus
The narrator is a female dog-trainer turned private detective. The victim is her cousin, who apparently jumped out the window of the t'ai chi dojo where she was the favored apprentice, and an Akita is witness. Everyone has a motive and opportunity; who did it? The author manages a neat ending without turning the dojo into the center of an international conspiracy to smuggle nuclear weapons or whatever...
