Book 3: Gone to the Dogs
Hot Dog!
A championship dog, a sheltie named Remington, has been stolen and replaced with a look alike–one who is mean and poor tempered. After taking the dog to the vet, the switch is discovered. The owners are besides themselves with worry.
Veterinarian, Kristin, who saw Remington when he was brought in has decided she is going to solve the mystery. There are lots of good candidates who could have done it:
A maker of a mediocre dog food has a picture of Remington on their company information–it is falsely implying he ate their food.
An elderly man with early dementia is rumored to have a new dog, maybe a sheltie. Lots of signs point to him as the dognapper.
Could it be a local dog groomer who has been confrontational to their clinic’s groomer? She might be behind their groomer’s false negative reviews posted on social media.
There is a secretive dog breeder who has lots of sick dogs, and whose place is very run-down. Remington could be used by her to prop up her breeding business.
Red herrings abound in this tale. As Kristin tries to find Remington, her relationship with fellow vet, Tyler, increases as he helps out with the investigation.
This is a great mystery that kept me guessing until the end. This tale stands alone but it is part of a series. This time the tale was told from Kristin’s viewpoint, it was interesting to get her take on things. I liked the humor in this five-star book along with the Christian characters. I highly recommend it to everyone–especially lovers of mysteries or dogs!
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing Tickmenot with a complimentary copy of, Barking up the Wrong Tree, for the purpose of review. I have not been compensated in any other manner. All opinions expressed are my own, and I was not required, or influenced, to give anything but an honest appraisal. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
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Nanny’s Coconut Pecan Cake
(aka Italian Cream Cake)
FOR THE CAKE:
1 white cake mix
1 yellow cake mix
6 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 stick butter
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup sweetened coconut (flakes)
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
FOR THE FILLING/TOPPING:
Toasted coconut Toasted chopped pecans
FOR THE FROSTING:
1 cup (two sticks) salted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 rectangle Crisco (omit if you prefer traditional cream cheese frosting)
1 bag (7–8 cups) powdered sugar
Clear vanilla extract
MAKING THE CAKE:
Combine all ingredients except pecans and coconut. Mix well. Work in the
pecans and coconut. Grease and flour three 9-inch pans. Divide batter between
the three pans and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cake springs back
to the touch.
MAKING THE ICING:
Bring ingredients to room temperature. Mix butter and cream cheese until soft
and creamy. Add Crisco and continue to beat until incorporated. (You can leave
out the Crisco if you prefer traditional cream cheese frosting.) Add vanilla, then
lower speed of mixer to add powdered sugar (more or less to desired consistency).
FILLING AND ICING THE CAKE
Level all three cakes. Place one cake on cake board and add a layer of cream
cheese frosting. Pipe a ring around the edge of the cake and add some toasted
pecans and coconut. Continue to stack and fill. Turn the top cake upside down.
Frost the cake with a crumb coat and chill. Once chilled, frost liberally. Add
chopped (toasted) pecans and coconut to the sides and top, then pipe trim or
rosettes to add further décor.
