In this fifth installment of the Mystery Shopper series, Josie gets tangled up in the puppy mill issue. Her newest assignment from Harry the Horrible is to Mystery Shop the Pets 4 Luv stores, who are under suspicion of buying their pets from a puppy mill. Josie is wary of this, knowing that it could be dangerous, but is finally persuaded by the lure of more money, which she's always dreadfully short of. At one of the stores she visits, it soon becomes apparent that something is going on, when one of the employees asks Josie to meet her after work, where she will tell her what she knows. Once again Josie finds herself mixed up in a murder case, and true to form, decides to conduct dangerous research on her own. In the meantime a new neighbor in Alyce's high class subdivision has asked the ladies for advice on a new pet. Going against Josie's advice to consider a shelter animal, Traci buys from the big store suspected of selling the mill animals, and finds out that her new little baby Snowball is indeed one of these unfortunate dogs, which spurs her to become active in getting the message out about how bad the mills are. Josie has a new addition to her own household, finally putting some spark back into her daughter Amelia, and bringing yet a new love interest, and of course more trouble into her life.
Another great Mystery Shopper book, and a theme that's very close to my heart, pets! I have three cats, and love animals of all types, and it just breaks my heart to see how they can be mistreated. I wish I could save them all! While I can't realistically help them all physically, there are other things to do. Elaine Viets mentions many in the back of this book. Shelters and Humane Societies always need funding and volunteers to help care for the animals they take in.
I noticed today that on April 30th, the United States Postal Service is releasing a set of stamps that will help support shelter pets. Ellen Degeneres is the spokesperson for this food drive, when you buy stamps, Halo pet food will donate food to shelter animals, click on the stamp go to the site for details. I know I'll be getting some when they come out!
The GiveawayAnd now that you've made it through the rest of the post, it's time for my giveaway! I can't give you my copy of
The Fashion Hound Murders as it is already promised to another, but I can give you a way to help out some shelter animals! In the past I gave away a couple of gift certificates to the Animal Rescue Site store, which I found thanks to my good friend Susan at
Walking on Sunshine. I'd like to do that again.
In order to enter my contest, please go to the Animal Rescue Site Store (click on the logo below) and comment on this post with a few things that you'd like to buy, because it's fun to shop with your friends! I will randomly choose a winner on
April 17th, and award them with a
$25 Animal Rescue Site Store Gift Certificate! I would ask that the winner please come back and report in on what you bought! I myself have some cute flip flops and a purple sweatshirt with the pawprint logo from the site. Good Luck!
For more information on Elaine Viets and her mystery novels, visit
her websiteFor more information on the Humane Society, visit:
The Humane Society of the United States
