Most cozy mysteries take place in small towns and feel like they’re stuck in time. They can get quite repetitive and easy to solve but this series has a few things going for it. I haven’t read a cozy mystery since my earliest days of blogging. People!!! Do you realize how hard it is to find a HAPPY dog book? This was cozy mystery featuring a grumpy pup named Watson. I read Cruel Candy for La La in the Library & Jo’s Book Blog Dog Days of Summer celebration. Source: Kindle Unlimited (recommended by Anna from Herding Cats & Burning Soup But before she can begin her new life and put her plans for her bookshop into action, Fred and Watson have a mystery to solve… ~ Goodreads

With snow falling outside, all Fred wants to do is curl up by the fire with a good book and Watson snuggled at her feet. Could one of her friendly neighbors be the real culprit? And what would be the motive for killing the owner of the Sinful Bites candy store? The secrets Fred discover put her at odds with the local police sergeant and threaten her cozy future in Estes. The local police have an easy suspect-Barry.ĭetermined to prove quirky Barry innocent of murder, Fred puts on her detective hat, and with Watson by her side, she explores her new town and gets acquainted with her fellow shopkeepers. When Fred steps into her soon-to-be-bookshop for the first time, she expects dust bunnies and spiders… not the dead body in the upstairs kitchen. Fred is about to open her dream bookshop, and the only challenges she anticipates are adjusting to small town life, tourists, and living close to her loveable mother, Phyllis, and hippy stepfather, Barry. Winifred Page and her corgi, Watson, move to Estes Park to hit the reset button on life. Estes Park, Colorado: picturesque mountains, charming shops, delightful bakeries, a cozy bookstore… and murder.

Cruel Candy by Mildred Abbott