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Off The Chain by Janice Thompson - Marigold Evans is determined to make her dream of operating a dog rescue a reality so she can make a real difference in finding forever homes for pups in trouble. Her first rescue is nearly a disaster though - she has to climb into a drainage pipe to get close enough to the puppy, and while she gets the dog out her car is stolen and the police come to pick up her and her friend, thinking they are vagrants. The officer takes the two young women back to the vet clinic where they work, only to find out that the place has been vandalized. Marigold and her new rescue dog are safe for the night, but what happened at the clinic?
From those action-packed opening chapters, the story unfolds. Marigold counts her co-workers as her best friends, and they all help each other out of scrapes. The list of suspects for the vandalism gets pretty long, but Marigold and her friends don't do as much sleuthing as they do speculating. Marigold gathers plenty of information with the help of fellow vet tech Parker, who always comes to her rescue when she's in a tight spot. They deal with an angry client who blames the vet for her pet's death, a former classmate of Dr Tyler's who seems to have an ulterior motive in hanging around the clinic, and the abusive ex-boyfriend of another employee's. Most worrisome is the cantankerous accountant whose office is next to the clinic. He hates dogs and makes threats about suing the clinic and shooting any dog that gets onto his property. Could any of these people be responsible for the burglary?
Marigold is a sweet and generous character who comes off as a bit ditzy at the beginning, but I found her more likable as the story went on. Many of the characters fell into stereotypical roles and behaviors, and there were no real surprises as far as characters. The story has a wholesome, small-town vibe and with the emphasis on Marigold's desire to rescue dogs and most of the action taking place in the vet clinic, I think it's a cute romantic comedy type story. The mystery aspect seemed more like a backdrop to the rest of the story but made for a fun and light read.
From the publisher:
The Town of Brenham, Texas, Has Gone to the Dogs!
Curl up with your pup and sink into a delightful small-town mystery as riddles and rescues stack up in book one of a new cozy mystery series.
Marigold Evans' first attempt at rescuing an abandoned pooch lands her in a drainage pipe in Brenham Texas . . . and almost in jail, until Parker Jenson comes to her rescue. Then a bad day only gets worse as the Lone Star Vet Clinic, where they both work, is vandalized and the list of suspects starts to climb. With the help of her fellow employees, Marigold sets out to simultaneously solve the crime, rehab the rescued dog, and help more dogs in crisis. But why would anyone continue to work against all their good efforts?
Visit Barbour Publishing for more info on where to buy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.
This is a book that involves a second chance (#41) for The 52 Book Club's 2022 Reading Challenge
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by Anna Lee Huber - Kiera and Gage investigate the murders of young heirs in London that are meant to look like the work of resurrectionists. (Read my full review 
