Diamond in the Ruff - A Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway

 Review

DIAMOND IN THE RUFF by Cindy Goyette
The First Wiggle Butt Manor Mystery

After a medical diagnosis shatters Charlie Calderbank's dream of being a police officer she leaves New Jersey and heads to Orca Cove in the Pacific Northwest. Her Aunt Jo-Jo is stuck in rehab recovering from a car accident and Charlie has offered to help out at Wiggle Butt Manor, her aunt's dog hotel, while she reevaluates her life. Once there she meets a sullen teen and a mischievous dog named Maya whose owner has gone missing. When Charlie finds the owner dead and clues point to Jo-Jo as a suspect, Charlie puts her police academy knowledge to use to present a better suspect to the police. With Maya leading the way Charlie starts to uncover secrets that could solve the murder, if they don't get her killed first!

With a series title of the Wiggle Butt Manor Mysteries I was expecting a cutesy cozy mystery. I was wrong. I got a mature cozy mystery with realistic modern day themes. Don't get me wrong, I love cute mysteries, but I was pleasantly surprised by the depth found in the first Wiggle Butt Manor Mystery. Medical concerns, teenage pregnancy, and abusive home life are some of the serious issues found here, all treated with dignity and respect. There's also a ton of humor, a smidge of romance, and adorable dogs. I love how spry Maya is for her age and how her incorrigibility leads to several clues that help solve the mystery.

The smart writing and compelling characters of DIAMOND IN THE RUFF make a gripping mystery even more engrossing. This was a standout series debut and I am excited for the next installment!

***********************************************************************

DIAMOND IN THE RUFF

by Cindy Goyette

May 19 - June 13, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

WIGGLE BUTT MANOR MYSTERY SERIES

 

Charlie Calderbank always dreamed of being a cop, but a medical issue forces her out of the academy and to rethink her future. When Charlie’s Aunt Jo-Jo suffers injuries in a car accident, she offers to help at her aunt’s pet hotel, Wiggle Butt Manor, in the charming Pacific Northwest island town of Orca Cove.

With her Cocker Spaniel Noah at her side, she settles into life on the island and at the Manor. When the owner of Maya, the precocious mutt, is murdered, Jo-Jo becomes a suspect, forcing Charlie to find the real killer before they put her aunt away for good. While she rushes to hide clues that point to her aunt, she tries to wrangle Maya into control. But she, too, seems eager to solve the case and doesn’t follow the rules. Charlie’s quest leads her to uncover plenty of the small town’s secrets, and to fall for the hot local cop trying to find the killer. It also puts her on the radar of the murderer who will do anything to protect their secret, including making Charlie the next victim.

Praise for Diamond In The Ruff:

"Diamond in the Ruff brims with intrigue and heart. The engaging heroine, Charlie, will rivet you to her story as she navigates a deadly maze of old and new secrets to uncover a murderer, while Maya and Noah, the canine players, will capture your heart as you race to the novel's suspenseful ending."
~ Angela M. Sanders, bestselling author of the Witch Way Librarian mysteries

"A tightly-crafted cozy featuring a memorable cast of characters—and canines!"
~ Dawn Ius, Author of Anne & Henry, Overdrive and Lizzie

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: May 2025
Number of Pages: 320
Series: Wiggle Butt Manor Mystery Series, book 1
Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

“I’m suspicious of people who don’t like dogs, but I trust a dog when it doesn’t like a person”
Bill Murray

The massive bridge from mainland Washington to the village of Orca Cove lay before me like the highway to hell. Not that Orca Cove’s a bad place. Quite the contrary. It’s just that heights scared the bejesus out of me—and it was going to take every bit of courage I could muster to cross it.

The sky was hazy as the sun threatened to burn off oppressive dark gray clouds. Spikes at the top of the bridge disappeared into the fast-moving fog. The looming structure reminded me of green metal toothpicks, supporting a wobbly death trap in the sky. It took my breath away and not in a good way.

Come on, Charlie. Put on your big girl pants and suck it up.

I tried to concentrate on the quaint town on the other side and the refuge it would provide. But all I could think of as I navigated my rental car across the bridge was that the Pacific Northwest was long overdue for an earthquake. Wouldn’t it be my luck to be on this bridge when it happened? I imagined I would feel suspended in the air forever during the plunge, but death would come quickly as the ice-cold water below swallowed us whole.

“I know,” I said, glancing down at my buff Cocker Spaniel, Noah, fast asleep on the seat beside me. “Stop being so dramatic.” But as I white-knuckled our way across the bridge, Noah was oblivious. He continued to sleep off the meds I’d given him to make the flight from New Jersey more tolerable. His snore reminded me of what an overweight lumberjack might sound like after a few too many beers. Hard to believe such a rattling noise came out of a twenty-two-pound fur ball, so adorable people often mistook him for Lady from Lady and the Tramp. A thorn in my side, but I was prone to overreacting when it came to my boy.

Four miles seemed a long time to contemplate one’s death. Cars behind me honked as I drove just under the speed limit, my eyes intent on the few feet of road in front of me. I tried to stifle the hysteria that rose in my chest and choked me.

Deep breaths, Charlie.

I did my best to ignore the impatient drivers behind us. Fate threw in a pack of serious bicyclists, making the bridge even more narrow. I focused on the toned calves pumping the petals on the bike of the woman in front of me, while wishing there was another way onto the island. But my unemployed status and dwindling bank account didn’t allow for luxuries like a private boat or seaplane.

Exiting the bridge, I let out a long breath. “That was stressful,” I said to Noah.

More snoring. Well, it was terrifying for me.

The sleepy town always made me feel like I’d entered a time warp and had surfaced in the 1950s. Quaint buildings, with brightly painted mismatched architecture for each mom-and-pop shop, boutique, and restaurant lined the streets. Because orcas frequented the area and drew many tourists, everything had a nautical theme, and murals of killer whales and other sea life decorated the buildings. Despite its appeal, the town remained a best-kept secret, and even during the height of the season, crowds were few and far between.

Couples walked hand-in-hand down sidewalks, others pushed strollers, and many had a canine friend on a leash. I knew from previous visits that many of the residents were retired, and there was a high population of artists on the island.

Back on solid ground and with this storybook town before me, calm released like water from a dam, washing my trepidation out to sea.

Not wanting to visit my aunt empty handed, I stopped at the town bakery and bought two giant molasses cookies, my aunt’s favorite.

As I started up the hill to Aunt Jo-Jo’s house, I felt excited at the prospect of seeing her again. She was not only my favorite relative, but she’d also been my savior growing up when my mom went off the deep end—which was more often than I’d like to admit. I spent snippets of my childhood on this island and some of my best memories were of my time here. But I’d been remiss, having not visited her since my uncle passed away about five years ago. Life had gotten in the way. First, there was college and then the life-changing decision I’d made to leave my tedious corporate job for the police academy. Like most people my age, I was perpetually broke, and travel wasn’t in the cards.

But my aunt seemed to understand, and we kept in touch through email and weekly phone calls. She was still my sounding board when dealing with my mom’s antics. Those calls kept us close, but there was nothing like face-to-face time.

Aunt Jo-Jo’s Craftsman house perched on the hillside like a proud bird overlooking its kingdom. From it, she had a fantastic view of the water and the, gulp, bridge. The house was painted royal blue with white shutters. Colorful gardens surrounded the property, and a small dog park flanked the west side of the house. A banner reading Future Home of Orca Cove’s First Agility Course stretched across the fence. A handful of dogs frolicked on lush grass while owners sat on benches in animated conversation.

A more modern structure sat behind the home, painted the same shade of blue. A hotel for dogs–Wiggle Butt Manor.

Ten individual rooms were decorated with children’s furniture, on which the four-legged guests slept. Each room had a theme. There was a One Hundred, and One Dalmatians suite, a Lassie room, and one had French Bulldogs and a Paris theme.

I parked in the gravel driveway behind a mud-splattered Jeep Cherokee with an I love Golden Retrievers bumper sticker peeking out from beneath the dirt.

Rousing Noah with a quick belly rub, I got out of the car and stretched. The chill of the late September air reminded me that fall was around the corner. “Come on, Boo.” I slapped my thigh.

Noah’s flowing ears swayed as he jumped to the ground. He followed me like a shadow as I walked up to the pet hotel and rapped on the door. When no one answered, I opened it and stuck my head inside. “Hello?”

Barking erupted from the back room when we entered. The lobby held a desk and two overstuffed chairs, along with a giant bucketful of dog toys. A collage of photos taken of guests over the years hung on the wall. Noah gave me a look that said: what the heck, I thought I was the only one.

“You’ve led a sheltered life,” I said. “You’re not one of a kind.”

Noah was not a “dog person,” and he couldn’t care less about the canines eager to greet him. He glanced toward the barking dogs, yawned, and then leaped onto a chair and curled into a compact ball. I opened the door that led to the pet rooms and made my way down the hall. A wall of guest suites was to my left. Dogs of all sizes and colors stuck their noses out of low, barred windows to greet me. I bent down and said hello to each of them. I didn’t want to be rude.

The door at the end of the hall opened as Martha stepped inside. “Oh, dear!” She patted her chest as if she needed to restart her heart. “Charlie! You scared me half to death.”

Martha had worked with Aunt Jo-Jo for as long as I could remember. They argued constantly, but they’d take a bullet for each other. Martha’s curly gray hair looked like a startled ferret on her head, and her glasses were askew. She wore faded overalls and lime green Crocs.

“Sorry to scare you,” I said. “We just got here. Is everything all right?”

“One of the dogs is AWOL,” Martha said. “That teenager we hired must have failed to latch the kennel, and when I opened the hotel door, the slippery rascal bolted.”

I grabbed a leash off the hook. “What’s the breed?”

Martha scratched her head. “Basic brown dog. Size of a lab, soul of a scoundrel. Answers to Maya, if she’d ever bother.”

“I’m on it,” I said.

Heading back to my car, I called for Noah to join me. Not buying into the urgency, he lumbered off the chair and followed. Back in the rental car, we set off down the street, driving up and down the hilly roads that made up the neighborhood. Charming houses had well-manicured lawns, and vibrant flowers were abundant.

I watched the road while quickly scanning the bushes for a hiding dog. I wished I would have asked how long Maya had been missing. A dog like that could make it to the main road in minutes. I prayed a car wouldn’t hit the runaway.

I soon spotted a tan blur leap over a six-foot fence three streets down, disappearing into a backyard. Slamming on the brakes, my arm automatically jerked out to stop Noah from flying off the seat. I told him to stay, grabbed the leash, and jumped out of the car. I was five-foot-ten, and for once, I didn’t curse my height.

Standing on my toes, I could easily see over the fence and into the yard. The dog chased a flock of chickens while a middle-aged woman dressed in a low-cut top and shorts that might have fit her twenty years ago yelled at Maya to stop. Yielding a broom, she chased the dog in circles with little effect.

“I’m here to help,” I yelled over the fence. “Maya, come here!”

If the dog could flip me off, she would have. The look she gave me had the same result. Maya was on a tear.

“Do something,” the woman said, near tears.

I put my foot onto a nearby wheelbarrow, pulled myself up on my forearms, and swung my leg over the fence like they’d taught me in the police academy. Dropping into a crouch on the other side, I straightened and stepped between Maya and a chicken seconds before what would become the last moment of the feathered creature’s life.

“Come here.” I leaned down to the dog’s level and motioned her forward.

But Maya had other ideas. She charged at me, knocking me on my backside before pushing off me like a diving board, ready for round two.

I struggled for breath as I reached up, and almost caught her mid-flight, but she dodged me, leaving me laying on the ground flat on my back.

I got to my knees, then staggered to my feet. “Okay,” I said, out of breath. “You win, you slippery devil.”

I swear she laughed at me.

Out of ideas, I looked at the woman still wielding the broom like a baseball bat, and the chicken, who ruffled her feathers as if she was trying to pull herself together. They didn’t look impressed by my ungraceful moves.

Apparently satisfied that she’d proven her point, Maya walked slowly over to me and ducked her head, allowing me access to her collar. Getting a firm hold of it, I gave Maya a nod. She’d earned my respect. Pushing my hair out of my face, I turned to the woman. “Sorry about that. We’ll get out of your way.”

Neither the woman nor the chicken looked particularly grateful.

Dragging the dog, who continued to lunge at the flock behind us, we made our way back to the car, where Noah still snored undisturbed. Yin and Yang, I thought as I shoved Maya into the backseat.

“Wait,” the woman called, running toward me.

Keys in hand, I paused by the door.

“You dropped this.” She handed me my phone, covered in mud and what I guessed was chicken poop.

I carefully took it, holding it by the corners, trying not to gag. “Awe, thanks.”

“And thanks to you, too, Maya,” I said under my breath.

I got into the car and looked in the rear-view mirror, about to back out of the space, when I spied Maya biting down on one of the cookies I’d planned to bring to my aunt. A twinkle sparkled in her eyes, and she held my gaze as she swallowed.

So, this was how it was going to be?

***

Excerpt from Diamond In The Ruff by Cindy Goyette. Copyright 2025 by Cindy Goyette. Reproduced with permission from Cindy Goyette. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Armed with a handgun and a word processor, Immigration Officer Cindy Goyette spent her nights creating fictional friends to help pass the lonely hours between border crossers. A portable black-and-white TV cancelled the unexplained noises coming from the ancient jail cells in the creepy basement. The resulting book will stay in the closet where it belongs, but the seed was planted and she’s been writing ever since.

Cindy spent the ensuing years as a probation officer, dealing with hardened criminals with hard-luck stories that sometimes kept her up at night. Every day was an adventure. She survived by seeing humor in situations where she could find it. She joked about writing a book and then she did just that.

The Probation Case Files Mystery series books, OBEY ALL LAWS and EARLY TERMINATION incorporates the wild and crazy life of a probation officer with issues currently in the news. Cindy’s history with flirtatious felons who thought they were charmers and addicts who denied the drugs in their pockets, claiming they’re wearing their friend’s pants have given her ample material for the books she now writes. Released JANUARY 2024 and January 2025

Cindy has a habit of adopting dogs who get into as much mischief as her probationers. A vet told her, Maya – a basic brown miscreant mixed breed – was lucky Cindy had taken her home because no one else would have put up with her antics. So why not give Maya her own series? Thus, Diamond in the Ruff: A Wiggle Butt Manor Mystery was born. Released May 6, 2025

Born in New Jersey, Cindy lived in Phoenix for twenty years. She now makes her home in Washington state with her husband and two cocker spaniels.

Catch Up With Cindy Goyette:

www.CCGoyette.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub - @ccgoyettewriter
Instagram - @cindy.goyette
Threads - @cindy.goyette
X - @cindy_ccgoyette
Facebook - Cindy Goyette, Author

 

 

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Currently Reading...

I just finished reading Diamond in the Ruff by Cindy Goyette. This is the first book in the Wiggle Butt Manor Mystery series and was released this month. 

After a medical diagnosis shatters Charlie Calderbank's dream of being a police officer she leaves New Jersey and heads to Orca Cove in the Pacific Northwest. Her Aunt Jo-Jo is stuck in rehab recovering from a car accident and Charlie has offered to help out at Wiggle Butt Manor, her aunt's dog hotel, while she reevaluates her life. Once there she meets a sullen teen and a mischievous dog named Maya whose owner has gone missing. When Charlie finds the owner dead and clues point to Jo-Jo as a suspect, Charlie puts her police academy knowledge to use to present a better suspect to the police. With Maya leading the way Charlie starts to uncover secrets that could solve the murder, if they don't get her killed first!

Diamond in the Ruff - An Interview, Excerpt, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Cindy Goyette to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Cindy writes the Wiggle Butt Manor Mystery series. DIAMOND IN THE RUFF is the first book in the series and was released this month. Be sure to return to the blog Friday to read my review!

Kathy: In DIAMOND IN THE RUFF a medical injury forces Charlie Calderbank out of the police academy and rethink her future. Have you ever had medical or physical issues change your life path?

CG: It actually relates to my life. Although I was much older than Charlie when it happened, I received a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis in 2020. It came out of the blue and really sidelined me. I was working as a probation officer at the time and the only thing that saved me was that because of Covid I was working from home. Like Charlie, I’d be able to get handcuffs on someone, but probably couldn’t get the key in the lock to release them. For four years I saw a rheumatologist and took medication. Thankfully, whatever was going on reversed and my current rheumatologist doesn’t think I actually have RA. This made me wonder what a young person, with her entire career ahead, might do.


Kathy: Charlie offers to help at her aunt’s pet hotel, Wiggle Butt Manor. Have you ever worked at a pet hotel...or wanted to?

CG: I’ve been an animal lover my whole life and have never not had a dog since I was fifteen. Although I never worked in a pet hotel, I was fascinated with the one I took my dogs to and I thought it would make a wonderful setting for a book. A few years later, I wrote about Wiggle Butt Manor.


Kathy: Charlie has a Cocker Spaniel named Noah while Maya is a precocious mutt whose owner is murdered. While I don't currently have any dogs, just cats, I had Barrett and Brioche, a very mixed breed with Chow and a white shepherd/husky, and later, Sam, another shepherd/husky mix. Do you have any dogs?

CG: Barrett and Brioche! I love it. Yes, I currently have two dogs. Ranger is a working English Cocker Spaniel and he’s a lot, but we love him. Jax is an American Cocker and is as cuddly as they come. They are only a year apart and still young, so hopefully we will have many years with them. I will never not have a dog. To be sure, I put it in my wedding vows!


Kathy: Are Noah and Maya based on actual animals or are they purely fictional?

CG: Noah and Maya are both real. I didn’t even change their names. Noah was my heart dog, and Maya was the best bad dog I’ve ever met. My daughter and I adopted Maya when my daughter was a teenager. When my daughter eventually moved into her own place, she took Maya with her, but she was still a big part of my life. Unfortunately, both dogs have passed, Noah in 2022 at 13, and Maya in the summer of 2024 at the ripe old age of 19.5. Both dogs left enough memories that they will live on in the series. I have ornaments with their photos hanging over my computer and they keep watch as I write book 2 in the series.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

CG: My then agent asked me to write one. It was her favorite genre, and she thought I should try it. She suggested themes of baking or knitting, but I only knew how to be bad at those things. They didn’t call me. Then she mentioned dogs, and I was all in. This series has been so much fun to write.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

CG: I do. I have a “regular” mystery series called The Probation Case Files Mysteries. The first book, OBEY ALL LAWS, released in 2024 and the second, EARLY TERMINATION, released in January 2025. I’m finishing up book three now. This series follows the crazy life of probation officer Casey Carson. It’s darker than my cozy series but still has a lot of humor—or so the reviews have said. I also have written a suspense that my agent is trying to find a home for.

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

CG: Out of my books? Choosing one would be like choosing a favorite dog. They all are close to my heart. My probation book protagonist Casey Carson has been with me the longest as it took me FOREVER to write that book, so I know her best. But I love Charlie, the main character in DIAMOND IN THE RUFF. And, of course, Noah and Maya. There’s also a dog in the probation series. He’s a Cocker Spaniel mix and his name is Felony. Wonder where I got that from???


Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

CG: Both series pull from my life. My job as a probation officer and, like Charlie, I went through the police academy, but unlike Charlie, I had a brief career as a police officer. There are a lot of overlaps to my life in my books.


Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

CG: Honestly, I was about to give up. I wrote for years, never even thinking of publishing my work. In 2015 I went to Sleuthfest, a writer’s conference. I didn’t sign up to pitch to an agent, but at the last minute I decided to. I met my first agent there. She tried to sell OBEY ALL LAWS and started shopping the cozy when we amicably parted ways. In one last ditch effort to be traditionally published, I sent OBEY ALL LAWS to Level Best Books. To my surprise, they offered me a 3-book contract. Later, I sent my editor the cozy and got a contract for that as well. I’m so happy I never gave up.


Kathy: What are you currently reading?

CG: MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT by Riley Sager. It’s a thriller. I read many genres. But lately, I don’t read as much as I would like. I'm busy writing, reading my critique partner's books, and other authors have asked me for blurbs. If only there were more hours in the day!


Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

CG: Book 3 in the probation series is due to my editor this summer. I've pretty much finished it, but I've learned that nothing is truly finished until the publication date. And I’m working on book 2 of the Wiggle Butt Manor books. I have a 3-book contract for that series, too, so there will be more to come. I’m also kicking around an idea for a thriller. I just need to find the time to write it.


Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

CG: Meeting and hearing from readers. I know they say not to read your reviews, but I love it when someone posts that they connected with my books in some way. Book clubs are the best because I get to sit around and talk about characters I’ve created. It’s almost like people can see my imaginary friends. My next favorite thing is being part of the writing community. It is such a supportive bunch.

*************************************************************************

DIAMOND IN THE RUFF

by Cindy Goyette

May 19 - June 13, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

WIGGLE BUTT MANOR MYSTERY SERIES

 

Charlie Calderbank always dreamed of being a cop, but a medical issue forces her out of the academy and to rethink her future. When Charlie’s Aunt Jo-Jo suffers injuries in a car accident, she offers to help at her aunt’s pet hotel, Wiggle Butt Manor, in the charming Pacific Northwest island town of Orca Cove.

With her Cocker Spaniel Noah at her side, she settles into life on the island and at the Manor. When the owner of Maya, the precocious mutt, is murdered, Jo-Jo becomes a suspect, forcing Charlie to find the real killer before they put her aunt away for good. While she rushes to hide clues that point to her aunt, she tries to wrangle Maya into control. But she, too, seems eager to solve the case and doesn’t follow the rules. Charlie’s quest leads her to uncover plenty of the small town’s secrets, and to fall for the hot local cop trying to find the killer. It also puts her on the radar of the murderer who will do anything to protect their secret, including making Charlie the next victim.

Praise for Diamond In The Ruff:

"Diamond in the Ruff brims with intrigue and heart. The engaging heroine, Charlie, will rivet you to her story as she navigates a deadly maze of old and new secrets to uncover a murderer, while Maya and Noah, the canine players, will capture your heart as you race to the novel's suspenseful ending."
~ Angela M. Sanders, bestselling author of the Witch Way Librarian mysteries

"A tightly-crafted cozy featuring a memorable cast of characters—and canines!"
~ Dawn Ius, Author of Anne & Henry, Overdrive and Lizzie

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: May 2025
Number of Pages: 320
Series: Wiggle Butt Manor Mystery Series, book 1
Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

“I’m suspicious of people who don’t like dogs, but I trust a dog when it doesn’t like a person”
Bill Murray

The massive bridge from mainland Washington to the village of Orca Cove lay before me like the highway to hell. Not that Orca Cove’s a bad place. Quite the contrary. It’s just that heights scared the bejesus out of me—and it was going to take every bit of courage I could muster to cross it.

The sky was hazy as the sun threatened to burn off oppressive dark gray clouds. Spikes at the top of the bridge disappeared into the fast-moving fog. The looming structure reminded me of green metal toothpicks, supporting a wobbly death trap in the sky. It took my breath away and not in a good way.

Come on, Charlie. Put on your big girl pants and suck it up.

I tried to concentrate on the quaint town on the other side and the refuge it would provide. But all I could think of as I navigated my rental car across the bridge was that the Pacific Northwest was long overdue for an earthquake. Wouldn’t it be my luck to be on this bridge when it happened? I imagined I would feel suspended in the air forever during the plunge, but death would come quickly as the ice-cold water below swallowed us whole.

“I know,” I said, glancing down at my buff Cocker Spaniel, Noah, fast asleep on the seat beside me. “Stop being so dramatic.” But as I white-knuckled our way across the bridge, Noah was oblivious. He continued to sleep off the meds I’d given him to make the flight from New Jersey more tolerable. His snore reminded me of what an overweight lumberjack might sound like after a few too many beers. Hard to believe such a rattling noise came out of a twenty-two-pound fur ball, so adorable people often mistook him for Lady from Lady and the Tramp. A thorn in my side, but I was prone to overreacting when it came to my boy.

Four miles seemed a long time to contemplate one’s death. Cars behind me honked as I drove just under the speed limit, my eyes intent on the few feet of road in front of me. I tried to stifle the hysteria that rose in my chest and choked me.

Deep breaths, Charlie.

I did my best to ignore the impatient drivers behind us. Fate threw in a pack of serious bicyclists, making the bridge even more narrow. I focused on the toned calves pumping the petals on the bike of the woman in front of me, while wishing there was another way onto the island. But my unemployed status and dwindling bank account didn’t allow for luxuries like a private boat or seaplane.

Exiting the bridge, I let out a long breath. “That was stressful,” I said to Noah.

More snoring. Well, it was terrifying for me.

The sleepy town always made me feel like I’d entered a time warp and had surfaced in the 1950s. Quaint buildings, with brightly painted mismatched architecture for each mom-and-pop shop, boutique, and restaurant lined the streets. Because orcas frequented the area and drew many tourists, everything had a nautical theme, and murals of killer whales and other sea life decorated the buildings. Despite its appeal, the town remained a best-kept secret, and even during the height of the season, crowds were few and far between.

Couples walked hand-in-hand down sidewalks, others pushed strollers, and many had a canine friend on a leash. I knew from previous visits that many of the residents were retired, and there was a high population of artists on the island.

Back on solid ground and with this storybook town before me, calm released like water from a dam, washing my trepidation out to sea.

Not wanting to visit my aunt empty handed, I stopped at the town bakery and bought two giant molasses cookies, my aunt’s favorite.

As I started up the hill to Aunt Jo-Jo’s house, I felt excited at the prospect of seeing her again. She was not only my favorite relative, but she’d also been my savior growing up when my mom went off the deep end—which was more often than I’d like to admit. I spent snippets of my childhood on this island and some of my best memories were of my time here. But I’d been remiss, having not visited her since my uncle passed away about five years ago. Life had gotten in the way. First, there was college and then the life-changing decision I’d made to leave my tedious corporate job for the police academy. Like most people my age, I was perpetually broke, and travel wasn’t in the cards.

But my aunt seemed to understand, and we kept in touch through email and weekly phone calls. She was still my sounding board when dealing with my mom’s antics. Those calls kept us close, but there was nothing like face-to-face time.

Aunt Jo-Jo’s Craftsman house perched on the hillside like a proud bird overlooking its kingdom. From it, she had a fantastic view of the water and the, gulp, bridge. The house was painted royal blue with white shutters. Colorful gardens surrounded the property, and a small dog park flanked the west side of the house. A banner reading Future Home of Orca Cove’s First Agility Course stretched across the fence. A handful of dogs frolicked on lush grass while owners sat on benches in animated conversation.

A more modern structure sat behind the home, painted the same shade of blue. A hotel for dogs–Wiggle Butt Manor.

Ten individual rooms were decorated with children’s furniture, on which the four-legged guests slept. Each room had a theme. There was a One Hundred, and One Dalmatians suite, a Lassie room, and one had French Bulldogs and a Paris theme.

I parked in the gravel driveway behind a mud-splattered Jeep Cherokee with an I love Golden Retrievers bumper sticker peeking out from beneath the dirt.

Rousing Noah with a quick belly rub, I got out of the car and stretched. The chill of the late September air reminded me that fall was around the corner. “Come on, Boo.” I slapped my thigh.

Noah’s flowing ears swayed as he jumped to the ground. He followed me like a shadow as I walked up to the pet hotel and rapped on the door. When no one answered, I opened it and stuck my head inside. “Hello?”

Barking erupted from the back room when we entered. The lobby held a desk and two overstuffed chairs, along with a giant bucketful of dog toys. A collage of photos taken of guests over the years hung on the wall. Noah gave me a look that said: what the heck, I thought I was the only one.

“You’ve led a sheltered life,” I said. “You’re not one of a kind.”

Noah was not a “dog person,” and he couldn’t care less about the canines eager to greet him. He glanced toward the barking dogs, yawned, and then leaped onto a chair and curled into a compact ball. I opened the door that led to the pet rooms and made my way down the hall. A wall of guest suites was to my left. Dogs of all sizes and colors stuck their noses out of low, barred windows to greet me. I bent down and said hello to each of them. I didn’t want to be rude.

The door at the end of the hall opened as Martha stepped inside. “Oh, dear!” She patted her chest as if she needed to restart her heart. “Charlie! You scared me half to death.”

Martha had worked with Aunt Jo-Jo for as long as I could remember. They argued constantly, but they’d take a bullet for each other. Martha’s curly gray hair looked like a startled ferret on her head, and her glasses were askew. She wore faded overalls and lime green Crocs.

“Sorry to scare you,” I said. “We just got here. Is everything all right?”

“One of the dogs is AWOL,” Martha said. “That teenager we hired must have failed to latch the kennel, and when I opened the hotel door, the slippery rascal bolted.”

I grabbed a leash off the hook. “What’s the breed?”

Martha scratched her head. “Basic brown dog. Size of a lab, soul of a scoundrel. Answers to Maya, if she’d ever bother.”

“I’m on it,” I said.

Heading back to my car, I called for Noah to join me. Not buying into the urgency, he lumbered off the chair and followed. Back in the rental car, we set off down the street, driving up and down the hilly roads that made up the neighborhood. Charming houses had well-manicured lawns, and vibrant flowers were abundant.

I watched the road while quickly scanning the bushes for a hiding dog. I wished I would have asked how long Maya had been missing. A dog like that could make it to the main road in minutes. I prayed a car wouldn’t hit the runaway.

I soon spotted a tan blur leap over a six-foot fence three streets down, disappearing into a backyard. Slamming on the brakes, my arm automatically jerked out to stop Noah from flying off the seat. I told him to stay, grabbed the leash, and jumped out of the car. I was five-foot-ten, and for once, I didn’t curse my height.

Standing on my toes, I could easily see over the fence and into the yard. The dog chased a flock of chickens while a middle-aged woman dressed in a low-cut top and shorts that might have fit her twenty years ago yelled at Maya to stop. Yielding a broom, she chased the dog in circles with little effect.

“I’m here to help,” I yelled over the fence. “Maya, come here!”

If the dog could flip me off, she would have. The look she gave me had the same result. Maya was on a tear.

“Do something,” the woman said, near tears.

I put my foot onto a nearby wheelbarrow, pulled myself up on my forearms, and swung my leg over the fence like they’d taught me in the police academy. Dropping into a crouch on the other side, I straightened and stepped between Maya and a chicken seconds before what would become the last moment of the feathered creature’s life.

“Come here.” I leaned down to the dog’s level and motioned her forward.

But Maya had other ideas. She charged at me, knocking me on my backside before pushing off me like a diving board, ready for round two.

I struggled for breath as I reached up, and almost caught her mid-flight, but she dodged me, leaving me laying on the ground flat on my back.

I got to my knees, then staggered to my feet. “Okay,” I said, out of breath. “You win, you slippery devil.”

I swear she laughed at me.

Out of ideas, I looked at the woman still wielding the broom like a baseball bat, and the chicken, who ruffled her feathers as if she was trying to pull herself together. They didn’t look impressed by my ungraceful moves.

Apparently satisfied that she’d proven her point, Maya walked slowly over to me and ducked her head, allowing me access to her collar. Getting a firm hold of it, I gave Maya a nod. She’d earned my respect. Pushing my hair out of my face, I turned to the woman. “Sorry about that. We’ll get out of your way.”

Neither the woman nor the chicken looked particularly grateful.

Dragging the dog, who continued to lunge at the flock behind us, we made our way back to the car, where Noah still snored undisturbed. Yin and Yang, I thought as I shoved Maya into the backseat.

“Wait,” the woman called, running toward me.

Keys in hand, I paused by the door.

“You dropped this.” She handed me my phone, covered in mud and what I guessed was chicken poop.

I carefully took it, holding it by the corners, trying not to gag. “Awe, thanks.”

“And thanks to you, too, Maya,” I said under my breath.

I got into the car and looked in the rear-view mirror, about to back out of the space, when I spied Maya biting down on one of the cookies I’d planned to bring to my aunt. A twinkle sparkled in her eyes, and she held my gaze as she swallowed.

So, this was how it was going to be?

***

Excerpt from Diamond In The Ruff by Cindy Goyette. Copyright 2025 by Cindy Goyette. Reproduced with permission from Cindy Goyette. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Armed with a handgun and a word processor, Immigration Officer Cindy Goyette spent her nights creating fictional friends to help pass the lonely hours between border crossers. A portable black-and-white TV cancelled the unexplained noises coming from the ancient jail cells in the creepy basement. The resulting book will stay in the closet where it belongs, but the seed was planted and she’s been writing ever since.

Cindy spent the ensuing years as a probation officer, dealing with hardened criminals with hard-luck stories that sometimes kept her up at night. Every day was an adventure. She survived by seeing humor in situations where she could find it. She joked about writing a book and then she did just that.

The Probation Case Files Mystery series books, OBEY ALL LAWS and EARLY TERMINATION incorporates the wild and crazy life of a probation officer with issues currently in the news. Cindy’s history with flirtatious felons who thought they were charmers and addicts who denied the drugs in their pockets, claiming they’re wearing their friend’s pants have given her ample material for the books she now writes. Released JANUARY 2024 and January 2025

Cindy has a habit of adopting dogs who get into as much mischief as her probationers. A vet told her, Maya – a basic brown miscreant mixed breed – was lucky Cindy had taken her home because no one else would have put up with her antics. So why not give Maya her own series? Thus, Diamond in the Ruff: A Wiggle Butt Manor Mystery was born. Released May 6, 2025

Born in New Jersey, Cindy lived in Phoenix for twenty years. She now makes her home in Washington state with her husband and two cocker spaniels.

Catch Up With Cindy Goyette:

www.CCGoyette.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub - @ccgoyettewriter
Instagram - @cindy.goyette
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Facebook - Cindy Goyette, Author

 

 

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Whisper of Treasure and Lies - A Guest Post & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Sandra to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Sandra on the pages of Whisper of Treasure and Lies. This is the third book in the Scandal Mountain Antiques Mystery series and was released earlier this month.

The Secret Backstory Behind Sandra 

Hi all, my name is Sandra. In Whisper of Treasure and Lies, antique-dealer Edie Brown is forced to let me join her crew. I’m not saying she doesn’t like me, but she definitely wasn’t planning on adding a dog to her already hectic life. Yes, I am a dog—more precisely a golden retriever. And Edie wasn’t the only one not planning on having a dog appear in the next Scandal Mountain Antiques Mystery book. The author, Trish Esden, was also surprised by this turn of events, though she’s darn happy about it now.

My surprise arrival happened a year ago when Trish had an online contest. The winner got to have a character named after them in the next Scandal Mountain book. The winner’s first name was Sandra. But she didn’t want a new human character named after her. Sandra loves dogs and—as much as she enjoyed reading the series—she thought it could benefit from the addition of a canine character. She didn’t care if the dog was good or a villain. Actually, she preferred the idea of a naughty dog over one that was perfectly behaved. Sandra’s very favorite breed is the golden retriever. It also happens to be Trish’s favorite…And, so I was born.

I hope you enjoyed learning a bit of my backstory.

Licks and kisses,

Sandra

*********************************************************************

 Whisper of Treasure and Lies: (A Scandal Mountain Antiques Mystery)  

by Trish Esden

About Whisper of Treasure and Lies

Whisper of Treasure and Lies: (A Scandal Mountain Antiques Mystery)
Traditional Mystery 3rd in Series
Setting - Vermont
Publisher: ‎ Patricia AR Esden (May 5, 2025)
Paperback: 308 pages

Some secrets die with their owners. Others hide in silence, waiting to be set free.

Edie Brown despises the bigwig antique and art dealer Felix Graham. She even suspects he had a hand in her mom being set up for the art forgery charge that sent her to prison. However, when Graham is drugged and robbed after purchasing a valuable antique bottle and a box of local historical items, Edie agrees to hunt down the thieves for him. In payment, she wants one thing: everything Graham knows about her mom being set up—who was involved, how they did it…all the information that could lead to her mom’s freedom.

But the number of possible thieves is as plentiful as the potential motives. Graham’s womanizing ways and slippery business practices barely outweigh the stolen pieces’ rarity and value. As Edie, her uncle Tuck, and enigmatic employee, Kala, dive into the dangerous search, evidence that the crime is tied to the stolen pieces’ history surface. Both the bottle—known as the Glass Widow—and the box of ephemera are related to a tragedy that occurred the night before the grand opening of a Victorian-era hydropathic resort, a shocking fragment of Vermont history that involved a peculiar dowry, concealed murder, and a fire that claimed lives and gutted the lavish resort.

With her mom’s mental health rapidly declining in prison, Edie must fight against the clock to expose the thieves by untangling a mystery with roots that stretch from the Victorian-era to the recent robbery, and perhaps into Edie’s own past as well.

About Trish Esden

Trish Esden is an award-winning author of mystery novels that deliver feisty heroines, devious criminals, and as many twists as a back-country road. Set in contemporary, small-town New England, Trish’s stories promise skillfully-crafted whodunnits fraught with secrets, cunning schemes, and sometimes a touch of romance. Though a dead body or two might surface, Trish’s novels tend to focus on crimes other than murder. If you’re a fan of traditional mysteries with a diverse cast of friends and adversaries, you are in the right place. Immerse yourself today in an atmospheric world where danger, mystery, and a passion for justice collide.

Author Links: 

Website: https://trishesden.com  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066846565777  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trishesden/  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/patesden 

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/trish-esden  

Purchase Links: 

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Shudder Pulp - A Review

 Review

SHUDDER PULP by Vanessa Westermann
The Second Charley Scott Mystery 

As autumn turns ever closer to Halloween things are getting spooky in Oakcrest, Ontario. Inspired by the legend of the local lake monster Charley Scott is turning her art gallery into an immersive event; a terrifying one at that. When Laura bursts in drenched saying she's been attacked by the lake monster and that it's Charley's fault, Charley is stunned. But she's more stunned when Laura's body is found dead near her brother's marina a few hours later. In her short time in town Laura managed to anger a multitude of people, but who would want to kill her? With Charley's relationship with chocolatier Matt Thorn intensifying the two will begin to investigate. But secrets are even more dangerous than lake monsters and may just destroy them.

Tension continually ratchets up in the second Charley Scott mystery as events take on a macabre nightmarish quality, in artwork, in relationships, in the very atmosphere. Everything seems to have multiple meanings and everyone appears to have a sinister aspect that is slowly being revealed.

The mystery was as unique as the cause of death and I suspected everybody! Innocent people that were suspects in the first book were acting even more shifty and I thought they could be guilty this time around. I still don't trust Kayla. The drama is not just found in the mystery, rather there is an emotional maelstrom intensifying the action.

SHUDDER PULP will have you shivering with both fear and delight in this slow burning mystery. 

A Fatal Waltz - A Review

 Review

A FATAL WALTZ by Kathleen Marple Kalb
The Fifth Ella Shane Mystery 

It's September of 1900 and Ella Shane is back in New York City for her Metropolitan Opera debut, happily living in her townhouse with her new husband, Gil. Life is never quiet for the opera diva and her duke, at least not for long. Gil is asked to look into a decades old dalliance of the Prince of Wales which just may upset the entire line of succession. Add to that the prospect of blackmail when their good friend Paul is taken by police from a house of ill repute, a house run by his sister...when his only sibling is a brother. Whether as an opera diva, a duchess, or disguised as her cousin's younger brother, Ella will dive headlong into any investigation to help those who matter to her. Will it be enough? 

The Ella Shane mysteries have it all, compelling characters, a touch of humor, a little romance, all combined in a well crafted mystery. I like how Ella and Gil maintain their separate identities, even investigating separate issues, yet come together to assist each other and make an even better team. Raw emotion will tug at your heartstrings, while other situations will have you giggling. I love Ella as Eddie and I admit Connor does make me swoon a bit.

I also appreciate historical mysteries that touch on pertinent issues in today's world. In A FATAL WALTZ we meet a transgender character. This addition does not try to force modern day issues into the past, it simply acknowledges a timeless truth, and highlights it with historical accuracy and a unique storyline.

Nefarious characters will challenge our friends in A FATAL WALTZ, a beguiling tale with intersecting mysteries that will keep you guessing.

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Shudder Pulp by Vanessa Westermann. This book is the second in the Charley Scott Mystery series and was released earlier this month.

As autumn turns ever closer to Halloween things are getting spooky in Oakcrest. Inspired by the legend of the local lake monster Charley Scott is turning her art gallery into an immersive event; a terrifying one at that. When Laura bursts in drenched saying she's been attacked by the lake monster and that it's Charley's fault, Charley is stunned. But she's more stunned when Laura's body is found dead near her brother's marina a few hours later. In her short time in town Laura managed to anger a multitude of people, but who would want to kill her? With Charley's relationship with chocolatier Matt Thorn intensifying the two will begin to investigate. But secrets are even more dangerous than lake monsters and may just destroy them.