Murder by Death

I've only read one other E.J. Copperman series, centering around a haunted guesthouse.  It was good, but the characters always felt a little stiff and awkward.  This first book in a new series, centered around a animal talent agent in New York, hit me like the author's attempt at over-correction.  The characters in Dog Dish of Doom are almost exuberant and the humor, including wise cracks made to the reader directly (what fourth wall?) were refreshing, but sometimes a bit too thick on the page.

Still, it was this humor and liveliness on the part of the characters that made the book as enjoyable as it is.  The plot could have been tighter and as it's written, its more of a frustration than a puzzle for anyone trying to solve the mystery.  Too many red herrings and diversions, but I found myself going along with it because I liked the setting and I liked Kay.  it fit my current reading mood and because of that, I'm happily willing to try book 2.