Synopsis:~

When exotic pet-sitter Belinda Blake moves into a carriage house in tony Greenwich, Connecticut, she’s hoping to find some new clients. Instead she discovers a corpse in the garden—and a knack for solving murders . . .

Pet-sitter Belinda Blake doesn’t rattle easily, but move-in day has been eventful, to say the least. The python in her care tried to slither to freedom—just as she met Stone Carrington V, her landlords’ disarmingly handsome son. With the constrictor back in its cage, she heads out to the garden, only to discover a designer shoe poking out of the boxwood hedge—attached to a woman’s dead body.

The victim, Margo Fenton, was a Carrington family friend, and no one in their circle seems above suspicion. Between client trips to Manhattan and visits to her family in upstate New York, Belinda begins to put the pieces together. But though she’s falling for Stone’s numerous charms, Belinda wonders if she’s cozying up to a killer. And soon, daily contact with a deadly reptile might be the least dangerous part of her life . . .

My take:~

Cosy mysteries have never been a go-to read for me. I much prefer the faster pace and thrilling edge to a suspense novel, but as I know Heather Day Gilbert’s talent as a writer, I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to try the first book in her Exotic Pet Sitter Mysteries. For starters the cover is super fun, the series title unique, and the premise holds lots of appeal, and having turned the last page, I’m delighted to say it has endeared me a little more to the cosy mystery genre. Gilbert’s writing style is warm, witty, and layered, and the mystery remains a mystery until the closing stages of the story which, of course, is essential to all the armchair sleuths. Belinda is a fun character, charming yet not without backbone, determined to forge her independence with her two businesses – exotic pets and gaming reviews. Add in a cast of characters, all of whom could be complicit in the murder, some hints of attraction and romance, and you have a story – and series – worth investing in! Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass is sure to please cosy mystery lovers everywhere!

With thanks to the publisher for my review copy. My opinions remain my own.

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