Donna Ball

For dog trainer and search-and-rescue volunteer Raine Stockton, a vacation to the Caribbean resort island of St. Bart's sounds like the perfect antidote for stress, since it includes three of her favorite traveling companions: boyfriend Miles, his daughter Melanie, and Raine's golden retriever Cisco. But even in paradise, trouble finds them as Miles and Raine are drawn into a murder investigation. Raine faces her worst fears when someone she loves goes missing, and she is forced to navigate unfamiliar terrain in an alien land to track down a killer.

Double Dog Dare

Janice Hopper

Full disclosure: I received this audiobook for free via Audiobookblast.com in return for an honest review.

This is my second Raine Stockton dog mystery. It's the 8th book in the series, and the other one I read was the very first book (Smoky Mountain Tracks). I was afraid I'd be bothered by what I'd missed in the intervening books, but the author gives enough background in the course of the story that I could mostly fill in the missing pieces.

This is a fairly cozy mystery, though a child does get put into a bit of danger. It takes place in St. Bart's, where Miles, Raine's boyfriend, has taken her for a much-needed vacation. And of course there is murder involved. Raine tries to navigate the world of the rich and famous, but feels a bit alienated. She misses her mountain home.

The mystery part is pretty straightforward. The author does foreshadow some of what's going to happen from the very first, and there weren't (to me) any real surprises in how the plot worked out. But I liked the way two themes of the plot dovetailed at the end, and echoed each other. (I'm trying to avoid spoilers here!)

I started listening to this book on Wednesday night, and finished listening on Thursday afternoon. A book that keeps me listening straight through is fairly rare! It helps that the narrator has a warm and lovely voice. She does just enough different voices/accents to help keep the characters clearly defined. I liked that Miles' mother's South Carolina accent was just a bit different from Miles' Atlanta accent.

It's an easy, enjoyable listen, and I'm glad I had the chance to hear it. 

One note: I was slightly disappointed that she left her Aussies at home. If she'd had an Aussie with her instead of a Golden Retriever, she probably wouldn't have had a dog that would go off with a stranger! Aussies are generally more cautious than that. :) (Yes, I've shared my home with Australian Shepherds for many years.)

Double Dog Dare

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