Book Review: Chained by Eileen Brady

 

Chained (Kate Turner, DVM #3). Eileen Brady. Poisoned Pen Press (2018). 270 pages. Genre: Cozy Mystery. 

First Line: "I must be out of my mind."

Summary:  Kate Turner and her assistant, Mari, are making a house call to a very rural area outside of town.  The patient is a Malamute who has a bad cut on his back.  The house call goes well until Kate and Mari are ready to leave.  The Malamute's owner mentions that her dog often brings back treasures from his explorations outside.  His latest find is a large bone from a deer.  The minute Kate sees the bone, she realizes it is not from a deer, but is a human bone. 

The forensics team discovers the rest of the body buried in the hills behind the property.  The remains belong to a man who was thought to have moved to California ten years ago.  And it appears that he was murdered. With very little evidence to go on, the police seem to be at a stand still.  The man's family asks Kate to find out what happened to their son.  As Kate begins to ask questions, she finds that the man was well liked and successful.  So, who would want to kill him and why?

My thoughts:  I always enjoy returning to this series.  Not only is the setting beautiful, but the characters are well drawn and interesting.

Kate Turner is a veterinarian who is filling in at Oak Falls Animal Hospital while the owner is away on an around the world cruise. In each book the author introduces us to the many patients Kate sees each day.  I love meeting the variety of animals and learning about different ailments and how they are treated.  Some of the patients she sees on house calls and others come to the clinic.  

Kate has been Skyping with a former boyfriend who is working at an archeology dig in Africa.  It has been fun to reconnect with Jeremy, but she is not sure where the relationship is headed.  She has become good friends with Oak Falls Police Officer, Luke Gianetti.  At least they keep saying they are just friends, but Kate feels like their friendship could develop into something more.  That is until Luke gets back together with his old girlfriend.  When Jeremy surprises Kate by telling her he is coming for a visit, she is not sure what to think.  Her relationship situation takes up more space in this mystery than it has in previous books.

As Kate begins asking questions about the murdered man, she discovers there was more to him than meets the eye.  He seems to have been well liked, but rumors are circulating that he was a ladies' man and that he abandoned his friends when he left town.  This leads to several possible suspects.  Added to that is a rumor that he was involved in drugs, which leads to even more suspects.  Eileen Brady has a knack for created interesting characters.  She is really good at creating characters who seem very rough on the outside, but end up being very soft and kind on the inside.  There are a few of those in the suspect line up.

Eventually everything gets sorted out.  The killer was a complete surprise to me.  This is a unique series that I always enjoy reading.  I would recommend that you start with the first book in the series, Muzzled, so you don't miss out on the great character development.

Quotes:

"Flashes of russet and gold foliage punctuated the stands of trees lining the road.  Few people ventured out this early on a Saturday morning.  Even though Halloween was around the corner, today's weather prediction called for sunshine and a high of sixty degrees - a glorious Indian summer day to be enjoyed to the fullest before winter hit."

"A massive bundled-up mound of black leather stood directly behind me.  The only human parts showing were two eyes behind round goggles and slices of wind-chapped cheeks.  Luckily, I recognized my client's voice."

"The next moment a plump load of furry feline landed full-force on my lap.  As soon as I stroked him, his purr motor began to rumble.  Mr. Katt was a 'hit and run' artist, famous for his sneak attacks on the staff."