Unleashed

Author: Eileen Brady
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Genre: Mystery
ISBN: 978-1-4642-0394-7
Pages: 255
Price: $26.95

Dr. Kate Turner is surprised that Claire Birnham would commit suicide. Her beloved dog, Toto, is at the vet’s office, and Kate can’t believe she’d just abandon him. As Kate speaks to those who knew Claire well, she finds that she’s not the only one who has their doubts. Even though her friend, Luke Gianetti, a police officer, tells her to let the police handle the case, she can’t stop herself from interfering.

The case takes an unexpected turn for the worst when one of her staff is accused of murder. Now Kate is even more determined to clear him, and prove that Claire didn’t kill herself. But will the real murderer be forced to try to stop her?

As a cozy mystery, Unleashed takes liberties with civilian investigations. Kate pushes the limits of friendly discussions regarding Claire’s mysterious death, and these are simply accepted as normal. But the final conclusion was a bit obscure for my tastes, as there appears to be no real motive until the very end. Animal lovers will enjoy this latest installment in the Kate Turner, DVM mystery series.

Reviewer: Alice Berger