Poodle Versus the Assassin

The special event ended in disaster when the mayor was killed, with Zora in close attendance. Zora Flynn was the publisher of the local newspaper, helped by her two intrepid reporters, Olivia and Brady, and there was much to take up the front page after the mayor’s death. Rocco, Zora’s poodle, was a well-trained, and well-maintained dog, and managed to keep Zora safe on many occasions. But the investigation brought Zora close to danger several times. Would they find the culprit before more murder and mayhem occurred?<br /><br /><i>Poodle Versus the Assassin</i> is the 1st in the Cottage Country Cozy by Anne Shillolo, and it was light, entertaining and lots of fun. Set in Williamsport, Ontario in Canada, the small town’s folk had the usual vibe of knowing everything almost before it happened. Zora is a great character and I’m looking forward to checking out the 2nd in the series. Recommended.

Zora Flynn is the owner and publisher of the Williamsport Whistle. She is a mature woman who stands up for herself. When she accidentally enters the men's room, she finds herself in the middle of a murder. Mayor Fred Phipps is dead. In order to save herself as well as her newspaper, Zora and her two reporters start investigating. The killer doesn't take kindly to their interference. I didn't know if I should laugh or cry when the assassin ended up burning her clothes. However, Zora has someone who can sniff out clues and bodies. Rocco, her poodle, is certainly demanding but his help is invaluable. Don't mess with this dog! I enjoyed this cozy mystery. It's suspenseful and filled with snarky humor. Anne Shillolo kept me on the edge of my seat. The story had plenty of suspects and unexpected surprises. I never guessed who the murderer was until the very end. I'm looking forward to reading more about these two. I know that Zora and Rocco can't stay out of trouble.

Nice cozy mistery novel, where the story teller tries to find who shot dead the mayor. Her poodle, Rocco, is part of the adventure, and gives the spice to it all... but frankly does not add his detective capabilities to their success.<br />I mean the title is a bit misleading.<br />Nonetheless, the cover having o poodle on it, is the attractive bit that convinced my to get this book.<br />The series is quite promissing.

Oh My! What a book. I love Zara and Rocco, they get themselves in such a mess. Zara has her reporters Olivia and Brady helping? her out. this is a wonderful series<br />

Cottage Country Series:<br />Poodle Versus the Bikers, prequel - A good introduction to a Cozy mystery series. Good characters, good story lines and plenty of humor make this a quick read. 4* <br /><br />Poodle Versus the Assassin, #1 - Although I did not like Poodle Versus the Spy, my first read of this series, I had this book on my Kindle and was curious if another Poodle would bite the dust. I like Zora this time and the story lines. But really, not dressing properly for some actions? This gave Zora a touch of ditz, she did plan. Good characters. Good humor. Interesting. Like the touch of romance. I still prefer the Goodbye series. 4*<br /><br />Poodle Versus the Mob, #2 - Interesting. Funny bits. The confrontation was a bit unbelievable on two planes, but over all a good read. 4*<br /><br />Poodle Versus The Fake Santa, #6 - I am not impressed with some of the books I have read in this series, but this one is top rate. It is better than a Cozy and almost on par with the author's Port Alma series, which I greatly enjoy. 5*<br /><br />Poodle Versus the Spy, #10 - My first book of this series. I had a hard time getting into the story, which surprised me since I enjoyed reading the Goodbye Port Alma series. Most characters were good as well as the story lines. 4*<br />Cottage Country Series.<br /><br />Port Alma Murder Mysteries:<br />Goodbye Foxbridge Lane, prequel - Interesting, short introduction to the Goodbye series. Good characters and good story lines. 4*<br /><br />Goodbye Port Alma, #1 - Surprised and excited to find this author. Finally after all the trash I have to wade through to find an author that cannot only write an interesting story with good characters and good story lines, but also does not use profanity, knows proper grammar and punctuation and does not feel the need to add current politics. Refreshing. Fast-paced. Ready for the next book. 5*<br /><br />Goodbye Lake Street, #5 - One big mistake made: Why wasn't 911 called either while she was chasing her or after the other incident was under control? Fifteen minutes is too long to remember the chased. Otherwise, a good relaxation. I missed the three previous books but it did not affect the story, stand alone. Good, clean read with good characters and good story lines. Easy to read and fast-paced till the last page. 4*<br /><br />Goodbye Sky Field, #6 - Well written with intense story lines had me immersed in the pages, taking my time to read this book. Holly did well with all the cases from one day's events and the personal attack that puts her behind the desk. The ending was a cheerful balance to the heavy topics unfolding through out the story. Probably the best book so far. 5*<br /><br />Goodbye Linden Square, #7 - This series is one of my favorites. Good, intelligent characters blended with good story lines, old and new, and good dialog weave a tapestry of interest and intrigue that is hard to put once reading begins. It is difficult to write a review without it becoming a book report since these books are so interesting with characters that are not silly idiots. There is a twist that was funny and well done, and that character will be a great addition to the regular cast. 5*<br />Port Alma Murder Mysteries end.<br /><br />Weather or Not - A quickly read introduction to a new Shillolo series, Murder In Season Cozy Mysteries. It is the prologue to book one of the series, Frozen Fear, which begins where Weather ends. Good characters, interesting background on them and some humor. Chapter one of Frozen Fear is included. 4*

POODLE VERSUS THE ASSASSIN is the first in what I hope is a long ongoing series!<br /> <br />We meet Zora Flynn, the owner of a small town Canadian newspaper. That meeting unfortunately takes place in the men’s room, with Zora unknowingly witnessing the murder of the mayor. And then stands accused of murder. And so her investigation begins!<br /><br />Enter police chief Arni, reporters Brady and Olivia, Zora’s best friend Marley and of course the star of the show Rocco THE poodle. All help Zora in her search for the killer.<br /><br />The author, Anne Shillolo, packs so much detail in each sentence, the characters and places jump off the page. I appreciate being able to “see” the people and places in my mind as I read.<br /><br />The plot is filled with twists and turns and humor. Just when you think you have the killer, guess again! I laughed out loud in places and Rocco’s antics are always entertaining!<br /><br />While this is a clean cozy mystery, there is an edgier writing style that pulled me in and kept me reading till the last page. <br /><br />I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Ms. Shillolo for the opportunity!<br />

This is a great Cosy Mystery. It revolves around the town newspaper editor, her two reporters and her office assistant in the investigation onto the murder of the towns Mayor. Also involved is her pet poodle named Rocco. During a town meeting the editor, after two glasses of wine, heads for the restroom and inadvertently ends up in a stall in the mens room rather than the ladies. While she is in the stall, someone enters the mens room, leaving her in an embarrassing situation if discovered. Therefore, she is very quiet and has put her feet up to avoid being found. Unfortunately, the murderer comes in and kills the Mayor. As she's trying to leave without stepping in the blood, she slips and falls on the body, at which time another person comes in and yells to the police that she has killed the Mayor. Everything escalates and along with her staff and the Sheriff, they solve the mystery. The suspects are many,but the killer is really never expected until the end. An enjoyable read.

Zora owns and runs the local paper, The Williamsport Whistle. Zora goes to a convention for an up coming election to write an article. There is food and drink. Funny thing about Zora, she can only have 2 drinks or she's tipsy. She needs to go to the restroom. After going into a stall, someone comes in and uses a urinal (that she didn't notice was there). She realizes she has mistakenly gone into the men's room. Someone comes in and shoots that person. She needs to get out and not get caught. But she slips on blood and falls on the shot person (Fred the mayor). Along with her 2 reporters (Olivia and Brady), they unintentionaly become detectives while gather news for the paper. Follow the story for more exciting events.

<strong>Doggone good</strong><br /><br />Mystery after mystery will keep you on your game. When you think you know the killer, there's another twist to the story. This book has a cast of believable characters and what could be any better than a dog to add to an intriguing story? The setting of this book makes one long to go to Canada to witness the area in person. I recommend this book to readers tired of heroines wondering constantly if they can make the best food to entice the heroes so they can prove they were meant to be more than chefs, bakers, etc.

<strong>Zora is the owner of the town newspaper and Rocco is her poodle sidekick</strong><br /><br />Zora doesn't handle wine well and is on her second glass when she goes to the restroom. She is in a stall when a man comes in, and then the door opens. The man "blows up" at whoever is at the door and is shot. Zora and her two reporters investigate the case. Rocco leads to some clues, and Zora has some hilarious moments and some scary ones as well. They work well with the police and with various twists and turns solve the murder and assaults.