Hounding the Pavement (Dog Walker Mystery Series #1)

Fun and differt

I am always looking cor a new book and author, this one caught my eye because of the dogs. Dog lovers and mystery lovers alike will enjoy this endearing book. I can not wait to read the rest of the series! Good character and story development, funny and well developed mystery.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Highly Recommend

When I purchased my first Dog Walker Book I was skeptical. I didn't know if I was going to like a book where "human's and dog's talk"! NO MORE! Within a month I have read all five of the books in the series and highly recommend them. They are light, fun and refreshing. Can't wait for the next one!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A fun mystery

I love Joe Cat (Shirley Rouseau Murphy) and his friends but now we have dogs that can talk too.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

E

Interesting premise but too predictable.

Disappointing

I love these types of "cozy" mysteries, and I love dogs, so I expected this one to be right up my alley. However, there was some really BAD language, and more sex than I am willing to wade through, and I will not be following up on the subsequent ones. The mystery itself was pretty good tho, if you don't mind the other stuff.

Jk

This is the worst book in the world!!!!.......jk cant wait 2 read it!!!!!!

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

I recommend this book to people who live dogs!

This book is terrific! It has a lot of action put in to it! Judi is an amazing writer. All of her books are about a murder that her dog Rudy helps with. He can get in to her thoughts but, she has to talk aloud to respond. This is a page turner! I must warn you: some chapters can be quite long on the nook because 3 page turns gets you to the next page........ I hope you read this amazing series! You'll love this page turner!

Good beginning to what I hope is a great series!

I enjoyed this light mystery, in large part because I love dogs and would LOVE to know what they're thinking! When I read the "teaser" for book 2 I couldn't wait until it came out!

Extra kudos to Ms. McCoy for donating her profits to Best Friends, a very deserving NO-KILL animal sanctuary in Utah!!!

Love this book!

I thought this was a great read, a very ingenious idea, and the characters are charming!

Light mystery

My synopsis:
Ellie Engleman is the newest dog walker on the Upper East Side. She's recently divorced and wants to live her life as she sees fit. So when she arrives at one of her charge's home, she discovers his owner's body and the dog is missing. Detective Sam Ryder has been assigned to the case. Can the two of them work together to solve the mystery before another dog is taken?

My review:
Ellie Engleman has a new job. Her dream job. She's a dog walker. Ellie also discovered she can hear their thoughts as well as they can hear hers. Imagine her surprise when she learns the dog she recently adopted has been taken over by her former dog's spirit.

As Ellie is trying to build her clientele, she has to also deal with two conniving dog walkers who will do anything to protect their turf. You see, being a dog walker is serious business in NYC, especially on the Upper East Side. Ellie doesn't allow their threats to scare her. When she finds one of her clients dead and his prized dog missing, Ellie knows what she must do: FIND THE DOG!

I'm not sure where I first heard of Hounding the Pavement. Perhaps during a weekly visit to a book store or maybe someone recommended it to me. Being an animal lover myself (and always on the hunt for a new series), I decided to go ahead and buy it. The beginning of the book was quick. I found myself instantly drawn into the story wondering how the missing dog would tie into his owner's death.

Somewhere in the middle, I just lost interest. Several times I thought about putting down the book, but decided to keep reading as I wanted to know what happened to the dog?!? (Oh, yeah and who killed his owner - I know it's an afterthought!) I can't say I was surprised by the ending. The reader can easily figure it out. Even though the mystery was light, I did enjoy the budding relationship between Ellie and Sam.

Despite having mixed thoughts about Hounding the Pavement, I plan to read book two of the series, Heir of the Dog.

Hounding for more!

Fun book. It is a good mystery and Judi McCoy lays the groundwork for a great series of books. Ellie Engleman is recently divorced and walking dogs to start a new life. She is a smart and funny, her buddy Rudy is her smart a*$ Yorkie-Poo soul mate. Her new career hits a bump when she finds one of her clients dead and the Bichon in need of a walk has vanished. Enter Sam Ryder, the hot detective on the case. It is a page turner that left me begging for more.

Couldn't put it down

Talk about a page turner! Hounding the Pavement was such a fun read. Ellie has such a funny, unique view of the world, and who wouldn't love a dog walker who can talk to dogs? How cool is that? I loved the mystery, which kept me guessing right up to the end. And the chemistry between Ellie and Detective Ryder is electric. If you haven't read this one, get it NOW! I can't wait for the next one, Heir of the Dog is what I think it's called. Hey, I hear Judi McCoy is going to be signing the next book in October 2009 at the Waldenbooks at Chesapeake Square Mall in Chesapeake, Virginia. I'm going to make the trip. I've just got to meet this wonderful writer and get her signature on my books!

Can't wait for the next one.

I needed an escape, something I didn't have to think too hard about while reading. This fit the bill perfectly. A good story with a predictable plot and some interesting characters. Ellie can talk to dogs, and they can talk to her. Her best friend, Rudy, is the reincarnation of her old dog. What a perfect pair to solve the murder of the owner of a prize winning dog. My only 'complaint' is that the author's romance novelist background comes up in a few places. I guess it had to, but overall a fun read. As the headline says, I can't wait for the next one to come out in October.

Hounding the Pavement

Super read!!! Light, funny, good light mystery. Excellenet for dog lovers and others who want a really different mystery book, without getting into serious mystery. Can't wait for her next book!

Loved Hounding the pavement!

What a cool book! You read from the point of the dogs, and finally - a book where the dogs clearly speak and think. I am a read and sell person- no way I am selling this book!

fun book, quick read

Ms. McCoy donates a portion of book receipts to haven for animals with no homes. It is worth the price of the book for that reason alone, but the story is fun with lively characters. I hope to see more of the same type of story line.

A great summer vacation read

I totally loved reading this book. It was the first by this author. It will not be the last. It was a good beach book. I envy the way the main character can communicate with the dogs. It was a refreshing funny read.

Funny as Judi's books usually are

The book is humorous without being cartoonish despite the talking dogs. Rudi is just snarky enough. I really enjoyed Hounding the Pavement, more so because I've met Judi personally, and I particularly appreciate the fact that all royalties are going to an animal shelter. Can't wait for Heir Of the Dog in October.

Reviewed for Midwest Book Review

Ellie Engleman is committed to making her own way in life sans pantyhose and power suits. The first thing Ellie does after her divorce is rescue a dog from the shelter to replace the one she had to give up when she married. Ellie's delighted to learn she can communicate with her dog and that he is the reincarnate of her former dog, who was hit by a car. She begins her own dog-walking business, where she finds herself harassed by two other dog walkers unhappy with the competition. Ellie discovers the dead body of one of her clients and quickly becomes the number-one suspect of sexy Sam Ryder, a wise-cracking detective who can't seem to convince Ellie to stay out of his investigation. But Ellie is anxious to find her murdered client's kidnapped dog, a Westminster champion, while clearing her name, and nothing's going to stop her. Not even the sizzling chemistry between her and Sam Ryder.

Hounding the Pavement, the first book in the Dog Walker Mystery series, is simply delightful. Ellie is a refreshing character, a size-16 woman finished with compromising her wants and needs and determined to live life on her own terms. Dog lovers will identify with Ellie's love for these furry creatures and will appreciate that this author is donating all royalties to Best Friends Animal Society. Readers will be entertained by the conversations Ellie has with not only her dog but other dogs who choose to converse with her. The plot is interesting and moves at a fast pace, with plenty of red herrings thrown into the mix to provide a good mystery. Excellent debut to this series.

A fun look at big city dog walkers, and the people who love their pets.

This is a cute book about a girl who loves dogs... and a thought provoking look at the apparently cut throat world of big city dog walkers!