Cozy Mystery Review: Caught and Collared by Jackie Layton (A Low Country Dog Walker Mystery, book #4)

Book Description:

When a scavenger hunt turns up a dead body, dog walker Andi Grace Scott will have to make a dogged effort to collar the culprit . . .

Setting out for a day of fun on her town’s first-ever scavenger hunt, Low Country dog walker Andi Grace Scott is dismayed to find an unattended dog wandering the streets—but that’s nothing compared to the shock she gets when she finds a dead man floating in the swimming pool of the dog’s owner. What’s more, she’d seen the very same man having a very public altercation with his wife just the night before. Despite being warned off the case by the local sheriff, Andi Grace can’t help nosing around to find out who’s behind the foul deed.

It turns out the victim was a well-known radio personality who focused on cold-case investigations and was rumored to be breaking a huge story on his next show. As Andi Grace digs deeper to learn who may have wanted him dead, she’s faced with a suspect list that includes a cold-hearted widow who stands to inherit a bundle, a local country star with family demons to hide, and any number of unknown criminals who may have been the focus of the victim’s big reveal. Whether the motive was love gone bad, a career under duress, or a killer’s deadly secret, Andi Grace knows she’ll have to act fast before she becomes the next cold case herself . . .

My Thoughts:
I love, love, love Jackie Layton's cozies. Andi Grace's nosey to know personality draws her into another murder in her beach town. Filled with quirky characters and a seaside setting, Caught and Collared brings Andi Grace and her fiancé Marc into the world of podcasts and cold-cases. All the wonderful pups add a delightful twist to the story. If you enjoy cozy mysteries, Layton's books should be on your to-be-read pile. I purchased a copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

When I Grow Weary

Change or the thought of change makes a soul weary.

When I grow tired, I long to rest in God's arms.

That requires me to stop and seek my Father and His love.

He is my quiet place and my rock.

He renews my spirit.

 

Created to do Good Work

Ephesians 4:10
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

With a cardboard template, I cut the pieces from colorful fabrics.

I've been a crafter for as long as I can remember. For many years I sewed quilts, three layered blankets sewn together from the underneath to the top with tiny stitches, then bound around the edges. When I first attempted to make a  quilt, I did everything by hand. I fussy cut the pieces using a cardboard or plastic template and a pair of scissors. Then I handstitched the pieces together with needle and thread and quilted by hand. As I learned more methods over the years, I mastered the rotary cutter and sewed pieces together on my machine. No matter how I made the quilt, I knew the purpose. They were created to provide warmth and comfort for my family.

When I look around at people, I see how unique each human is. Like my quilts, made in a variety of designs from different fabrics, people vary too. My personality, stature, intellect, skills, and experiences set me apart because God created me to be myself. He formed me before I was born and gave me unique attributes.

As God made me, He knew my purpose. He knew why I needed to live on earth at this time and in this place. As a believer in Christ, I try to do good work. For me, the good works reflect in my writing (or at least I hope so.) The abilities, desires, and talents God instills in a person is a guide to the reason God created them. Some folks have wonderful musical abilities, some speak, some listen, some smile and share kindness, while others may minister to folks' physical needs.

In whatever way God created me to be, He is the one who knows my purpose and guides my path. Growing up in a time when everything pointed to "finding yourself," I had to look past society and seek God's word and pray for his revelation to who I am.

Do good work for God, our creator.

Who God Created Me To Be

Growing up in the seventies, I read books like I'm Okay, You're Okay 

and took personality tests in magazines to try to

 figure out who I was supposed to be. 

It took me a long time to realize God 

had made me with a distinct personality and a purpose.

Once I started to understand who God created me to be, 

I was relieved that I didn't have to keep searching. 

Instead, I learned to trust Him.

 

Cover Reveal!

If you are signed up for my newsletter, 

you had a sneak preview of my book cover yesterday.

Today, I'm so excited to share with you, my friends.

Home Where She Belongs releases May 1, 2022.

I'll be posting information on where to preorder soon. 

 

Consider the Creator

Job 37:5-7

God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways;
    he does great things beyond our understanding.
He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’
    and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’
So that everyone he has made may know his work,
    he stops all people from their labor.

Snow sprinkled the ground like powdered sugar.

Winter arrived in southwest Ohio in the form of an ice and snow storm. For three days moisture froze and covered our little corner of the world. Rain moistened the ground, sleet piled on sidewalks and streets, ice pinged the windows and coated the tree limbs, then the snow fell. Flake after flake tumbled from the sky and a beautiful white wonderland stopped everyday life. Schools closed, businesses shut their doors early, and the roads turned dicey. For a moment in time life slowed down.

On those days, as I walked Rosey and Olive over the frozen tundra, I stood in awe at the wonder of God's artistry. If you don't know, I'm a winter person. I love to walk in the snow and see the earth coated in pure white. As I trekked along the snowy street, I thanked God for the beauty.

The snow will melt in a few days as the temperature rises, but the wonder I experienced will stay with me. This morning I picked up my Bible and read from the book of Job. The seventh verse struck me as one I need to remember. When the weather changes, a downpour opens from the clouds, a snowstorm hits the area, or the humidity hits an all time high, God wants us to stop and consider Him.

Not too long ago, we all had to stay at home due to the pandemic. Perhaps that time, when we were all stopped in our tracks, was a time to better know God and His work. A time to ponder God's power and glory.

Even as I walked in the snow and gazed in awe at His works, I knew God gave me the time to recognize Him as the Creator.

Take time to see God's creation and the power of His mighty hand.

The Power of God

This is how powerful our God is.

His very breath freezes moisture into ice.

Weather fascinates me—thunderstorms, snow, ice, sleet, sunshine, clouds.

And God is in them all.

His power covers the earth in all creation.