by Cynthia Chow

Details on how to win a cup of Teacup Turbulence at the end of this review. Check out a guest post about animal rescue and the setting of Teacup Turbulence by Linda O. Johnston in this issue.

As the director of administration for the pet rescue shelter HotRescues, Lauren Vancouver would normally have reveled in the success of her chief benefactor, Dante DeFrancisco’s advertising campaign, promoting a new line of bejeweled pet collars. However, the ads featuring adorable Yorkies and other teacup pooches donning the HotPets Bling line have created a fad demand for the puppies and caused HotRescues to run low on their supply of adoptable tiny pups.

A timely puppy mill rescue in Missouri provides the perfect solution though, especially when Lauren is able to arrange flight transportation to fly the teacups to her shelter. Less than perfect is that the puppies are accompanied by Teresa Kantrim, one of the rescuers who had planned to shelter the pups herself until the far more media attractive and wealthy Dante stepped in with HotRescues. That Teresa is a complete pill and manages to rub everyone the wrong way during the welcoming parties and HotPets Bling promotional events certainly does nothing to ease tensions, and so the only real question is not just when, but who, will finally murder Teresa. Cyanide is the how and while Lauren hopes that Teresa’s milquetoast of a boyfriend is responsible; there still are too many other suspects who were around as very viable options.

The real fun of this novel comes in the exploration of an animal shelter as a business and how trends, perception and the media affect how the pets can be saved. Although HotRescues is itself a non-profit, there are definitely others out there who view animal rescues as a money-making enterprise and are all too willing to take advantage of people’s generosity at the animals’ expense. Lauren herself is completely dedicated to the cause, and it is always enjoyable to observe her interview and vet potential adopters with all the scrutiny of an IRS auditor.

Fans of Linda O. Johnston’s other Pet Sitter Mystery Series will enjoy the numerous appearances of its heroine, Kendra Ballantyne, a pet sitter, animal attorney and Dante’s girlfriend. Kendra may be taking a break from solving mysteries, but even Lauren’s animal services officer boyfriend knows that he will not be able to restrain her when it comes to investigating any threat to her shelter. While “blinging” out pets and carrying teacup puppies around in purses may be a fad, the characters’ dedication to the welfare of their charges is never fleeting and Lauren is willing to take whatever action necessary to protect her furry friends.

Once again, this fifth in the series continues to highlight the obstacles facing shelters while never losing the charm or humor of the characters. The absolutely adorable cover, featuring an assortment of irresistible puppies waiting at the airport for pickup, would be justification enough for the purchase of this novel, but the strong writing, fast pace and realistic dialogue more than prove this series worthy of any mystery lover’s time.

To enter to win a copy of Teacup Turbulence, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Teacup,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen January 25, 2014. U.S. residents only.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & short stories in our mystery section.

Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).