Bag of Bones by Jackie Layton

Bag of Bones is the third book in Jackie Layton’s Low Country Dog Walker Cozy Mystery series. Having read the first two books in this series – Bit the Dust and Dog Gone Dead – I was eagerly waiting to read the third installment.

Andi Grace and Marc are on their daily beach run when they stumble across a body. The victim is Tabby, the lady who fed feral cats on the beach. Andi Grace is drawn into solving the mystery behind Tabby’s death. The poor old lady had no enemies so who would have wanted to kill her and why?

Kylie, Tabby’s caretaker and Dylan’s girlfriend (Dylan is a help at Jackie’s plantation), is a survivor(child abuse) and does not trust the local cops. Susan, Tabby’s daughter, is in a hurry to clear her mother’s belongings. Kylie talks to Andi Grace about Tabby’s run-ins with the mysterious shrimp boat at the beach and obsession with puzzles.

Meanwhile, Danny Nichols, Andi Grace’s ex boyfriend is having some serious anger management issues. Andi Grace also learns of a possible drug abuse/addiction that is gripping the islanders. That’s not all – things get a little personal when Andi Grace is attacked by the (possible) killer.

A possible drug angle, Andi Grace’s struggle with finding love and adjusting to a new family secret she stumbled across, losing her beloved possessions and much more, Bag of Bones is, no doubt, a new favorite in the series.

The twists are plenty and the mystery kept me hooked on until the end. The character development is fantastic – not just that of Andi Grace’s but also of Lacey Jane’s (the sister), Marc’s (the boyfriend) and Kylie’s (a new entry to the series). As the story proceeds, we see Andi Grace being threatened by the killer – they come after her and everything she loves (family and possessions included).

The identity of the killer was unexpected and shocking. I don’t think I would have ever guessed they were behind all this mess. Having said that, they are caught and brought to justice but the story doesn’t end there. We readers are in for a huge surprise – a certain something that is going to change Andi Grace’s life. I am waiting to see how Andi Grace is going to handle this little surprise in the next book.

Bag of Bones is an entertaining and engrossing cozy mystery (includes a lot of furry friends). Highly recommended!

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I received an ARC from Bell Bridge Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.