Playing Dead

Written by Peggy Rothschild

Narrated by Thérèse Plummer

Molly Madison is back to solve another doggone difficult murder in her California community in this mystery from the author of A Deadly Bone to Pick.
 
Molly Madison has barely had a moment to catch her breath after moving to the sleepy beach town she now calls home. But as a former PI, she can’t help but notice the odd chemistry between members of Playtime Academy on the first day she and her loyal Saint Bernadoodle, Noodle, and golden retriever, Harlow, visit. When a trainer’s body is found on-site, Molly knows it’s her duty to put her ex-police skills to use. She can’t say no to temporarily taking in the deceased woman’s dog, either—not with those puppy dog eyes.

Relationships at the training facility are not as clean as the prize-winning agility runs, making it difficult for Molly to get a leash on potential suspects. And her personal life is just as messy—her boyfriend is hiding something, her agoraphobic neighbor needs help, and her number of four-legged friends keep growing as she agrees to dogsit a wriggly local French bulldog.
 
When Molly’s friend is arrested for the murder, she’s not sure who to believe anymore. Is the case as simple as the local cops make it seem, or is something more devious afoot?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Audio
• Release date: Feb 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9780593675694

Reviews for Playing Dead

[lisa2013_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I wasn’t sure I’d read more than the first book but this second was available immediately and other books I’m waiting for were not available yet so I decided to read this book right after I’d read the first book.

An off the page “animal loving vegan’ character is mentioned by the main character. It’s just a single reference but it’s done in a positive way so I’ll note it here.

I would like fewer mentions of one dog’s drooling. Okay the reader gets it. This is a dog breed that drools.

A kitten and additional dogs make appearances. How many more dogs are going to be possible; I wonder? Still, more dogs, all of these dogs are fun and the story/series is enjoyable. It’s both entertaining and educational.

I appreciate the way one character’s mental health challenge (agoraphobia) is addressed although no professional help seems to be utilized.

This is a well crafted mystery. I liked the solution and the serious story behind it. I like the shades of gray vs. black & white regarding the victim and the murderer.

I am troubled by something our main character and her friend seem to decide to do at the end of the book though even though a part of my loves the idea. This action isn’t related to the murder. It’s about a dog, of course. The motivation is good but the means to the end bother me. It’s the right outcome but I wish they’d thought of another way to accomplish it.

This is a great mystery series for dog lovers. It might be the best one of its subgenre that I’ve read.

There are only these two series books so far. I plan to read any others that become available. I hope that Ava has a larger role in the next book. She’s an interesting child.

The author lost her home in a California wildfire and moved to the central coastal California town of Los Osos. I had to look it up. I hadn’t heard of it but it turns out it’s close in proximity to places I do know. I’m sure the town in this book is based on it. I know people say this sort of thing all the time but I REALLY would LOVE to live there. At the least I’d like to visit on my way down the Los Angeles area next time I drive down there. Hopefully I will be doing that again at some point.

[cathyskye · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I found myself in need of cozy comfort reading, and I was very fortunate in my choices of books. In just two books, author Peggy Rothschild has made me a fan of her Molly Madison series.

Molly, a former police officer and private investigator transplanted to the California coast, has the knack for taking in dogs and helping the police solve crimes. I really appreciate Molly's background because it means she's not the typical blundering cozy mystery heroine who doesn't have a clue. I also really appreciate that the dogs in this series aren't just a hook to get you to read the books and then you never see them again unless they need to be fed or walked.

Playing Dead has Molly continuing Harlow's agility training and Noodle's scent work. She also provides daycare for a French bulldog and takes in a boxer in hopes of finding it a good home. If you love good mysteries, strong characters, and plenty of dogs, this is the series for you.

[gpangel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Playing Dead by Peggy Rothschild is a 2023 Berkley publication.

This second installment of the series has dog-trainer Molly Madison paying a visit to the Playtime Academy for dogs- then promptly discovering one of the trainers, a very nasty human being, has been murdered.

When one of Molly's new friends is arrested for the murder, she agrees to do a little digging on her behalf.

I enjoyed this mystery, overall- I liked the way the author shines a light on the world of dog training- and I like the recurring characters, as well. The mystery is solid enough, though some might guess early on who the murderer is- the motive doesn’t become clear until late in the novel.

There were a few warbles here and there and the book was a little too busy at times and though it was a little choppy, the threads all come together nicely in the end.

Overall, the series holds its own with the second chapter. It’s an easy read, and dog lovers will appreciate the various breeds represented and Molly’s dedication to them.

3.5 stars

*Content: As per most cozies- this book has no graphic violence- it does have some 'closed-door' adult situations and some mild, albeit a bit too frequent, language. Though many cozies are super 'clean', this one is still temperate enough for most cozy fans.