Canine Christmas

This collection of Christmas themed canine tales was filled with favorite and new authors for me. I loved Leslie O'Kane's contribution, as well as those by Patricia Guiver and other well known authors of dog mysteries. There were several unfamiliar authors and their stories were just as good. Each short story is very well crafted. I have to say my favorite story was by Virginia Lanier, her JoBeth Siddons series of Bloodhound mysteries has always been one of my favorites.

CANINE CHRISTMAS is a Christmas mystery anthology and each mystery includes one or more canines.I have always said a presenter or editor could not go wrong with an anthology. But when the anthology takes on a special subject such as this one I feel it makes even more entertaining. CANINE CHRISTMAS has a wonderful variety of authors such as, Parnell Hall, whose story "Clicker Training" leads the way; Virginia Lanier who treats us with another story involving her bloodhounds; H. Robert Perry writes a `tongue in cheek' (at least that's how I took it) mystery called the "Toy Pincher," which I found it quite humorous; Mark Graham's serious story "Fencing Crib" brought some emotions out of me; Jeffrey Marks offers us a hard-to-solve whodunit in "Yellow Snow; Deborah Adams writes a very funny story about a Psycho Santa and his elves and there's more! After reading each one I am quite sure anyone who reads CANINE CHRISTMAS will find a favorite among the many tails... I mean tales.Note: Holiday mysteries are a treat to read, especially during the Christmas season, but mind you if you stick to enjoying them only one month out of the year, you will miss out on the many, many holiday reads that have been offered in the past and will be offered in the future. For myself, I have found reading holiday books can be just as magically all year around.

Christmas is supposed to be a joyous time of the year, but many people fail to share the Yuletide spirit. Instead, they commit crimes that hurt other individuals. CANINE CHRISTMAS is a fun anthology that deals with the darker side of the holidays. Fifteen well-known writers contributed short stories to this collection. The stars include Parnell Hall, Jeremiah Hardy, Jane Haddan, etc. Each story contains a canine friend that plays a major role in the tale.All of the stories occur in different places, while ranging from fantasy, supernatural, to reality in scope. Leslie O'Kane brings back her dog psychologist Allida Babcom who tries to discover why a dog is urinating under the tree. The answer has to do with a bit of larceny on the part of his owner. Deborah Adam provides a fantastic fantasy in which Santa acts crazy and the weary elves seek to replace him. Their canine, Jericho, takes charge of the selection process to most everyone's satisfaction. Dean James delivers a delightful supernatural story about Simon the vampire who uses pills to allow him to appear human. He goes to England during the Christmas season. He quickly realizes that his host family is a bit eccentric except for their pet. The vampire helps the police arrest a criminal and get to keep the dog.This is a must collection for readers who enjoy a holiday anthology with a doggy twist that is a gift from a wide range of talented authors.Harriet Klausner

I could hardly wait when I heard there'd be another Canine book from Jeffrey Marks. This one does not disappoint. It's going in at least four stockings that I can think of. Thanks, Ballantine, for briinging out another briliant Marks Canine anthology.

This is a great set of Christmas mysteries. Jeffrey Marks has brought together some of the finest names in the business for this delightful anthology. I especially liked the stories by Marks, Deborah Adams, and Dean James. This is one book that mystery lovers--and dog lovers--will not want to miss. It's a real smooth read.