Spotlight: BARKING ORDERS by Roxy the Cattle Dog

Humans think they’re in charge.

Adorable, really.

Roxy is a Black Heeler. A working breed. A professional. A creature designed to maintain order while the people in her house wander around inventing hobbies, losing socks, and acting shocked when the mailman shows up again.

Barking Orders is Roxy’s official report on managing a modern household in Toronto, where every day includes at least one of the following:

• an attempted squirrel invasion
• a vacuum monster with cable entanglement disorder
• a “quick pee” that turns into a full perimeter sweep
• a mysterious disappearance of food that was clearly left unattended on purpose
• a human who thinks a “fake throw” is funny

Told in short, sharp chapters, this book is a hilarious, sensory, nose-first look at domestic life through the eyes of a dog who takes security, snacks, and supervision very seriously.

You’ll meet:

• the human Roxy chose to adopt (and train)
• the wife, who believes in rules until the dog breaks them
• Cooper (a colleague, sometimes)
• and the many enemies of the household, including weather, delivery drivers, and anything that dares to exist near the hydrangeas

If you’ve ever been judged by your dog, audited by your dog, or followed to the bathroom by your dog, you already know the truth:

You don’t own a cattle dog.

You work for one.

Barking Orders is for dog people who like their humor dry, their chapters quick, and their “aww” moments earned, not forced.

Purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GDXY7M7Z

Review: A RUINED RECEPTION by Cindy Bell

 

Reporter Bobbie was covering the wedding of the century in their small town. The wedding went off without a hitch, but before the party could get started, the bridesmaid was found dead. It was a ruined reception. Hysterical, the new bride couldn’t celebrate anything until she found out what happened to her best friend. That’s where Bobbie steps in to investigate.

 

This was another good mystery. It was a little confusing to keep track of all the friends and relatives—all of whom were likely suspects. The book tried to keep it as simple as possible and you still manage to get into it. A good read!

 

Rating: 4 stars

Review: PALM TREES AND PROTESTS by Cindy Bell

 

A business tycoon is opening up a new luxury hotel and closing off a large section of the beach. Suzie and Mary won’t stand for it, which is why they got involved in the protest. Can you imagine the town without Dune House?

 

It was during the protest that Suzie and Mary found the owner dead in his office—murdered. His death made everyone in town—including Suzie, Mary, Paul, Wes, Jason, and Summer—potential suspects in the murder. Oh now! With a prickly, new detective in charge, Suzie and Mary had to do everything they could to find the killer and get things back to normal for everyone. A good mystery!

 

Rating: 4 stars

Review: SECRETS OF CAMP WHATEVER by Chris Grine

 

Welcome to the town of Nowhere, where…ghosts live?

 

First thing we get to do is go to Camp Whatever. Sound fun, eh? That’s what was in store for young Willow. It was just summer camp. What’s the worst that could happen?

 

Some of the text was a little too much and too small to read, but the graphics were cool. You can tell what’s going on by the illustration for the most part, but it was still kind of long to read and get through. Overall, this was an okay read, but won’t read another book.

 

Rating: 3 stars

Review: JUNIOR HIGH by Tegan and Sara Quinn

 

Twins couldn’t be any more different and this comic book shows it. The doodles were pretty good, but I wish they would’ve been in color. And the text could’ve been more legible, too. The art was good, but a little too chaotic for my liking or understanding. At least, the story really does take you through the hurdles of Jr. High. An okay read.

 

Rating: 3 stars