Ruff Way to Go by Leslie O'Kane

Released: 2000

Ruff Way to Go by Leslie O'Kane is about a woman named Allie Babcock who trains dogs and is also an amateur sleuth who always stumbles onto murder scenes. In this particular novel, Allie is hired by a couple going through a divorce to determine who should keep the dog, and before you know it, a murder is committed in the neighborhood.

Ruff Way to Go starts out super fun, but the plot soon becomes unbelievable and fairly cheesy. A few things were silly; such as, who hires and pays a dog-behavior expert to determine where a dog's ideal home would be during a divorce process? Especially a neighbor who isn't crazy about Allie and her credentials in the first place.


I also thought a lot of the dog-related events in the book were far-fetched and unrealistic, like how obsessed EVERYONE in the neighborhood is about their dogs, especially right after a murder has taken place. I have been friends with dog-lovers and enthusiasts, but I have never known people who become obsessed with paying a dog person to help with their dog's behavior.

Ruff Way to Go's climax at the end of the book when Allie confronts the murderer is overly dramatic and far-fetched, but its to be expected.

All in all, Ruff Way to Go is enjoyable to read, but easily forgettable.

If you really love humor in your cozy mysteries, you should also try Leslie O'Kane's other series featuring amateur sleuth Molly Masters. This series is much funnier, and starts with Death and Faxes, and continues with Just the Fax, Ma'am and The Cold Hard Fax.