Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Death at the Dogpark by Neil S. Plakcy & Joanna Campbell Slan. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
Death at the Dogpark
by Neil S. Plakcy & Joanna Campbell Slan
Death at the Dogpark
Cozy Mystery
Publisher : Samwise Books (March 13, 2025)
Paperback : 192 pages
Two gripping novellas explore murder, mystery, and mayhem at the local dog park in this unique collection from authors Neil S. Plakcy and Joanna Campbell Slan.
In “Dog’s Punishment,” Steve Levitan and his intuitive golden retriever Rochester uncover dark secrets when investigating the death of a controversial dog trainer. After Melissa Kawamoto is found dead at the local dog park, Steve must untangle a web of professional rivalries, stolen patents, and bitter grudges to catch a killer who turned a revolutionary training method into a deadly weapon.
In “Lamb Chopped,” craft store owner Kiki Lowenstein’s peaceful morning at the dog park turns horrific when her Great Dane Gracie digs up a severed hand. The discovery pulls Kiki into a disturbing investigation involving missing pets, corrupt officials, and a shadowy network trafficking shelter animals to research facilities. With help from her homicide detective husband, Kiki must expose the truth before more animals—and humans—become victims.
Both stories showcase the unbreakable bonds between humans and their canine companions while delivering clever mysteries filled with twists, turns, and compelling characters. A must-read for fans of cozy mysteries and anyone who believes dogs have an uncanny ability to point us toward the truth.
Character Guest Post:
Kiki Lowenstein from Death at the Dog Park shares a learning experience that made her a smarter pet owner.
(by Joanna Campbell Slan)
“Thanks for telling me about this place,” I said to my new friend, Tangela. “I’ve been feeling guilty about Gracie’s lack of play dates, especially since I’ve been so busy with work. This seems like the perfect solution. It’s a bonus that it’s close to home.” I smiled at my harlequin Great Dane. Oh, how Gracie loved to romp and play. Watching her have fun made me happy.
Tangela’s button-bright dark eyes crinkled as she smiled. “You’ve done so much for me and my friends. Teaching, encouraging, being there at your store when we need a shoulder to cry on. Telling you about this dog park was the least I could offer in return.”
“To outsiders, Time in a Bottle looks like a craft store,” I said, “but the truth is, the time we spend there is all about creating happier lives.”
“I have to admit I had a secret agenda in meeting you here today,” said Tangela. “I’ve always heard about Gracie, but I didn’t know she was a Great Dane. To quote the fairytale, Goodness, what a big dog you have!”
I laughed. Gracie weighs 125 lbs. Only a little less than I do!
As we watched, various dogs romped past: a hyperactive Australian shepherd, a dignified golden retriever, several spunky mixed breeds, and a large hound. They all yapped excitedly at Gracie, the newcomer. I smiled sadly as Charlie ambled over to my Great Dane. Charlie and Gracie were old friends. I recognized the bulldog from trips to the vet. Whenever we went, Charlie was already there. That poor dog had numerous health problems. I knew from conversations with Charlie’s owner that the man would soon have a difficult decision to make. Charlie’s quality of life was steadily going downhill.
Tangela read my mind as she followed my gaze and stared at Charlie. “They’re wonderful, and we love them, but being a pet owner is a lot of responsibility,” she said. Patting her thigh, she called Bailey to her. Bailey was a swirling cloud of energy, a liver and white Springer Spaniel.
“Amen to that,” I agreed, thinking about how hard it is to say goodbye to our pets. I offered Bailey my hand to sniff.
All the dogs seemed to be getting along nicely, and I said as much to Tangela.
“Yes,” she agreed with a faint smile on her face. “Usually, they do. But not always.” Tangela slightly tilted her head toward the far end of the row of benches. “See the woman over there with her hand wrapped up?”
A reed-thin woman with wispy blond hair sat huddled in the last available spot at the farthest end of the benches. Two red leashes were draped over her lap. When she shifted her weight, I noticed her hand was swathed in white bandages.
“Who is she?” I asked Tangela.
“That’s Missy Hebron. She comes here a lot.”
“What happened to her hand?” I asked Tangela.
Tangela sighed. “Missy rescued a pair of Giant Schnauzers, littermates. Sweet, sweet animals. They are senior dogs whose owner died of dementia, but not before the owner forgot to feed them for days on end. Consequently, those Schnauzers really love their treats. You know how some dogs will do just about anything to get a yummy? Those two will never forget going hungry. They are crazy for food. One day, the owner of a mixed breed dog broke the dog park rules. She brought a big rawhide dog chewy to the park and handed it to her dog. The Schnauzers smelled the treat, and next thing you knew, all three dogs were in a fight. Missy reached into the middle of the fracas.” Tangela shook her head. “Never, ever try to break up a dog fight with your hands.”
“Oh, no!” I said. “Obviously, the owner was hurt. What stopped the fight?”
“A bottle of water.” Tangela pulled two of them out of her backpack. “I never come here without at least one, and usually two. I dumped the contents of my water all over the dogs and they broke apart.”
I nodded. Although I knew better than to try to break up fighting dogs, Tangela’s story taught me a valuable lesson. From now on, when I visited a dog park, I would remember to bring along a bottle of water…or two.
~The End~
About Neil S. Plakcy
BC Ex Portrait session 11-18-2021 RYAN PINDER PHOTOGRAPHY
I’ve wanted to be an author since I was about sixteen, when a high school assignment on A Separate Peace showed me how powerful writing can be. At the University of Pennsylvania I studied creative writing with Philip Roth and Carlos Fuentes; I went on to receive my MFA from Florida International University.
My first published novel was Mahu, about a Honolulu homicide detective dragged out of the closet during a tough case. I put a lot of myself into Kimo Kanapa’aka, the hero, and yet he’s very much his own character, and much better than I am! He has had a powerful hold on my imagination for many years. I love writing about him and hope to keep doing so for a long time. He’s also the source of my favorite reader question. A few years ago, someone emailed to ask if he was circumcised.
My first reaction was “Man, I’ll bet Stephen King doesn’t get questions like that.” But then, his are probably even weirder. I went online and did some research and discovered that at the time Kimo was born, hospital circumcisions were common. So there you go.
My path to publication was a long and checkered one, as is the case with many authors. My first published stories were magazine erotica, and I still like to keep my hand in (no pun intended) with that kind of writing. But for the most part now I write mystery and romance—all my books seem to have both those elements, though in different proportions.
I began writing the golden retriever mysteries because I spent so much time walking my golden, Samwise (yes, I’m a Tolkien geek). He had so many funny habits and such a strong personality that I just knew I had to write a book that featured a dog like him. (Fortunately, Sam had no habit of finding dead bodies.)
I live in Hollywood, Florida now, with my partner and our golden retrievers, Brody and Griffin.
Author Links
WEBSITE: www.mahubooks.com
BLOG: http://mahubooks.blogspot.com
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001JP4EL6
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/neil.plakcy
GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/126217.Neil_Plakcy
PINTEREST: http://pinterest.com/neilplakcy/boards/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/NeilPlakcy
BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/neil-s-plakcy
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/neilplakcy/
LINKED IN: www.linkedin.com/in/neilplakcy
SUBSTACK https://substack.com/@goldendad
THREADS: https://www.threads.net/@neilplakcy
TIKTOK https://www.tiktok.com/@neilplakcy
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@plax1612
Amazon Author Profile https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B001JP4EL6
About Joanna Campbell Slan
Joanna is a New York Times Bestselling, USA Today Bestselling, and Amazon Bestselling author as well as a woman prone to frequent bursts of crafting frenzy, leaving her with burns from her hot glue gun and paint on her clothes. And the mess? Let’s not even go there.
Otherwise, Joanna’s a productive author with more than 80 written projects to her credit. Her non-fiction work includes how to books, a college textbook for public speakers, and books of personal essays (think Chicken Soup for the Soul).
Currently, she writes six fiction series: The Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series (Agatha Award Finalist, contemporary, St. Louis setting, crafting), the Cara Mia Delgatto Mystery Series (contemporary, Florida setting, DIY, and recycling), the Jane Eyre Chronicles (Daphne du Maurier Award Winner, 1830s England, based on Charlotte Brontë’s classic), the Sherlock Holmes Fantasy Thrillers (late 1800s, based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s books), the Tai Chi Mystery Series (featuring a mature female amateur sleuth!) and the Friday Night Mystery Series (set in Decatur, IL in 1986 with a spunky female heroine.)
A former TV talk show host, college teacher, and public relations specialist, Joanna was one of the early Chicken Soup for the Soul contributors. She won a Silver Anvil for her work on the original FarmAid concert to benefit farmers.
In her ongoing quest never to see snow again, Joanna lives with her husband and their Havanese puppy, Jax, on an island off the coast of Florida.
Author Links
Newsletter sign up: https://joannacampbellslan.substack.com/publish/home
Street Team sign up: https://joannacampbellslan.com/
Website — https://joannacampbellslan.com/
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/JoannaCampbellSlan
Facebook Group — https://www.facebook.com/groups/1602372550058785
Twitter — https://twitter.com/JoannaSlan
Amazon Author Page — https://amzn.to/3uF3h0g
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/JCSlan/
Goodreads — https://www.goodreads.com/joannacampbellslan
Bookbub — https://www.bookbub.com/profile/joanna-campbell-slan
LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/JoannaSlan
Pinterest — https://www.pinterest.com/joannaslan/
Enter the giveaway
Death at the Dogpark TOUR PARTICIPANTS
April 15 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
April 16 – Frugal Freelancer – CHARACTER GUEST POST
April 17 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
April 18 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 19 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW
April 19 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 20 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
April 21 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
April 22 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 23 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST
April 24 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
April 25 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
April 26 – Deal Sharing Aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW – INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY
April 27 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 28 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – CHARACTER GUEST POST
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I enjoy reading cozy mysteries.
Very cute cover.