Pre-Meditated Murder

November 1, 2017
On learning that her boyfriend is already married, a sleuthing yoga instructor tries to disentangle him from his wife, first living, then dead.Kate Davidson lives every woman's worst nightmare when her boyfriend, Michael Massey, ceremoniously presents her on her birthday with a jewelry box that she excitedly opens to find, well, something that's not an engagement ring. Now that they've been living together--along with Kate's German shepherd, Bella--Kate had assumed that she and Michael were on the same page, but her shocked reaction shows them both how wrong she is. As Kate spills her guts to her closest friend, Rene, over coffee the next day, Michael indicates that he's never thought of marrying Kate because he's technically still married. Although Michael wonders why something as minor as a wedding ring could mean so much to Kate, who's suffering from shock and disbelief, he gamely asks his wife, Gabriella Massey, for a friendly divorce. After all, their marriage was mainly a citizenship arrangement for Gabriella. So Michael is surprised when Gabriella not only will not grant him the divorce, but also threatens to extort money from him. Feeling that things will go more smoothly in person, Michael makes plans to travel from Seattle to Cannon Beach, Oregon, to talk with Gabriella, bringing along Kate, Rene, Bella, and company. Problem is, Gabriella hasn't changed her mind, and when Kate sees them together, she doesn't believe that Michael has been forthcoming about the obvious spark between Gabriella and him. Before Michael can find out why Gabriella's being so stubborn, she's murdered, and the Cannon Beach police think Michael's to blame. As Kate balances her desire to help Michael against her suspicions that he might have killed his estranged wife, her distrust in Michael is surpassed only by her desire that justice be served.Weber's yoga-inspired series regulars (A Fatal Twist, 2017, etc.) hit the road in a passable installment light on yoga and heavy on complex relationship dynamics.

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November 20, 2017
Weber’s enjoyable fifth Downward Dog mystery (after 2017’s A Fatal Twist) finds yoga teacher Kate Davidson and her boyfriend, Michael Massey, at Seattle’s Space Needle for her birthday dinner. Kate, who’s anticipating a proposal, is devastated when Michael confesses he’s married to a woman who needed a green card. His wife, Gabriella Massey, has demanded a large payment in exchange for agreeing to a divorce, so Kate and Michael head to Cannon Beach, Ore., to confront her, accompanied by Kate’s German shepherd, Bella, and their friends Rene and Sam. The initial meeting with Gabriella goes very wrong, and when Kate and Bella discover Gabriella buried on the beach the next morning, Michael is the immediate suspect. Since he and Kate do little to make police officer Alex Lewis change her mind, Kate naturally has to start sleuthing. Lots of red herrings and potential motives eventually lead Kate to a surprising killer. Cozy fans will cheer her every step of the way. Agent: Priya Doraswamy, Lotus Lane Literary Agency.