A Deadly Tail

December 21, 2015
Lyle's quirky fourth Whiskey, Tango, and Foxtrot mystery (after 2015's Marked Fur Murder) follows Deirdre "Foxtrot" Lancaster; her reincarnated cat, Tango; and Whiskey, an ectoplasmic, shape-shifting dog (who, like Tango, is telepathic), as they observe the odd goings-on at the Victorian mansion of wealthy Zelda Zoransky, Foxtrot's employer. A zombie film is being shot at the estate; when an unidentifiable body turns up and an explosion injures one of the stars, Foxtrot decides it is up to her to solve both the murder and the bombing. The vast and paranormally energized pet cemetery on the grounds, known as the Great Crossroads, also sees its own suspicious activity. An unknown cat almost identical to Tango shows up, as well as some deceased "actors," which include the ghosts of Lassie and Roy Rogers's horse Trigger, but no one can figure out why the ghosts have appeared and why they're sticking around. As the trio piece the clues together, Lyle's use of puns keeps readers laughing, intrigued, and entertained right up until the director calls "Cut!" Agent: Lucienne Diver, Knight Agency.

December 15, 2015
Scene-stealing animals are the stars of this ghostly mystery. Deirdre "Foxtrot" Lancaster is the personal assistant to Zelda Zoransky, an eccentric millionaire with a big estate and diverse interests. Since a zombie movie is being filmed at ZZ's place, the headless, handless corpse to which her ectoplasmic, shape-shifting dog, Whiskey, leads Foxtrot might be mistaken for a prop. Sadly, the body is all too real. Even worse, Foxtrot suspects that a resident of ZZ's private zoo may be involved--perhaps Owduttf, a honey badger with a voracious appetite. While they're on the way to question him, an explosion sends them back to the mansion, where they find Natalia Cardoso badly injured. Natalia was sleeping with unpopular director Maurice Rolvink, whose body may recently have lost its head. Foxtrot takes up the scent, with help from Whiskey and Tango, her telepathic cat. ZZ's estate also features a huge pet cemetery, and the unseen but often present animal specters (which range from household pets to sharks and tigers) are a big help to the detecting trio. Meanwhile, Tango's plan to produce her own play with a nonhuman cast leads to major fights and jealous scenes burlesquing the actual film production. Foxtrot's attempts to establish alibis for the major suspects are aided by the ever present animals, but keeping them in line and separating truth from fantasy are no easy tasks. This fourth outing for Whiskey, Tango, and Foxtrot (Marked Fur Murder, 2015, etc.) isn't much of a mystery, but it's a witty, zany story whose delightful animals are vastly entertaining.

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February 1, 2016

Foxtrot is Deirdre Lancaster, a personal assistant to billionaire Zelda Zoransky; Whiskey is Deirdre's ectoplastic dog, and Tango is a cat enjoying her eighth reincarnation. On the side, the trio guard the Great Gateway, a passage to the afterlife, located in a pet cemetery on ZZ's property. In this third paranormal adventure (after A Taste fur Murder and To Die Fur), ZZ has agreed to host the filming of a zombie movie at her mansion. After the producer is found dead, the film star is nearly killed by a bomb, and animal spirits erupt from the cemetery, Foxtrot and crew try all they can to keep the balls up in the air. VERDICT With a little romance, a bit of paranormal activity, and a dash of mystery, this title will entrance readers of Leanne Sweeney, Miranda James, and Sofie Kelly.

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