What do you think?
Rate this book
Dale Kinsall Mysteries #1
Nose for Trouble
Anxious to get away from the pressures of the East Coast and into a climate where his trauma-induced asthma isn't a daily challenge, Dale Kinsall, DVM, hauls his baggage and his young Beagle to a vet clinic in the high desert. He arrives to a clinic populated by an eccentric staff, and a community abuzz about a recent murder. The buzz gets even louder when Dale himself stumbles across a second victim on his very first day at the a man drowned in his own drought-dusty backyard. Before much longer it becomes evident that Dale, Sully, and the clinic are all at risk, and Dale's fledgling relationship with a local colleague turns serious in more ways than one as trouble closes in on them all . . . Doranna Durgin had grand adventures on horseback in the Appalachians before turning full-time writer and ending up in the Southwestern high country with her laptop, dogs, horse, and uncontrollable imagination.
269 pages, Hardcover
First published December 14, 2005
About the author
Doranna Durgin
115 books227 followersDoranna Durgin is an award-winning author (the Compton Crook for Best First SF/F/H novel) whose quirky spirit has led to an extensive and eclectic publishing journey across genres, publishers, and publishing lines. Beyond that, she hangs around outside her Southwest mountain home with horse and highly accomplished competition dogs. She doesn't believe in mastering the beast within, but in channeling its power--for good or bad has yet to be decided! She says, “My books are SF/F, mystery, paranormal romance, & romantic suspense. My world is the Southwest, and my dogs are Beagles!”
Doranna’s most recent releases encompass the three books of the Reckoners trilogy--a powerful ghostbuster raised by a spirit, her brilliantly eccentric backup team, a cat who isn't a cat, and a fiercely driven bounty hunter from a different dimension who brings them together when worlds collide.
Doranna’s most recent releases encompass the three books of the Reckoners trilogy--a powerful ghostbuster raised by a spirit, her brilliantly eccentric backup team, a cat who isn't a cat, and a fiercely driven bounty hunter from a different dimension who brings them together when worlds collide.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 31, 2012
I would probably rate this a 3.5 if we had the luxury of using half stars. The book grabbed me right away with Sully's fabulous Beagle voice, but then there seemed to be less of Sully and more of Dale, the vet. Which was fine, he certainly deserved his time in the spotlight, but I kept thinking 'I want more Sully and I want him now!' Which is why I've now progressed to reading the sequel, Scent of Danger.
June 12, 2008
The good: I liked when Sully spoke in his unmistakable, wonderful beagle voice.
The bad: I thought it was hard to follow at times, the mystery wasn't that engaging and I never looked forward to picking it up.
I won't be reading more in this series, and I'm still hoping for a cozy mystery series that incorporates dogs and is as compelling as "The Cat Who...." mysteries.
The bad: I thought it was hard to follow at times, the mystery wasn't that engaging and I never looked forward to picking it up.
I won't be reading more in this series, and I'm still hoping for a cozy mystery series that incorporates dogs and is as compelling as "The Cat Who...." mysteries.
August 16, 2022
This novel is the first of a series involving a vet, Dale Kinsall, his beagle Sully and his new home in
Flagstaff, Arizona. In the beginning, he is just arriving from Ohio wanting to make a new start after some disasters back home.
Flagstaff's little satellite town, where he now lives turns out to be more active than anybody expects, especially dale. First of all, they are in the middle of a drought, and due to an accident when he arrives at the vet office, he inadvertently uses water on the drive on a day when he is not supposed to under local rules due to said drought, which makes him unpopular in some quarters.
The situation continues to get worst, although it is mid-year, suddenly the death rate from murder goes up dramatically. In addition, Dale and his new friends are subject to harassment by phone calls and property damage over the next few weeks.
In other words, it is a typical mystery, just with dogs, especially one particular dog center stage. If you are looking for a detailed intricate plot, the book may not be for you, if you like a fairly gentle, but still engaging mystery, I recommend this book.
Flagstaff, Arizona. In the beginning, he is just arriving from Ohio wanting to make a new start after some disasters back home.
Flagstaff's little satellite town, where he now lives turns out to be more active than anybody expects, especially dale. First of all, they are in the middle of a drought, and due to an accident when he arrives at the vet office, he inadvertently uses water on the drive on a day when he is not supposed to under local rules due to said drought, which makes him unpopular in some quarters.
The situation continues to get worst, although it is mid-year, suddenly the death rate from murder goes up dramatically. In addition, Dale and his new friends are subject to harassment by phone calls and property damage over the next few weeks.
In other words, it is a typical mystery, just with dogs, especially one particular dog center stage. If you are looking for a detailed intricate plot, the book may not be for you, if you like a fairly gentle, but still engaging mystery, I recommend this book.
January 9, 2019
This is one of the best dog/people book I've read in years. Sully (Beagle) and Dr. Dale Kinsall (veterinarian) have a back story of tragedy. But Dale moves from Ohio to the American West to mend his asthmatic lungs and mental attitude. He's going to purchase a vet clinic but he stumbles upon a murdered neighbor. Then begins a series of phone threats to him, two more murders, and three homeless dogs delivered to the vet clinic where he works. There's also a potential romance, so the reader gets to enjoy Sully, the Beagle; a murder mystery; a romance.
The book is a quick read with a turn-the-page fast ending. A great story!
The book is a quick read with a turn-the-page fast ending. A great story!
January 6, 2022
Great little book for casual reading
June 23, 2012
Dale Kinsall, DVM, is trying to leave his past in Ohio behind as he and his beagle pup, Sully, make the big move to Arizona. The fire in Ohio has left him with horrible memories and damage to his lungs. He is hoping the dry desert air remedies both.
When he arrives at his new clinic he meets his very unique staff and some fairly odd clients. Everyone's tongues are wagging about a murder. Dale finds himself right in the middle of the investigation as Sully leads him right to a second victim on their very first walk around the area.
It soon becomes clear that Dale, the clinic, and his new friends are being targeted. Dale feels he must have done something to someone but it's hard to solve a mystery when you aren't really sure what the mystery even is. Everyone around him soon learns that just like Sully, Dale too has a Nose For Trouble.
Dollycas's Thoughts
I had not read the previous version of this story so I am one of the brand new readers the author mentions in the Foreword. I appreciate the Beagle greetings and truly enjoyed the ride. We already have two dogs or after reading this I would be out shopping for my own Sully. He stole my heart and my dogs are nowhere near as smart.
Durgin has created wonderful characters and put them into a great mystery but Sully is the star. Careful, you will find yourself laughing out loud to some of his antics. Writing from a dog's point of view even part of the time can't easy but sure is fun to read!
All the characters have plenty of room to evolve in future installments so I hope the next one in the series is re-released and there are more stories to follow! Want that doggy head out the window bliss, pick up this book today!!
When he arrives at his new clinic he meets his very unique staff and some fairly odd clients. Everyone's tongues are wagging about a murder. Dale finds himself right in the middle of the investigation as Sully leads him right to a second victim on their very first walk around the area.
It soon becomes clear that Dale, the clinic, and his new friends are being targeted. Dale feels he must have done something to someone but it's hard to solve a mystery when you aren't really sure what the mystery even is. Everyone around him soon learns that just like Sully, Dale too has a Nose For Trouble.
Dollycas's Thoughts
I had not read the previous version of this story so I am one of the brand new readers the author mentions in the Foreword. I appreciate the Beagle greetings and truly enjoyed the ride. We already have two dogs or after reading this I would be out shopping for my own Sully. He stole my heart and my dogs are nowhere near as smart.
Durgin has created wonderful characters and put them into a great mystery but Sully is the star. Careful, you will find yourself laughing out loud to some of his antics. Writing from a dog's point of view even part of the time can't easy but sure is fun to read!
All the characters have plenty of room to evolve in future installments so I hope the next one in the series is re-released and there are more stories to follow! Want that doggy head out the window bliss, pick up this book today!!
April 25, 2013
On the plus side, the author actually seems to know something both about dogs and the veterinary business, on the other hand, I ultimately found this a frustrating book.
The reader is dropped into the story with little orientation. There are a number of allusions to Dale's past and medical problems, but Durgin maddeningly brings them up, repeatedly hints around them, and then never really tells you anything. It wasn't until the last quarter of the book I figured out that Dale was hired to eventually take over the clinic. Still don't know what happened when he was a kid, and the arson at his old clinic is left unexplained. Also, the mystery in this just wasn't that engaging and the reason why the people were killed was just dumb.
I will say Durgin created some interesting and fun secondary characters but the whole book was just too twee for me. The very scattered paragraphs that were supposedly from Sully (the beagle's) POV were just weird and distracting. If you are looking for a complete brain relaxer or have a thing for animal companion mysteries, this might be right up your alley. It wasn't mine.
The reader is dropped into the story with little orientation. There are a number of allusions to Dale's past and medical problems, but Durgin maddeningly brings them up, repeatedly hints around them, and then never really tells you anything. It wasn't until the last quarter of the book I figured out that Dale was hired to eventually take over the clinic. Still don't know what happened when he was a kid, and the arson at his old clinic is left unexplained. Also, the mystery in this just wasn't that engaging and the reason why the people were killed was just dumb.
I will say Durgin created some interesting and fun secondary characters but the whole book was just too twee for me. The very scattered paragraphs that were supposedly from Sully (the beagle's) POV were just weird and distracting. If you are looking for a complete brain relaxer or have a thing for animal companion mysteries, this might be right up your alley. It wasn't mine.
June 1, 2014
Compared to most of the dog mysteries I've read, this one didn't rank among the better ones. I didn't find Durgin's writing style to be very gripping and the early plot was tough to follow. Not a horrible book, but not necessarily a series I will actively follow.
Veteranarian Dale Kinsall, aka Dr. Dale, and his beagle, Sully, move to the southwestern United States due to a couple of vaguely alluded to fires that exacerbated the doctor's poorly controlled asthma. Before he even arrives at his new vet practice, someone is murdered in the sleepy town, and two more murders follow in short order. Then Dr. Dale starts getting threatening phone calls and things start going wrong at the clinic. Kinsall suspects trouble has followed him from Ohio, but since Durgin doesn't really elaborate on Kinsall's past, there was nothing for me to use as a basis for this suspicion. When the mysteries in the book were finally resolved, it was nothing special.
Durbin leaves enough threads loose to continue the series, but I felt like Dr. Dale should stick to being a vet and leave the sleuthing to the professionals.
Veteranarian Dale Kinsall, aka Dr. Dale, and his beagle, Sully, move to the southwestern United States due to a couple of vaguely alluded to fires that exacerbated the doctor's poorly controlled asthma. Before he even arrives at his new vet practice, someone is murdered in the sleepy town, and two more murders follow in short order. Then Dr. Dale starts getting threatening phone calls and things start going wrong at the clinic. Kinsall suspects trouble has followed him from Ohio, but since Durgin doesn't really elaborate on Kinsall's past, there was nothing for me to use as a basis for this suspicion. When the mysteries in the book were finally resolved, it was nothing special.
Durbin leaves enough threads loose to continue the series, but I felt like Dr. Dale should stick to being a vet and leave the sleuthing to the professionals.
Want to Read
January 18, 2014Nose for Trouble -
Anxious to get away from the pressures of the East Coast and into a climate where his trauma-induced asthma isn't a daily challenge, Dale Kinsall, DVM, hauls his baggage and his young Beagle to a vet clinic in the high desert. He arrives to a clinic populated by an eccentric staff, and a community abuzz about a recent murder. The buzz gets even louder when Dale himself stumbles across a second victim on his very first day at the clinic: a man drowned in his own drought-dusty backyard. Before much longer it becomes evident that Dale, Sully, and the clinic are all at risk, and Dale's fledgling relationship with a local colleague turns serious in more ways than one as trouble closes in on them all . . .Doranna Durgin had grand adventures on horseback in the Appalachians before turning full-time writer and ending up in the Southwestern high country with her laptop, dogs, horse, and uncontrollable imagination.
Anxious to get away from the pressures of the East Coast and into a climate where his trauma-induced asthma isn't a daily challenge, Dale Kinsall, DVM, hauls his baggage and his young Beagle to a vet clinic in the high desert. He arrives to a clinic populated by an eccentric staff, and a community abuzz about a recent murder. The buzz gets even louder when Dale himself stumbles across a second victim on his very first day at the clinic: a man drowned in his own drought-dusty backyard. Before much longer it becomes evident that Dale, Sully, and the clinic are all at risk, and Dale's fledgling relationship with a local colleague turns serious in more ways than one as trouble closes in on them all . . .Doranna Durgin had grand adventures on horseback in the Appalachians before turning full-time writer and ending up in the Southwestern high country with her laptop, dogs, horse, and uncontrollable imagination.
November 26, 2008
Dog-lovers will really like this tale of Dale, a veterinarian who moves from Ohio to Flagstaff, AZ, only to find himself involved in a series of murders when he finds the body of the second victim. Dale's pet beagle Sully is also an important character, whose thoughts seem more likely than many of fictional dogs. Also present is an attractive local half-Navaho veterinarian, who wanted Dale's current job, and a whacky crew of employees at the office.
July 30, 2014
As a fellow dog-lover, I could not resist Sully and his human Dale. They get involved in a murder scheme by being at the wrong place at the wrong time and have to muddle their way through that, their new life and new practice. Also loved the Ohio references since I am a Buckeye born and raised, so I can understand the turn their lives have taken moving to Arizona. Fun characters and interesting murders.
June 16, 2010
This is a charming tale from a new voice in mystery. Fans of Durgin will be delighted to read Dale and Sully's first adventure. Veterinarian Dale Kinsall relocates to Arizona in hopes of curing his asthema, but gets a lot more than he bargained for when he finds a drowned man in dry as dust Flagstaff.
I can't wait for the second book in the series (Scent of Danger).
I can't wait for the second book in the series (Scent of Danger).
June 16, 2010
This is a charming tale from a new voice in mystery. Fans of Durgin will be delighted to read Dale and Sully's first adventure. Veterinarian Dale Kinsall relocates to Arizona in hopes of curing his asthema, but gets a lot more than he bargained for when he finds a drowned man in dry as dust Flagstaff.
I can't wait for the second book in the series (Scent of Danger).
I can't wait for the second book in the series (Scent of Danger).
November 28, 2014
Just in time when I had no books I felt like reading, this light hearted (although murderous) mystery came along. I thought I had the murderer all along but this one had a surprise in store for me. Sully is a charming character who must have been written by a beagle lover, the human characters are well drawn and realistic. A good read.
December 20, 2015
I’ve read this book three times and I’ve enjoyed it every time. It doesn’t matter so much that I know the ending (which I didn’t guess on the pass). It’s the characters that I like reading about. Dale and Sully make a wonderful team, and the other characters just add to the fun.
January 1, 2008
I had a hard time getting into this book at first. I wasn't sure if I liked the characters, but the more I read the more I liked it. I would definitely read other books in this series.
January 25, 2010
Fun mystery. I enjoyed reading it. Thought it would have been more of a romance-type, and felt it could have used more relationship stuff, especially at the end. An epilogue maybe.
December 2, 2012
Humorous and suspenseful; featuring rather klutzy but handsome veterinarian Dale Kinsall and his beagle companion Sully. Good characterizations, amusing plot.
January 9, 2013
Delightful !
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews