The Case of the Homeless Pup: A Paul Manziuk and Jacquie Ryan Novella

Paul Manziuk & Jacquie Ryan Mysteries

by J.A. Menzies

When student veterinarian Evan McEwan goes deep into the brush of Toronto's Don Valley to catch what he thinks is a stray puppy, he stumbles upon a human skull.


While Evan continues his search for the pup, the homicide detectives Publishers Weekly called "captivating" sift through the past to determine whose skull it is and how it got there.


Meanwhile, families with missing loved ones anxiously seek information and curious reporters try to get a scoop.

Note: This book is a novella (just under 40,000 words) whereas the full-length novels are at least 125,000 words each.

It takes place after Glitter of Diamonds and before Shadow of a Butterfly in the Paul Manziuk and Jacquie Ryan Mystery series; however, you could read it at any time.

Genres: Mystery

146 pages, Paperback

Published August 10, 2016

Reviews

[Joanne]

The Case of the Homeless Pup is a Paul Manziuk and Jacquie Ryan Novella by J.A. Menzies which bridges the books Glitter of Diamonds and Shadow of a Butterfly. If you haven’t read those superbly written mysteries, this novella provides a short introduction to the Paul Manziuk and Jacquie Ryan Mystery series. The Case of the Homeless Pup quickly captured and maintained my interest. Evan, a veterinary assistant/student follows a small, starving puppy and is led to a human skull. For Detectives Manziuk and Ryan, this reopens a 17-year-old cold case. Who is the victim? How did he/she die? What secrets were buried with the body? With the assistance of the victim’s family and friends, the pieces to this puzzle fall into place. Ms. Menzies skillfully delivers a short, but well written mystery with enough plot and subplot intrigue to provide a quick, exciting read. If you have read and enjoyed the previous Manziuk/Ryan books, you should enjoy this novella as well. I did!

Full Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed in this review are my own

[Jan]

Human bones are found in a park by a veterinary student who spies an apparently lost puppy. He then notifies the police and they are able to determine that it was a man dead for less than twenty years and that he has two major skull fractures. With due diligence they are able to come close and then positively identify the victim and his family. There is much hard and unpleasant work for the investigating team and also for the family before the truth is brought out. Excellent work by the team, the author, and in raising awareness of the pain and problems of the families of people who have gone missing.
I now understand that this is one in a series, and I expect that I will read more of them because this one is so well done.

[Elma Schemenauer]

I often don't read every word of a murder mystery, especially on an e-reader. However, I read every word of The Case of the Homeless Pup. The author captured my interest and kept it. Having lived in Toronto for many years, I was particularly interested in the Toronto settings, which are believably and interestingly portrayed. I also liked the extended Italian Catholic family whose members are major players in the story. The subplot about a liberated young woman's budding relationship with a pleasant, responsible young man is icing on the cake.

[Nila]

Of course I got this book because of the Homeless Pup. Truly, I was on edge until the puppy was found. The mystery was fine too. Though the mystery centered on a murder, it was not gruesome or frightening. I guess we'll call it a Canadian cozy. The murdered person required identification as only bones and some shreds of clothing were found. We follow along as various methods are used to identify age of the victim and identify him. (Oops! The puppy. The bones are found because a young veterinarian is exercising in a wooded area and sees the disheveled doggie.) The dog has unearthed a skull which opens the murder inquiry. The murdered person has close knit family in the nearest town, and family and friends are the most likely suspects. ... The puppy is found and given a home with the young veterinarian's new girlfriend.

This is a calming mystery. I plan to read more by this author.

[Barbara Fricks]

The cover and title are a bit deceptive. Yes, there is a puppy in the story! Even though I felt a bit deceived I did enjoy the story. It read like a "soft" police investigation. What I liked about the book is the way the author brought us along through theories and questions concerning the skull and bones that the pup led a passing jogger to. It felt like I was "there" with the detectives as they questioned suspects and tried to find out who and why someone may have murdered a young husband and father. I also liked the way personal lives of the detectives were slowly introduced into the story so that we will want to follow them in future books. Not a action thriller nor a page turner, just a solid enjoyable "who done it."

[Jennifer Goins]

Wow what a awesome book called The Case of the Homeless Pup by the author J.A Menzies .
I received this book from the author newsletters that I signed up to . It was really easy book to read once you started to read this book you just couldn't stop reading until you finish the book . It's definitely a 5 star rating in my book I would definitely recommend this book to everyone who loves mystery books . If you would like to know more about this author then check out her Facebook page and her newsletter . I can't wait to read more from this author .

[Donna]

The Case of the Homeless Pup was an enjoyable cold case murder mystery. After meeting each of the characters I immediately suspected three of them as the possible murderer. This was quickly cut down to two but I really thought I knew which one was guilty. I love figuring out which character is guilty before it is revealed! There were enough twists and turns to keep me interested from beginning to end. I enjoyed the little side romance in the story.

Paul and Jacquie have really melded into a top-notch partnership. Their strengths and weaknesses really complement each other and make them a formidable team.

I look forward to reading more books in this series.

[Bobbi]

Great mystery story. A missing person case over 17 years old causes a lot of trouble. Really enjoyed the give and take between the two police officers, Manziuk and Ryan. Looking forward to reading more of their adventures. Classic murder mystery with twists and turns, loved it.

[Hope Gerhardstein]

Good book. A few grammatical errors, but not many. A pup discovers a skull which leads to the murder investigation in a 17 year old missing person case. Just as you think you’ve figured it out another twist occurs and you then think okay not that person then it must be this one.

[Nancy Luebke]

I enjoyed this mystery and I voluntarily chose to review this story. I've given this a 4* rating. While this is not my favorite type of mystery, it had some interesting bits in it. It was basically a Cold Case Mystery. And it all started with a stray puppy.

[Karin]

Gossip can be real murder sometimes. I don’t know how many times I know of friendships and/or families being broken up because of gossip. Of course, the hero of this story is the pup who is no longer homeless. I enjoyed the story and recommend the book.

[louise davis]

I enjoyed this book. It kept you wondering who did it. I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys a little mystery. Well worth the time.

[Bev]

This book is about a missing father, husband, brother and friend. While on his morning run, Evan a veterinary assist and student sees a small puppy in a park. The puppy looks under fed so Evan tries to catch him. What he finds is a human skull that the puppy was sitting beside. This opens up to create a lot of questions and problems for detectives Paul Manziuk and Jaquie Ryan, not to meation for the family of the dead person. Can Ryan and Mnaziuk solve the case? What secrets will be opened? Read the book to find the answers. I received a copy of this book for a honest and unbiased review.

[Nancy Silk]

"An Investigative Cold Case"

This is a novella about when a student veterinarian thinks he's seen a puppy run through the woods, apparently lost. He races to find the pup, but Evan McEwan instead finds a human skull laying in the leaves. Detectives Manziuk and Ryan have opened up an old cold case ... which is now a definite murder case. I found the story a little slow, and hardly about the lost puppy until the very end. It's short,, you may like it better than me ... and don't forget to leave a review.

[Ellen Dark]

This novella features police detectives Paul Manziuk and Jacquie Ryan investigating a cold missing person case. A veterinary student follows a stray puppy and finds a human skull. From there the story takes off. If you've read the previous three Manziuk/Ryan novels, you should enjoy this novella as well.

[Sandee]

Wonderful! I expect a great mystery with interesting characters and that is exactly what was delivered. While I was delighted to have another J. A. Menzies book to read my disappointment is that it is a novella. I found the book complete, and interesting and thoroughly enjoyable but, being used to the depth of her full-length novels, I was just a tiny bit disappointed.

[Pam]

This is a lovely book, with a bit of everything in it, and it kept me guessing right until the end, the story flows so smoothly and although this is the second time i have read it, the first time being in 2017 I still got the wrong person pinned as the killer.

[Wanda]

The case of the homeless pup

I lovd this story. It was sad and heartwarming also. I would highly reccomend it to my friends. It does not have sex or vulgar words in it, just a great story.

[Margaret Fraleigh]

The was a good easy read. Good characters, interesting story line.

[Neera Sawhney]

A lovely book. The cover of the book caught my attention, and the book did not disappoint. The book held my interest from the first page, and i read it in one sitting. An interesting story, well delineated characters, written by a master story teller. This is my first J.A.Menzies book and now i am hooked!!

[Gay]

Great mystery! There were a lot of twists to this story. A little romance as well. I think I'll read the next one.