Six Dogs 'til Sunday

Mae December #6

by Lia Farrell

It’s January in Rosedale, Tennessee, and Mae December is preparing for her March wedding to Sheriff Ben Bradley. Mae, who boards dogs for a living, is also busy tending to her pregnant dog and scouting locations for the movie featuring the music of her former fiancé Noah West, who died in a car accident four years earlier. Fortunately the picturesque old house at the end of Little Chapel Road is for rent.
Just as filming is about to begin, a man is shot on the set, but manages to drive himself to the hospital, where he dies before he can ID his killer. He was a member of the film crew, but also a local, and circumstances point to his being a confidential informant for Ben’s predecessor, Sheriff Trey Cantrell, also the owner of the house turned movie set. At the time of the shooting, the victim had been stealing a large sum of money from a safe on the premises. Whose money is it, and where does it come from?
The Rosedale Sheriff’s Office not only has another murder case on its hands, but one that will dredge up a past long buried. How far will the guilty parties go to protect their secrets?
The sixth and final book in the Mae December Mystery series, which began with One Dog Too Many.

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Lia Farrell was born in January of 2009, the brain-child/pen-name of a mother/daughter writing team. Lia’s first book, cozy mystery ‘One Dog too Many’, was released by Camel Press on November 15th of 2013. It was, of course, instigated by a dog. Lyn Farquhar, the mom in this duo, lives in Michigan. One icy morning when she was going out to walk her dogs, her younger Corgi, Millie, pulled hard on the leash. Lyn slipped and broke her right arm for the second time in a year. She needed surgery and her daughter Lisa Fitzsimmons came up from Tennessee to stay with her after her surgery. Having lived in the South for many years, Lisa quickly tired of the winter weather. She persuaded her mom to come stay with her in Tennessee while her arm was healing. They flew together to Tennessee where Lisa and her husband, Jim, took Lyn out for brunch. Whilst awaiting Mimosas, they read the newspaper. An article detailing a legal battle captured their attention; emotions and lawsuits ran high over the widening of a road that was very close to Lisa and Jim’s house. After listening to the article, Lyn said “that sound like the beginning of a book I’d like to read.” Their protagonist, Mae December, was born in that instant. After Lyn went back to Michigan, the two women took turns writing chapters and emailing them back and forth. Two years into the process, they thought the book was done. They came up with their pen-name and got an agent, Dawn Dowdle, who made them rewrite almost everything, which took another year. Dawn marketed the book for a year before finding them a publisher and getting them a three book deal with Camel Press. Then came more rewrites and edits, as well as writing the second book in the Mae December Mystery series. ‘Two Dogs lie Sleeping’ was turned in to the publisher on November 14th, the day before ‘One Dog too Many’ was released. Lia Farrell needs a few days off, but she’ll begin work on the third book in the series soon, so stay tuned!

Reviews

[Deana Dick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story very much and thought the author gave us wonderful characters. What I liked the most about the story was the mystery surrounding the old house. It seemed to be the focal point of the story and it really fascinated me. I could see the house with shutters hanging off and stairs that creak beneath your feet. I could imagine cobwebs climbing down the walls as a lonely guitar was found that had long been forgotten.


Mae is a wonderful character and I was pleased to read of her upcoming marriage to none other than the dashing Sheriff Ben Bradley. I was a bit concerned that she wasn't quite over Noah. As a film crew comes to town to shoot at the old house, things really start shaking up. What is found under the staircase in a closet? Why are so many people interested in the previous sheriff? Ben has proven to be a great replacement as new sheriff but he has his hands full when a murder takes place. Prior residents of the town start to show up and this makes for a fun adventure of secrets and lies. It's hard to say who is telling the truth as the author delivers incredible character development.

I can't forget to mention Mae's mother who uses her profession as a reporter to dig into the murder and other shady goings on in the town. I felt sorry for Ben at times when he tries to keep Mae safe and his future mother-in-law from snooping around. This is one book that I really thought was cleverly written with subtle hints of who the guilty person was, but also has some surprises I didn't see comingTthis is the last book in the series and it comes to an ending that will please fans.

I received a copy of the book from The Great Escape Virtual Book Tours. The review is my own opinion.

[Carole Jarvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed at The Power of Words: http://bit.ly/2FkJUeD

Six Dogs ‘Til Sunday brings the excellent six-book Mae December mystery series to a close. I didn’t discover this series until the previous story, Five Dog Voodoo, but plan on starting from the beginning very soon. There’s an unusual complexity of plot and depth to these character-driven stories, making me wish the series could keep on going.

In this particular story, it’s not so much about trying to figure out who the culprit is, but rather enjoying the investigative process. Each chapter speaks from a different perspective –Mae December, Sheriff Ben Bradley, Suzanne December (Mae’s mom), and Chief Detective Wayne Nichols – and it all fits together beautifully. The rural Tennessee community Rosedale, just outside of Nashville, is vividly conveyed with southern charm.

The Mae December mysteries is one of the best series for character development that I’ve come across. It’s not about having a celebrity’s picture in mind; that’s not something I care for anyway. But I know the essence of the main characters, connect with them, and that’s what keeps me coming back. One of my favorites is Chief Detective Wayne Nichols, who has a Native American ancestry … “Coming from a culture that relied on acute visual skills had given him a near eidetic memory for scenes.” I particularly enjoyed the way his storyline developed in this story.

Readers will also enjoy how Ben and Mae’s story concludes the series. The Lia Farrell mother/daughter writing team is very talented and I hope they begin another mystery series soon.

Highly recommended.

I was provided a copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Note: This story contains some mild profanity.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mae December is getting married but is haunted by the death of her former fiance. She decides to use a house that her deceased fiance once rented for a film set and a murder occurs. This mystery has many characters who weave nicely into Mae’s past and present. Because the story flows from character to character there are some interesting developments in both character and the plot. Great mystery!

I received this book through Great Escapes Book Tours and have left an honest review.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A complicated plot involving intertwined crimes both past and present. Intriguing psychological content and police procedural elements make this a very interesting mystery to untangle.
The characters are well developed and have fascinating interactions. Extra interest includes a family wedding that has a rough path to travel before it can happen.

[Harlequin Books]

Categories
Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
A Mae December Mystery

[Robina · Rating 3 out of 5]

enjoyed the setting and the characters. There were a few twists to keep things interesting. Hard to find the other 5 books of the 6 book series at this time.

[Kimberly Underwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the Mae December series

This book was as great as the other five. The characters are likable without being sugary and the mystery will keep you guessing. This is supposed to be the last in the series, but I hope there’s another one!

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Six Dogs 'til Sunday" is an ambitious read, with characters who work very hard to get the reader to like them.

Read full review in the 2018 March issue of InD'tale Magazine.