Why am I passionate about this?

I have loved animals my entire life. I know first-hand the calming influence the unconditional love of a dog can bring to a person. In contentious Teams meetings on the computer, I pet my dog to keep calm. If I am sad or anxious, I grab the squeaky toy, and we play tug-of-war. I volunteered at the Animal Welfare Association, a no-kill New Jersey Animal Shelter. Through my work, I gained an understanding of how to assess the non-verbal cues of a dog. Iā€™ve learned that it is essential to understand an animalā€™s body language more so than the standards and behaviors associated with breeds of dogs. 


I wrote

Clues From The Canines

By Darlene Dziomba,

Book cover of Clues From The Canines

What is my book about?

Lily Dreyfus is stunned by the news that her physically fit, former Marine, boyfriend is dead. When the police ruleā€¦

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Dog On It

Darlene Dziomba Why did I love this book?

Bernie Little, a down-on-his-luck Private Investigator, solves crime with a feisty dog companion Chet. Hired to investigate the disappearance of a fifteen-year-old girl, Chet narrates the story with laugh-out-loud descriptions of the people they encounter and places they visit. The plot twists keep the reader guessing, and suspenseful scenes make the book hard to put down. Chet will show his complete unconditional love for Bernie while questioning the strange behaviors of humans. In the end, the criminals are brought to justice with a few tears in their pant legs from Chetā€™s mighty jaw.

By Spencer Quinn,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked Dog On It as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The first book of the New York Times bestselling Chet and Bernie mystery series, an ā€œenchanting one-of-a-kind novelā€ (Stephen King) that is ā€œnothing short of masterfulā€ (Los Angeles Times).

Chet, the wise and lovable canine narrator of Dog on It, and Bernie, a down-on-his-luck private investigator, are quick to take a new case involving a frantic mother searching for her teenage daughter. This well-behaved and gifted student may or may not have been kidnapped, but she has definitely gotten mixed up with some very unsavory characters. With Chetā€™s highly trained nose leading the way, their hunt for clues takes themā€¦


Book cover of In the Dog House

Darlene Dziomba Why did I love this book?

Lily Echosbyā€™s two-timing ex-husband is murdered, and she is a natural suspect. She investigates the murder with her best friend Dixie and their canines. This book is similar to my book in that the human characters are diverse. They come from varying backgrounds, merging their collective experiences to provide a story with many perspectives. Lily Echosbyā€™s CPA training will aid her deductions in the same way that Lily Dreyfusā€™ canine training helps her solve the murder of Pete Russo. Both women gain strength from their challenges and are determined to sniff out the perpetrators.

By V.M. Burns,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked In the Dog House as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Her new canine companion is a lot more loyal than her ex-husbandā€”but that doesnā€™t mean she wanted him deadā€¦.
 
Lilly may be losing a husband but she's gaining a toy poodle. That could be seen as a win-win, since her new adopted pooch Aggie (named after Agatha Christie) is cute and adorable, and Lilly's dirty dog of a spouse is cheating on her with a blond bimboā€”except for one problem: Albert Echosbyā€™s just been murdered, and Lilly is the number-one suspect.
 
With the cops barking up the wrong tree, it's a good thing her best friend Scarlett "Dixie" Jefferson fromā€¦


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Book cover of Let Evening Come

Let Evening Come by Yvonne Osborne,

After her mother is killed in a rare Northern Michigan tornado, Sadie Wixom is left with only her father and grandfather to guide her through young adulthood. Miles away in western Saskatchewan, Stefan Montegrand and his Indigenous family are displaced from their land by multinational energy companies. They are takenā€¦

Book cover of Though Not Dead

Darlene Dziomba Why did I love this book?

Kate Shugak, a park service ranger in Alaska, solves crimes with the aid of her canine companion, Mutt. Having a part wolf, part dog companion is integral to the story as Kate finds herself in precarious situations amongst the solitary and foreboding landscape. Kate will draw on her Native American heritage and culture to help her find an ancient artifact that has been missing for decades. Mutt leaps to Kateā€™s rescue as she uncovers the clues that villains are desperate to keep hidden. 

By Dana Stabenow,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Though Not Dead as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the newest entry in Dana Stabenow's "New York Times" bestselling "Kate Shugak" series, Kate and the rest of the Park rats are stunned by the death of Old Sam, Kate's eighty-seven-year-old uncle and foster father. In his will, he leaves almost everything to Kate, including a homestead deep in gold mining country that no one knew he had and a letter that reads simply, 'Find my father.' Easier said than done, since Sam's father is something of a mystery: an outsider who disappeared shortly after learning about Sam's existence, he took with him a priceless tribal artifact, a Russianā€¦


Book cover of Desperate Housedogs

Darlene Dziomba Why did I love this book?

The first book in the Pampered Pets series features Caro Lamont, who trains humans how to interact with their pets, even if the humans believe her to be training the pets. One of Caroā€™s clients is murdered, and she becomes a suspect. The story is creative and witty, with a lot of information on why our four-legged friends behave as they do. Caro and my protagonist Lily Dreyfus are self-sufficient and determined women. They will ferret out the killer, no matter the risks to themselves. At the end of the day, their four-legged friends help them deal with grief and fear by providing love and companionship.

By Sparkle Abbey,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Desperate Housedogs as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When Caro Lamont, former psychologist turned pet therapist makes a house call to help Kevin Blackstone with his two misbehaving German Shepherd dogs, she expects frantic dogs, she expects a frantic dog owner, she even expects frantic neighbors. What she doesnā€™t expect is that two hours later the police will find Kevin dead, his dogs impounded; and that as the last person to see Kevin alive (well, except for the killer) she is suddenly a person of interest, at least according to Homicide Detective Judd Malone. Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of two mystery authors (Mary Lee Woods and Anitaā€¦


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Book cover of Lethal Legacy

Lethal Legacy by H.R. Kemp,

Buried Secrets. A web of deceit, betrayal, and danger. Can she survive her fight for justice and truth? Laura thought she knew everything about her late husband before he died. Now, her life and the lives of those she loves are in danger. As Laura delves into his previous roleā€¦

Book cover of Breaking Creed

Darlene Dziomba Why did I love this book?

Ryder Creed brings his canine handling skills to potential crime scenes and smuggling operations. He works as a team with his Jack Russell Grace. Dog and man communicate in non-verbal ways to assess situations and aid law enforcement in uncovering evidence. The typical crime scene dog is taught for the job they will perform from birth. Ryderā€™s dogs are rescued from the street, animal shelters, or retrained after their owners are killed during military actions. The charactersā€™ back stories are thoroughly crafted and distributed throughout the plot. As you learn more about each character, you understand their canine companionsā€™ vital role in their lives.

By Alex Kava,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Breaking Creed as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Ryder Creed and his dogs have been making national headlines after intercepting several major drug stashes being smuggled through Atlanta's airport. But their newfound celebrity has also garnered some unwanted attention. When Creed and one of his dogs are called in to search a commercial fishing vessel, they discover a secret compartment. But the Colombian cartels' latest shipment isn't drugs. This time, its cargo is human. To make matters worse, Creed helps one of the cartel's drug mules escape - a fourteen-year-old girl who reminds him of his younger sister who disappeared fifteen years ago. Meanwhile, FBI agent Maggie O'Dellā€¦


Explore my book šŸ˜€

Clues From The Canines

By Darlene Dziomba,

Book cover of Clues From The Canines

What is my book about?

Lily Dreyfus is stunned by the news that her physically fit, former Marine, boyfriend is dead. When the police rule the death as suspicious, she resolves to sniff out the killer. Lily gathers her pack, both human and canine, to point the police to the perpetrator. She must maintain her professional demeanor at the animal shelter in which she works while determining if one of the people attempting to adopt the victimā€™s dog is after a family fortune. Lily finds out the lengths one killer will go to silence her suspicions.

Book cover of Dog On It
Book cover of In the Dog House
Book cover of Though Not Dead

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