Exotic pet-sitter Belinda Blake is nervous about her new job at the White Pine Wolf Preserve, but it turns out that the care and feeding of wild carnivores may be the least dangerous part of the gig . . .
Pet-sitter Belinda Blake is no stranger to dealing with wild animals, but she’s wary when the owner of the Greenwich, Connecticut, preserve asks her to help out with her “fluffy darlings.” Her caution seems justified on her very first day, when she discovers a tour guide—dead, bloodied, and surrounded by wolves in the enclosure.
Was it death by predator or something more sinister? The body count rises, but something’s not adding up. As she gets to know the rescued wolves and wolf-dog hybrids better, Belinda realizes that her human colleagues are not above suspicion. With help from her own “pack”—her pregnant sister, Red the chauffeur/bodyguard, and hunky farmer Jonas—Belinda is hot on the killer’s tail, but if she doesn’t find him soon, he’ll do more than muzzle her to keep the truth from escaping.
My Thoughts: I read the first Belinda Blake mystery just last week and was treated to a unique new cozy mystery series. Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing picks up in the life of Belinda, so we find out what she’s been up to since the last book and where life is taking her now. If you read the books out of order, you’ll catch a spoiler or two involving Belinda’s personal life but the previous mystery wasn’t ruined.
Gilbert has a solid writing style. It’s engaging. Not overdone, not underdone, but done just right. 😉
The only struggle I had with Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing was that it felt like it took too long to dig into the investigation portion of the story. But once things picked up, and we were focused and collecting clues, I found the mystery to be spot-on. The clues were there but the conclusion wasn’t obvious. It ended on a great note for me!
The characters are as well-developed as the mystery. They came across as genuine people. There was just enough romance in the story to make me eager to see what will happen next.
I typically read and review Christian fiction, so I do want to point out that this fell in the clean fiction category. There was not anything that would be offensive to a Christian reader, however, there was not any spiritual content.
Rating and Recommendation: I’m giving this one 4.5 stars and recommending it to cozy mystery fans.
~ I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not compensated for my review or required to give a favorable one.
Christian Author: A.M. Heath 