Book Review: Pit Perfect (Barkside of the Moon) by Renee George

Pit Perfect is the first book in the Barkside of the Moon series by Renee George. I downloaded this book immediately after reading the sequel, The Money Pit, because of the writing style and character work. 

When cougar-shifter Lily Mason moves to Moonrise, Missouri, she wishes for only three things from the town and its human population. To find a job, to find a place to live, and to live as a human, not a therianthrope. Lily gets more than she bargains for when a rescue pit bull named Smooshie rescues her from an oncoming car, and it’s love at first sight. Thanks to Smooshie, Lily’s first two wishes are granted by Parker Knowles, the owner of the Pit Bull Rescue center, who offers her a job at the shelter and the room over his garage for rent. Lily’s new life as an integrator is threatened when Smooshie finds Katherine Kapersky, the local church choir leader and head of the town council, dead in the field behind the rescue center. Unfortunately, there are more suspects than mourners for the elderly town leader. Can Lily keep her less-than-human status under wraps? Or will the killer, who has pulled off a nearly Pit Perfect murder, expose her to keep Lily and her dog from digging up the truth?

Pit Perfect is a fast moving and fun mystery. I liked Lily's character and the complications that she brings with her to the small town. I liked her efforts to fit and and to get to know the town inhabitants. Finding her uncle and making friends in the new town started fairly easy, at least until the dead bodies start appearing and throwing suspicion on those that have been helpful. I really enjoyed the character development and the groundwork laid down for the rest of the series. My real complain, read for it, is that the book was too short. It felt way too short. I want more of this set of characters and Moonrise Missouri. A good start to a series, leaving me wanting more.

Book Review: The Money Pit (Barkside of the Moon) by Renee George

The Money Pit is the second book in the Barkside of the Moon series by Renee George. I had not read the first book, but George did such a great job of dropping in important information about the first book that I felt like I had. 

Cougar-shifter Lily Mason is trying hard to live as a human in Moonrise, Missouri. But renting a garage apartment from Parker Knowles, her boss at the Pit Bull Rescue Shelter, is making it difficult to keep her secret. Lily makes an offer on a “fixer-upper” with a checkered past and begins work on getting the place ready for her and her dog Smooshie. The sweet pitbull proves primed for demolition when she scratches a hole in a wall and yanks out a human bone. The investigation brings Lily unwanted attention from the local police chief who has an ax to grind and a murderer desperate to keep the past in the past. Lily needs Smooshie and Parker more than ever if she wants to keep her secret and prevent another killing! 

The Money Pit is a charming mystery with great characters. I enjoyed Lily's character, she is smart and strong with secrets she needs to keep, and innate skills that lead to her knowing other people's secrets. I loved the animals, Smooshie and Elvis were special characters all their own. I think the mystery was well formed and kept me guessing through the book. I was certainly surprised with a couple twists, but in a good way. I greatly enjoyed the read, and will be checking out the other books from George as time allows. The writing style and character development made me happy, and the other authors mentioned in the acknowledgements are some of my favorite in the genre, so that could be part of the feel. 

The Money Pit is a fun, fast paced cozy mystery for dog lovers and mystery fans alike. Rich characters and a unique small town come together for a highly entertaining read. In fact, I bought and downloaded the first book after reading this one, not because I needed the background information, but because I loved the characters so much I wanted more.