Belinda Blake and the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Belinda Blake is a pet sitter for the 21st century! Belinda is a brave animal lover and a brilliant video game reviewer and amateur sleuth. The characters in this second of a new series are delightful, the setting gorgeous, and the solution hard to unmask. We get to know Belinda, who I really like, better, even as she learns more about herself through the mirror of long-time friend, Jonas. Belinda lives in a guest house in Greenwich, CT and has been expanding her exotic pet sitting business here as well as going into Manhattan for repeat clients. The guest house is on the Carrington estate, where she recently helped solve murders of friends of Stone Carrington Fifth, adult son of the owners. Belinda gets an urgent call requesting her services, so she can’t turn it down…even if it is at a wolf preserve. Dahlia is the owner of White Pine Wolf Preserve. She is going to visit a preserve in Arizona. Belinda will help the primary feeder with chores for the wolves and hobby farm animals. She has the pleasure of meeting Evie, Dahlia’s personal assistant, and Shaun, the best tour guide; he recognizes her from her gaming reviews in a popular publication. Despite the hold harmless disclaimer in the contract, there haven’t been injuries there in the past, so Belinda signs for the eight days. On the first day, Belinda meets Rich, the man who feeds the wolves. Rich has known the wolves since the facility opened. One wolf, Njord, was born in captivity, and Rich was present at his birth. Rich feeds the wolves by hand and will continue to do so. Belinda will fill their water troughs. At the first of two pack enclosures, she meets Freya, who had been badly abused before being taken into the preserve. Freya wants to become friends at first sight, rolling over onto her back for a good belly rub. Rich and Belinda meet a grisly sight when approaching the second enclosure. Njord has a dark red stain on his beautiful fur. Lying inside the entry is a staff member wearing one of the bright-green vests, dead. Words can’t express how strongly I felt Belinda’s reaction! It is hard to imagine that the wolf, handled by humans since birth, would turn, at least until the other two wolves in that pack are seen with similar stains on their fur. The police sergeant, Jacob Hardy, doesn’t disguise his feelings about the death of the staff member. I am surprised he didn’t demand that they be taken into quarantine. This is an intense and challenging mystery! I appreciate the research the author has done on wolves and incorporates into the story, and how Veronica, one of the tour guides, is using what she learns at the preserve for her master’s thesis. I also enjoy seeing Belinda spend time with Jonas, as they were such close friends when growing up. Of the two guys in her life, he would be my choice, but time will tell what Belinda chooses. Discovering the source of the staff member’s death, and other situations that arise far too quickly, was a challenge. While I did get to the first step before Belinda, I got to the rest of the staircase at the same time. I would be scared to death to get into some of the situations Belinda does! I highly recommend this novel to fans of the author and those who appreciate well-executed cozy mysteries, very likable characters, and unique pet sitting opportunities. From a thankful heart: I received a copy of the ebook from the publisher through NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

Great read. Kept me wanting to keep reading.