Dogs Don't Lie

A Kallie Collins Cozy Mystery

Fiction - Mystery - General
189 Pages
Reviewed on 10/20/2019
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Lisa Shay did take a class on animal communication, really, it’s a thing, but after only a one-weekend course, her skills are very limited. Luckily, it’s not necessary with Annie, a rescued terrier mix who has no trouble expressing herself.

Lisa lives in the Pacific Northwest on the southern Oregon coast where she and Annie take long walks along the amazing beaches in the area. She often meets with friends for great food and spirited conversations.

These animal cozy mysteries came from an idea shared with her sister, who then insisted she start writing. Lisa also goes by the name R E Sheahan, writing YA Science Fiction/Fantasy.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Patricia Reding for Readers' Favorite

Mysteries come in all forms, including the “cozy” form, which accurately describes Dogs Don’t Lie by Lisa Shay. Shay’s protagonist, Kallie, is a veterinarian whose mother is a bit embarrassed by Kallie’s chosen profession, yet is always trying to set her up with eligible young men. But when Kallie meets Ben, a local law enforcement officer, readers quickly discover that this new relationship seems destined to go somewhere. Even so, for now, it centers around an investigation for which Ben requires Kallie’s help. Why Kallie? Well, you see, she possesses an almost magical ability to communicate with animals. Through the animals’ memories that play in her mind, Kallie can “see” what amount to videos of sorts of past events. Thus, if the animal with which Kallie communicates saw the perpetrator of a crime, she too can “see” that image. When this ability becomes publicized, Kallie’s safety is in danger. Or perhaps she is in danger because of the investigation in which she and her two best friends, Gracie and Sam, are engaged—notwithstanding Ben’s cautions to the contrary.

Lisa Shay’s description of Dogs Don’t Lie as a “cozy” mystery is most accurate. You see, this mystery is light and upbeat. At its heart, it is the story of a professional young woman and her family and friends. Kallie’s relationships with Gracie and Sam feel accurate, as does the bit of stress she gets from her overly concerned mother. The little touches Shay has added make the story believable, like when Kallie mentions her favorite author or makes arrangements to pick up her favorite cupcakes or takes a ribbing from her friends about her budding new relationships with Ben. With this genuine backdrop, readers are willing to suspend belief when it comes to Kallie’s animal-communication abilities and thus fall into this relaxed and “cozy” read.

K.C. Finn

Dogs Don’t Lie is a work of cozy mystery fiction centered around animals, and was penned by author Lisa Shay as part of her Kallie Collins Mystery collection. In this fast-paced storyline, we meet our central heroine Kallie Collins as she is working hard at Medford Emergency Animal Hospital. When Kallie is tasked with wrestling a mysterious bone from a very stubborn dog, she unveils her secret ability to communicate with animals. The bone belongs to a human, so the dog says, and he leads Kallie to an entire body. Unfortunately, those around Kallie immediately put the finger of suspicion on her as to how she acquired this mysterious knowledge.

In a charming and intriguing story from the get-go, author Lisa Shay knows how to settle readers in for an entertaining mystery ride that never takes too dark or dreary a turn. Despite the bones and bodies being unearthed, the theme of the furry little friends who help Kallie through her troubles keeps things light and humorous, and the gorgeous beauty of Oregon is faithfully and lovingly brought forward to light up the scenery of every page. There’s clearly plenty of room to grow and more characters to meet from this opening adventure into Kallie’s world. Her communication skills with animals are credibly portrayed and present a whole new world of possibilities for mystery fiction in the future. Overall, Dogs Don’t Lie is an excellent and delightful tale that will make a great addition to anyone’s cozy mystery reading pile.

Caitlin Lyle Farley

Veterinarian Kallie Collins uses a special technique to communicate with a dog and cat who witnessed a murder in Dogs Don’t Lie, the first book in Lisa Shay’s Kallie Collins Cozy Mystery Series. Kallie Collins successfully dodges another of her mother’s attempts to set her up on a date when she’s called away on an emergency. The police require veterinarian assistance with a dog that refuses to give up the human bone he’s discovered. Once on the scene, Kallie puts her training in Animal Communication to use. The dog leads Kallie and the cute but skeptical Detective Ben Jacobson to a skeleton buried in a ditch. Kallie’s skills are needed again when the police track down the deceased’s family, whose pet cat and dog share startling information with Kallie.

A clever, relatable heroine with unique skills and an intriguing mystery make for addictive reading in Lisa Shay’s Dogs Don’t Lie. Shay’s descriptions of Kallie implementing the animal communication skills she’s adept in are clear and convincing while the imagery of the Southern Oregon woods is enchanting. I loved the close-knit bond Kallie shares with her best friends, Grace and Sam, and the budding chemistry between Ben and Kallie. I look forward to seeing whether there’s romance on the cards for Ben and Kallie in future installments of the Kallie Collins series, as well as discovering what happened that made him transfer to Medford. There are several deliciously tense moments as Kallie searches for answers, and eventually finds them in a surprising denouement. Dogs Don’t Lie is a fast-paced, entertaining cozy mystery.