Most helpful customer reviews
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Holly, Holly, Holly, Jun 30 2004
I didn't think this was the best in the Dog Lovers Series but it kept my attention. As always, I learned a thing or two about dog traing/showing from Holly, Rowdy, and Kimi but the story was somewhat predictable. The "mobsters" were typical loud, flashy Italian folks with bling bling that get whatever they want. As for Holly and Steve, we knew they were going to get back together before he was even divorced. And of course the "dust mop with teeth's" owner was going to work her way into the plot because she kept showing up outside Holly's house. The book ended by tying up the lose ends but wasn't very clear about the car explosion. I hope Holly gets her spunk, intelligence, and Steve back in the next book.
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2.0 out of 5 stars
Wise Up, Holly, Jan 29 2004
By A Customer
Holly Winter, the heroine of this series, has always been tough and funny. Lately, Holly's become more irritating than tough and the humor in the books has diminished. "The Dogfather" is a fun weekend or evening read but definitely not up to Ms. Conant's usual level. In this installment, Holly becomes an unwilling "Dog Trainer to the Mob", making her way through a stereotypically east-coast Italian group of wiseguys, afraid of boss Enzio and his underworld underlings. In the course of the story, our strong Holly, usually so able to take care of herself, is reduced to watching as her career is jeopardized and her car destroyed. She doesn't trust the FBI; won't tell her friend, police officer Kevin; and puts friends and neighbors in harm's way. All in all, one wonders if she is still suffering the effects of the head injury she sustained in a previous book. The ending is untidy, as an item mentioned briefly in the course of the story becomes an unrealistic motive. And sadly, the Steve & Holly storyline is limping along. Ms. Conant's efforts to keep the two apart, in a misunderstanding about flowers, is straight out of a crummy romance novel. Holly badly needs to give that poor guy a break, before everyone loses patience. In their treatment of Steve, Holly and Steve's soon-to-be ex-wife are actually similarly thoughtless and unkind. Perhaps Rita, Holly's tenant/therapist, should point this out to Holly so that we don't lose what was one of the best relationships in this series. Finally, it is time Ms. Winter finds a loving home for her cat and admits that she hasn't got what it takes to be a cat-owner. Smart about dogs, sadly ignorant of the possibilities of feline friendship.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Book Yet!, Oct 27 2003
Susan Conant has done it again. A fun mystery, Holly becomes the dog trainer of the mafia. Problem is, they're happy to do her "favors" (of the mob variety). When one of "the family" gets murdered, the only eye witnesses are Holly's two dogs, Rowdy and Kimi. If you loved other Holly Winter books, you'll love this one. Written with humor. Paws up on this one!
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