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THE DOG ACROSS THE LAKE is the ninth book in the Paws & Claws Mysteries by Krista Davis. This is one of my favorite series! You can always count on each book to be filled with kindness, adorable dogs and cats, a charming pet-friendly mountain village, and an intriguing mystery to solve alongside protagonist, Holly Miller. In this newest book, friends and family are gathering in Wagtail and the Sugar Maple Inn (which Holly runs with her grandmother, Oma) to surprise Oma with a birthday celebration. I think one of my favorite things about this story (aside from the crafty plot) is we get to see Holly’s family and extended family all in one place. It gives the reader the opportunity to get to really know them as they respond to a crisis. I especially admired Holly’s relationship with her half-siblings and where you might expect angst, there is only acceptance and kindheartedness. I found I wanted to immerse myself in all the social gatherings and spend time with Holly, her family, her friends, and pets, Trixie, Gingersnap, Twinkletoes, and Radar.
But, of course, a murderer has to go spoil the happy gathering which puts Holly’s cousin, Josh, and his girlfriend, Dana, at the top of the police suspect list. Oh my goodness, so many twists and turns, secrets and lies, in this cleverly crafted story. It kept me on my toes and kept me glued to the pages to find out what happened next. Since Holly hadn’t seen Josh since childhood, all sorts of doubts about his innocence come into play. You hate to think the worst of family… yet, sometimes they can change. This added a layer of emotion to the story, which added to the appeal. I also liked how Holly and Officer Dave work together to solve the mystery and worked together to save the town from a new bumbling law enforcement officer, intent on taking over. As the clues fell into place, the suspense mounted and an edge-of-your seat reveal had my heart racing until I’d read the very last page!
Running and living at Sugar Maple Inn means lots and lots of delicious foods are prepared by their chef for people and pets alike. There are several recipes at the back of the book, including one for pets. Had I given my husband a choice of recipes, he would have chosen the Deviled Eggs… so I went ahead and made those since they’re his favorite appetizer. While I’ve made deviled eggs before, they’re always hit or miss with a lot of trying to get them just right as I repeatedly adjust ingredients. Krista Davis has taken the guesswork out of making perfectly delicious deviled eggs! And her simple instructions for cooking them worked flawlessly—no undercooked or overcooked eggs. I also appreciated her advice on using a blender or food processor (I used a handheld stick blender) for the creamiest filling. Since there are only the two of us, I halved the recipe but given how much my husband loved these, I probably should have made the full batch—next time!
Amazon Synopsis
Holly Miller is looking forward to finally taking a few days to relax. Enjoying an early morning on her terrace, she spots an unfamiliar reddish-gold pooch across the lake. She’s intrigued, but never expects to find the very same dog smiling at her in bed when she wakes up the next morning! Trixie and Twinkletoes appear to accept this cute stranger, but Holly doesn’t know to whom he belongs.
Oma thinks the dog looks familiar, and it turns out the wayward pooch belongs to Holly’s cousin Josh. Holly knew her cousin well as a child, but she hasn’t seen him in over a decade. He’s camping with his girlfriend across the lake. Holly returns the cute dog to Josh’s campsite twice, but the second time, Josh and his girlfriend are nowhere to be found. Instead, a guest of the Sugar Maple Inn is dead in their tent. Now it’s up to Holly and Trixie to suss out a sneaky killer.
I’m delighted to offer a print copy of THE DOG ACROSS THE LAKE to one lucky winner! Contest ends February 4, 2024 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)
For people, NOT for dogs.
For a bigger crowd, double the quantity. Makes 24 deviled eggs.
- 12 large eggs
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 4 teaspoons Dijon or yellow mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Paprika
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Place the eggs in a pot in a single layer. Add water to one inch above the eggs. Bring the water to a boil.
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Remove the pot from the heat and cover. Let stand for 10-12 minutes.
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Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with water and ice cubes. When the 10-12 minutes are up, ladle the eggs into the icy water. When they have cooled, remove them and pat dry. You can do this step a day in advance if you like. Be sure to refrigerate the cooked eggs.
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Peel the eggs and slice each one in half. Remove the yolks and place them in a food processor, mixer, or blender. (Note: you can mix the ingredients by hand with a fork. However, I much prefer the silky results from a high-speed blending device.) Add 1/4 cup mayonnaise and 2 teaspoons mustard and combine. Taste. Add the remaining 1/4 cup mayonnaise and 2 teaspoons mustard (or reduce or increase to your tasted), salt and pepper. Mix well.
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Place in an icing bag with a large round or open star icing tip. Fill the egg whites with the egg yolk mixture. Sprinkle with paprika.
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There are an amazing number of slight variations in deviled egg recipes. I think this is largely because mustard varies greatly. I recommend using your favorite mustard because that will likely impart the flavor and amount of tang that you prefer. In my fridge right now, I have two jars of Dijon mustard. One is very mild and pleasant. The other one is so sharp that I would have to use a quarter of the amount of mustard in this recipe! So when making this I recommend testing the flavor as you go.
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Also, buy your eggs in advance if you can. Older eggs peel better than fresh eggs.
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I used a stick blender to blend the eggs and ingredients smooth.
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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Love Krista Davis’ books and can’t wait for the opportunity to read and review THE DOG ACROSS THE LAKE!
Thank you for bringing the book to the forefront of our attention and for the recipe.
I love your books AND your recipes!
That book cover is so cute!! Love deviled eggs!
I use either horseradish or dry yellow mustard in my deviled eggs.
Thank you for the giveaway.
I love this series, and I love deviled eggs. Thank you for sharing the recipe, and for this chance to win!
My husbalnd is also a big lover of deviled eggs.
I personally don’t care for Deviled Eggs but I make them really well. It’s one of the items I always bring to a gathering and if I don’t bring them people get mad. I usually bring a couple of options. A favored among family and friends are my Bacon Jalapeño Deviled Eggs. When I come across new recipes I make them for my family to see if the recipe is a keeper or not. Love your books.
Thanyou for the opportunity. I like to add relish to my deviled eggs.
Thank you for the chance. I love Krista’s books