This is a great first entry in this new series. Dog lovers will love this cozy mystery. The MC makes alot of bad choices and good choices would just have easily moved the plot along. However, author keeps you guessing and I didn't realize who the killer was until it was revealed. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eArc.

This was a great suspenseful murder mystery, with rich characters, a captivating plot line, some romantic undertones and some cute puppies. While a bit slow at the beginning, I was immersed throughout. I enjoyed the characters, their back stories and dynamics, particularly between Charlie and Kayleigh. Guessing the culprit kept me on my toes. I found the villainy of one character particularly excessive at the end, but otherwise it was an exciting story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Cindy Goyette and Level Best Books for this advanced readers copy.

I really enjoyed this story, it has a lot of heart. The characters & world building are really well done, it feels so real. The bad guys don’t have as much given on them but there really doesn’t need to be as they’re recognizable from the start. I love Maya! #DiamondntheRuff #NetGalley

Cindy Goyette is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Not all cozies are fast paced and keep you hooked, but this one is. The characters are engagaing and interesting. The story line was great, with a couple different mysteries woven in.

Charlie is a smart and sassy. She is from new Jersey and having lived in New Jersey for 10 years, I see some of that "don't mess with me" attitude in her. Charlie was training to be in the Police Academy when a medical condition prevented her from completing her training. At the same time, her Aunt Jo-Jo was in a car accident, and unable to run her pet hotel business, Wiggle Butt Manor, in Washington. Charlie and her loving pup, Noah flew out to Washington to help out while Aunt Jo-Jo healed.

One of the first guests Charlie meets is Maya, the spunky senior dog who keeps everyone on their toes. Charlie and Wiggle Butt's youngest employee, the surly Kayley, find her dead. The mysteries start piling on top of each other and everything seems to be interconnected.

I will say, I did not initially anticipate the killer, or where the story line was going. I loved it! I wish I could give this more than 5 stars and I wish there was another one out to read!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Fantastic start to a new series! I loved getting to know Charlie - she’s smart, sassy (that little bit of Jersey comes out at the right times), and a dog lover. Her law enforcement background, while a touchy subject, makes her the perfect sleuth who doesn’t make TSTL decisions. The mystery itself was so well-plotted that I was second guessing my choice as the guilty party repeatedly and thought the ending was perfect. The characters were well-developed and the setting was idyllic. Can’t wait to read more in this series!

Love the setting. This cozy has lots that I love. Dogs, a unique setting and great characters! Warm witty and fun! I definitely want more! Thanks #Netgalley and #LevelBestBooks for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

A mystery wrapped in a puzzle inside an enigma. Or an excellent cozy mystery involving a police recruit from New Jersey forced out by RA, currently on an island in Washington to help out her aunt run a pet hotel for dogs (with themed rooms), finding a dead body and digging into buried secrets like one of the dogs she cares for. Marvelous! And still there are lots of groans and laughs. Great read!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected review galley from Level Best Books | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles courtesy of NetGalley.
#DiamondIntheRuff by @cindy.goyette #WiggleButtManorMysteriesBk1 @ibpalovesindies
@levelbestbooks ***** Review #storygraph #bookbub #goodreads @librarythingofficial #RheumatoidArthritis #MurderInvestigation #islandcops #familydrama #secrets #lies #dogs #witty #situationalhumor #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk #cozymystery #attemptedmurder #murder

im sorry but if you need to smile today, any day, forever more then just make you code word,mantra,call out when you need it words "wiggle butt manor". come on! that is the best name for a place ever. i cackled when i read it in the blurb and from there on in it made me smile on a constant.
i mean it was a book about dogs so it didn't have much work to do passed that to be honest. but it managed it anyway and was a brilliant read for me.
this is a murder mystery with dogs playing a huge part and vital role. they are definite part of the character list.
i enjoyed everything about this book. its brings us Charlie. she lost out on her dream to be a cop due to no fault of her own. so when he Aunt JoJo needs help at her hotel she is there for her in an instant. and she soon settles in with her bestie by her side(dog of course). its a small town so all is seemingly peaceful there. that is until one of the dog owners is murdered. and suspicions are bought down on those dearest to her
so what can Charlie do but to investigate. but its a risk. a risk for all involved. not least because of dogs doing far too much investigating themselves!
theres more to come but ill let you come to it fresh and get the full joy and antics from it.
great book. new author for me too so that a bonus.

4 out of 5 stars

Murder, Mischief, and Mutt Mayhem—A Charming Cozy Debut

Cindy Goyette’s Diamond in the Ruff is a warm and witty mystery perfect for fans of pet-themed cozies and amateur sleuths with heart. Charlie Calderbank is smart, stubborn, and more than capable—even if she’s still finding her footing after a life change. When murder lands on her new doorstep and her aunt becomes the prime suspect, Charlie throws herself into the case with the help of her Cocker Spaniel Noah—and one very mischievous guest dog, Maya.

What Worked:
• Unique Pet-Hotel Setting: Wiggle Butt Manor is as memorable as its name—fun, chaotic, and central to the plot.
• Humor & Heart: The tone strikes a great balance between laugh-out-loud moments and emotional weight.
• Solid Mystery Arc: The clues are sprinkled well, keeping the reader guessing without feeling lost.

Minor Drawbacks:
• Some early chapters could benefit from tighter pacing.
• A couple of red herrings felt slightly underdeveloped.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this adorable and suspenseful mystery. I’m already looking forward to Charlie’s next adventure in Orca Cove!

A good start for this series, an engrossing and entertaining novel featuring a fleshed out and unusual heroine and plenty of dogs.
A solid and twisty plot that surprised me and kept me reading, realistic and lovely dog (Maya my fav), a lovely setting and fleshed out characters.
I really appreciated the fact that Charlie suffers from Rheumatoid arthritis, a disabling and progressive illness that makes you perceive chronic pain. My mother was affliced by the illnes and I appreciate that more people get to know about it.
Let's summarise: great dogs, intriguing and interesting heroine. Solid mystery
Please go and read it, it's worth every minute
Many thanks to Level Books and Partner's in Crime for this digital copy, all opinions are mine

Diamond in the ruff. 🐾🐾🐾🐾

a wonderful story.
i have to say I loved everything about this one. A dog hotel. a wiggly butt manor mystery. what's not to love dogs, hotels, mystery. It's murder. all wrapped up into one. Great story.

Charlie Calderbank,
Returning to her small pacific northwest island hometown of orca cove.
a bit of a mystery going on. she will make new friends and not new friends. Enemies discover things that are going on.


But what a story. Simply phenomenal, if I could give this story 8 stars, I would. It was so good.

I love a book with dogs in it. And this was perfect, a dog hotel, perfect story, perfect. Ending suspense.

This could easily become one of my favorite cozy mystery series. The characters a likeable, and the pet hotel theme is fun. The book does contain instances of child abuse which may be triggering to some. The mystery kept me guessing until the end. I look forward to reading more on this series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this new book by Cindy Goyette. It’s a complex mystery, with strategically placed red herrings to keep the reader on their toes.

The author does a fantastic job of describing the scenery of Orca Island - I felt as if I was actually on a NW Pacific island! And I really wish I was there as the summer heats up. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, and hope many will be back in the next book in the series.

This author and series are definitely going on my favorites list!

Thank you to NetGalley and Level Best Books for letting me read the arc. I’m happy to give my honest opinion.

Diamond in the Ruff is the first book in a new series by Cindy Goyette. Set on an island in the Pacific Northwest we follow Charlie as she returns to her childhood home to help her Aunt with her pet hotel business after she's in an accident. Charlie has just been diagnosed with a medical condition that has made it unable for her to follow her dreams of becoming a police officer so she is happy for the change of scenery and the distraction from her New Jersey life.
Her first day on the island she meets a feisty dog whose owner is MIA, the local charming cop and her Aunt and her employees. Soon after the missing owner is found and Charlie is swept up in a local mystery surrounding inheritance, teen pregnancy and too many secrets. Lots of action and twists to keep you on your toes, plus cute dogs! Cindy creates a wonderful island setting and some great characters you instantly connect with. I can't wait for the next in this series!

This was a super easy and quick read. Perfect if you're looking for something light and fast-paced. I loved the short chapters, making this a breeze to get through. That said, there was one mention of “GD” that made my stomach turn, and another instance of “damn.” While the book is otherwise clean, the cursing felt unnecessary and out of place, especially since the rest of the tone didn’t call for that kind of language. I’m not sure why it was even included.

I enjoyed this delightful cozy mystery, my first read from Cindy Goyette. The setting of a dog hotel in a quaint small town in the Pacific Northwest made for a perfectly charming and cozy backdrop for the story. I was completely engrossed in following the cleverly plotted mystery to its final conclusion, and I particularly enjoyed getting to know the characters and their backstories along the way.

If you're searching for your next cozy mystery read that offers charming small-town vibes and dogs full of personality, I highly recommend Diamond in the Ruff!

Thank you to Level Best Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was a fun mystery book! I really enjoyed all the characters, especially the dogs like Noah and Maya, with their unique characteristics. The setting was quaint as it rested in a small town on a Pacific Northwest island. The mystery kept building throughout the story and I didn't expect the ending at all. I do recommend this book to anyone looking for a new mystery book to try out.

Diamond in the Ruff by Cindy Goyette This was a very enjoyable cozy mystery but the abuse of a child both physically and mentally/emotionally is hard to take even in a Cozy Mystery. Otherwise the characters are interesting the setting is great and I would read the next if this was a series. Thanks NetGalley for the early read.

A new author to me. The plot was great; starting off quickly with a murder mystery. Dog lovers are sure to enjoy! Looking forward to the next story in the series.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Level Best Books. All opinions are my own.

I really liked Charlie’s character a lot especially when I found out what all she’d gone through that led her to come help at the dog hotel. That was a fresh and different spin on a cozy main character and an eye-opening reality that some things we usually equate with older people do hit younger people if it’s a hereditary thing.

Charlie didn’t seem to let her physical limitations own her and worked on other strengths. That Aunt Jo-Jo was such a hoot! I could just picture her knocking down road cones with her wheelchair at rehab lol. When Charlie and the part-time teen employee found a body, everything seemed to go sideways. I was so sure of the whodunit and was surprised at the twist that came toward the end. What a showdown, but Charlie did a good job controlling the perp. The very ending was pretty sweet and now I can’t wait for the next book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Level Best via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.