"Poison & Pooches (A Dog Sitting Mystery #1)" by Sandra Balzo reads more like a second book in a series rather than a first book. There's events that happened prior to the events in this book that come off like something that happened in a previous book rather than just giving us background information. One being how Ariel (the main character) knows her tenant/roommate/half-sister's half brother that she may or may not's be falling for. Also, how she knows the local detective. Those stories seem like they would need a full book to cover and I didn't get even info for a first book in this first book.

However, this one covers Ariel getting settled into her great-grandmother's home she inherited and starting her pet walking/sitting business. Unfortunately, the guest house she owns and her tenant lives in has a termite problem. Her moves into the main house with her and was about to move back out when the floor collapses, revealing a body in the crawl space. Ariel starts asking around about it since she wants to move on with establishing herself and doesn't want any suspicion on her tenant or the possible victim's son.

I honestly wasn't coming to the conclusion it ended up at until right as Ariel was. It was a good twist. I hadn't read any cozy mysteries with that twist yet. Not totally surprised since it for sure places it set in this day and age to use that twist though.

Poison and Pooches by Sandra Balzo sets up a promising cozy mystery premise. Arial unexpectedly inherits her Great-grandmother's home and guesthouse in Monterey Bay before she stumbles on a body under the floorboards.

The problem is the execution of the story, and despite the title, there’s only one dog, and neither the “poison” nor the murder comes into focus until very late in the book. The first fifth is heavy on property issues and termite fumigation, with very little actual mystery or canine charm.

The plot’s slow pace made it difficult to stay engaged, and it is dialogue-heavy, especially as she spends an awful lot of time talking to herself, and then unexpectedly stops mid-sentence when she gets distracted.

Confusing family dynamics didn’t help, and hints about Arial’s relatives and backstory are frequent but rarely explained, making me feel like I'd missed the first book in the series. I hadn't because there isn't one.

Editorial slip-ups, including character name mix-ups, made the tangled relationships even harder to follow.

Key mysteries, like the victim’s identity, do take the book in a different and unexpected direction, and while the ending had a twist, you can guess the 'who is it' long before it is revealed.

For readers expecting a lively, dog-filled cozy with a clever amateur sleuth, this misses the mark. There’s some potential in the setup, but if you're going to base an entire series around one character, maybe tell us something about her and give her some depth.

With thanks to NetGalley for the early copy in return for an honest review.

If there's a puppy involved in any way, I will always read your book. No difference here. What a cozy little mystery with characters that find their way into your heart.

The best and most together character is Monty, the dog. Lots of verbal and situational humor make this a fun read and the solving is a good job, but the story does fall a little flat at times. I think that it makes a good starting point and intro to a series that will keep getting better as the main character gets her stuff together a bit more. Bottom line is that I am looking forward to the next and more!
I requested and received a temporary electronic review galley from Severn House via NetGalley.
Pub Date Oct 05, 2025 ****review @bookbub @goodreads #librarything #storygraph
#PoisonandPoochesby @sandrabalzo #DogSittingMysteriesBk1 @severnhouseimprint
#cozymystery #beachread #California #NetGalley #suspense #localcops #barnesandnoble #booksamillion #kobo #crimefiction #action #unputdownable #smalltown #murderinvestigation
#amateursleuth #inheritance #newseries #situationalhumor #verbalhumor #banter

While “Poison and Pooches” came with witty and funny banter, and a slew of characters to add to the fun mystery, I found it severely lacking in story-telling. This book is heavily dialogue based, something I may be biased toward disliking as I feel it is not a good way to convey a narrative - especially a mystery where I want to put the pieces together myself. I felt no real emotional connection to any of the characters, and therefore the motivation for the whole plot seemed a bit underwhelming. Why was Arial so invested in the crime? Did she have any real reason to put herself in potential danger by investigating? Having heavy dialogue with little to no descriptions of anything else left me feeling disconnected from the story; though the premise, characters, and setting seemed a great place to unravel a mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

For Arial Kingston nothing could be worse than the huge termite infestation found in her new guest house. That was until she stumbled upon the human body in the crawl space.. With too many questions and not enough answers she decides to try and get to the bottom of the mystery herself. Small towns however hold big secrets and she soon realises there’s a lot more to this case than meets the eye.

Poison and Pooches is a humour filled cosy mystery perfect for anyone looking for a fun, easy going, quick read. It’s set in a small town and features a small cast of likeable characters.
The FMC Arial is charming and inquisitive. She’s a total act first and think later type of person which does land her in a few questionable situations!
Whilst not as suspenseful as expected, the story is an enjoyable one with a strong reveal/ending.

Due to the title and description I was expecting more dog involvement. The FMC was a dog walker/sitter, another character a vet and there was one dog frequently featured but not much else.
I also struggled a little with the pacing. Whilst it took a while to get to the crux of the story, the outcome felt rushed. It was still a great ending but I just feel it could’ve been given more time.

Overall an enjoyable heartwarming and humorous book.

I’d recommend Poison & Pooches to those who enjoy -
✧ Cosy mystery & cosy crime books / themes of small town, animal lovers & found family ✧

Thank you Netgalley for the open opportunity to read this ARC, it was much appreciated

The first in the Dog-Sitting Mystery series, Poison and Pooches by Sandra Balzo, features some interesting twists and relationships. Ariel, the protagonist, is new to town due to inheriting property, when she discovers a body in her guesthouse. As she learns more about her neighborhood and town, she uncovers several secrets.

Ariel is a pretty typical cozy mystery character—for reasons unknown, she must be the one to find the answers, and she often doesn’t think before dashing into dangerous situations. But she is still pretty charming, and I enjoyed meeting her friends and neighbors. And, of course, Monty, the dog.
I thought the twist for the murderer was different and not something I have read before. Plus, I didn’t guess the identity of the victim or the reasons for their murder until the author revealed it, which was done very well.

Strangely, there were parts of this that read more like this was not the first in the series, or like this was a spin-off from an established series—couldn’t really put my finger on it. I haven’t read anything else by Balzo, so perhaps it is.

Cozy readers who enjoy the animals as much as the humans should enjoy this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC.

I've read other books by this author so I was excited to see she has a new series.
This book is a strong start to a solid new series and I'm looking forward to reading more.
So far I enjoy the characters and I'm excited to see how it all continues.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book

I’m not usually a cozy mystery reader but saw this had dogs in and decided to give it a go. It was a fun and quick ready and the story kept me guessing. It’s not a serious book and some parts did make me question the reality of the situations but I suppose that’s what makes it a cozy mystery. If you want a quick and fun read with loveable characters then give this book a go :)

A good fun read I loved it !!! Thank you for this read it was good fun fast pace I will recommend a page tuner for real

I get the intent, but it fell a bit short at times unfortunately.

It felt like nothing really happened? The dead body isn’t found until like 20% of the way in, and after that it feels quite slow paced at times. Like 80% of the book is spent trying to figure out this one murder, but it’s not really giving suspenseful vibes. It almost feels like there should have been another murder in the second half of the book just to keep the plot moving at a good speed?

I did like the ending/the discovery of the perpetrator - the moment where everything started clicking into place was well written - gave you the opportunity to fill in the gaps yourself before overtly saying them.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

Arial has moved to the small town to take possession of the house she inherited. Having her shirt tailed relative in the guest house, they find it needs to be fumigated. When a body is found below in the crawl space she decides to help solve who the victim was. Interesting cozy mystery. and was a fast and easy read. Would recommend.

This is a cute and simple book, perfect for fans of pooches and cozy mysteries! I was thoroughly entertained the whole way through this book - it was so much fun and filled with so much heart with a compelling story. I will definitely read more by this author.

A delightful walk in the dog-park! Arial makes for an engaging and enjoyable protagonist as she attempts to piece together the plot while dealing with her new job. It's a classic animal associated murder mystery, much in the vein of Rita Mae Brown's Mrs. Murphy novels, with a twisty crime in a simple plot, walking a comfortable road of engagement. Poison and Pooches may not set the world on fire, but if you look at its synopsis and think you might enjoy it, you almost certainly will.