To Fudge or Not to Fudge: 03/25/23

Like the first book, To Fudge or Not to Fudge by Nancy CoCo and Vanessa Johansson (Narrator) (2014) wastes no time in introducing the dead body to this mystery. This time the body is bones found in mulch. The initial description of a foot being found, while done with a lighthearted tone is grim and grisly.

Allie McMurphy's puppy, Marshmallow or Mal for short, turns out to have a knack for being a cadaver dog. In other ways too, she's turning out to be a very smart puppy. Right now, though, she's a bit hard to handle sometimes.

But she's nothing compared to a giant St Bernard who has free range of Mackinac Island despite the leash laws. This dog too has a fondness for the mulch bones but is much less willing to drop them when asked.

The case of the unidentified body is set against a reality show being filmed on island. Allie is brought in as a contestant when one of the participants bows out at the last minute.

I liked the reality show sub plot, feeling it wasn't as over done as they sometimes are. It was nice to see the participants for the most part were professional and nice to her. Much of the murder plot drama was outside of the show and competition, a rarity. This mystery reminds me of a mix between Sugar and Vice by Eve Calder (2020) and Murder Spills the Tea by Vicki Delany (2022).

Five stars

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