Ebook Paws for Consideration Amy Butcher Books

Product details Paperback 264 pages Publisher Got G'nads (June 8, 2012) Language English ISBN-10 098520754X

Paws for Consideration Amy Butcher Books Reviews

• This book for me was quite a mixed bag. I expected a traditional "cozy" murder mystery, and didn't quite get it. What I did get was interesting and engaging, but in the end, I was left not quite happy.
  
  First, the positives. The main character, Daisy, is a spunky older woman, wheelchair-mobile. She's friends with all the neighborhood dogs, and thus on hailing terms with their people. She's an unusual protagonist, and initially seems unappealing, but she gets more interesting and likable as the book goes on. The book itself is a slice of San Francisco life in the Castro / Mission area, clearly described from experience and reminiscent of Armistead Maupin's books. There's a lot of shifting viewpoints, but it's done with so much charm that it can be taken as a positive. The author writes all the characters sympathetically.
  
  But the negatives. The book started slowly, especially if you think of it as a murder mystery where a corpse usually appears in Chapter I. But the main issue I had with it was the ending. It left every important issue unresolved, almost as though the author simply ran out of steam and stopped writing about 80% of the way into the book. And what resolutions are there aren't very satisfying. I'm not going to be more specific, because there's no way to hide spoilers here.
  
  Read this book for its slice of San Francisco life, not for the mystery.
• In many mysteries, the amateur detective has some link to the police that they can rely on for help in their investigation--a relative or friend who is a cop, or an ex-cop. In writing Paws for Consideration, Amy Butcher set herself the problem of having her detective work with minimal police contact. Daisy, a wheelchair-bound woman who likes dogs more than she likes people, manages to do some very respectable detection by relying on her relationships with the neighborhood dogs and their owners, plus her own innate nosiness. Almost every character has some piece to contribute to the puzzle of who the murderer is. (The larger message you might take away from this tale is that we're all connected in ways we may not be aware of.) The story flows along at a quick pace, just like Daisy in her wheelchair. Paws for Consideration gives the armchair traveler an insider's look at San Francisco as well as the BDSM scene. The drawings at the opening of each chapter are delightful, and there are also drawings at the top of the pages that form a little flip-book for the reader to enjoy. All in all, a noteworthy debut. As a cat person, I'm hoping the author tries her hand at a deadly feline frolic next.
• a really fun read, i loved it, the characters were compelling a very neighborhood kind of way
• New author with a story set in urban San Francisco setting. A murder mystery where one of the mysteries is whether there was a murder ! Many interesting characters .... the start of a series ?
• I couldn't put the book down for 3 days, and stayed up as late as I could to finish it each night. The pace is great and the characters are developed as the story progresses. The characters are the story. Solving of the mystery isn't as important, although it is what kept me reading to find out "what happens next." I learned alot about the history, and the "ins and outs" of the Mission neighborhood. I developed a great deal of empathy for the main character who although is in a wheelchair, doesn't let anything get in her way to achieve her goal and also has a big-heart. I loved the homeless character also.
  
  I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed this book. It's actually one of the few fiction books I have read in almost 3 years since my children were born, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I also enjoyed the surprise interview at the end, the book group discussion questions, and the art work throughout the book. Congratulations and I hope Ellen D. does have the author on her show! Wouldn't that be great !
• I loved this story- just blew through the entire thing on a cross-continent plane ride.
  
  Super enjoyable mystery read, and though you won't be able to guess the murderer until the very end, it's fun to try, anyway.
  
  This book starts out a simple story of a neighborhood, a murder, and its dogs; but ends up being something more, effortlessly dipping its paws into topics like the underground leather community, homelessness, and gentrification in a way that is smart, well-researched, and startlingly human. You'll be left with way more questions than "whodunnit," as is the case with any good mystery worth its kibble.
  
  Kudos, Butcher. looking forward to the sequel!
• What a fun book... and so much more than a "Murder Mystery"....sort of a Raymond Chandler meets with John Steinbeck' Cannery Row. Much more than just plot; "Paws for Consideration" has excellent character development. Interesting idiosyncratic and flawed characters abound in a complex blend, and the setting in the San Francisco Mission District gives a vivid description of life in one of the great ethnic areas of the city. A great book to take to the beach.
• a sweet, frisky fun mystery novel, whose mystery i couldn't properly solve until very near the end (i like it better that way!), and which is also an exploration of the idea of shared humanity, individual acceptance, and neighborliness. clear, strong, articulate characters, solidly developed. fabulous fun artwork. a book that doesn't take itself too seriously, and is therefore very fun to read.