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Bird, Bath, & Beyond: A Mystery (The Agent to the Paws Mysteries Book 2) Kindle Edition

by E. J. Copperman (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 45 ratings
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The second in this hilarious cozy mystery series features a woman who is a talent agent for show biz animals and discovers that she has a talent herself: solving crimes.

"Admirers of old comedy sketches and anyone looking for a laugh-out-loud mystery should pick up this series launch by Copperman." —Library Journal (starred) on Dog Dish of Doom

"Readers will root for Kay to be more than pals with Sam Gibson, proprietor of Cool Beans coffee house—and, of course, to keep Bruno as more than a client. [Filled with] resilient, warm, funny supporting players." —Publishers Weekly on Dog Dish of Doom

"The wry, feisty heroine is a welcome addition to Copperman's troupe." —Kirkus Reviews on Dog Dish of Doom

Kay Powell, theatrical agent to non-human animals, is babysitting—that is, birdsitting—her client, a parrot named Barney, on the set of his new TV show, Dead City. When the show’s charismatic star is shot in his trailer between scenes, the only eyewitness to the crime is—you guessed it—Barney. And even though Kay keeps explaining that even a “talking” parrot doesn’t actually converse with people, the investigators insist on interrogating the bird for information he clearly can’t communicate.

Suspects accumulate like birdseed, and before long it’s clear the killer believes Barney might actually be able to supply useful evidence. Even Barney can’t fly away from this one.

Previous page
  1. Book 2 of 2
    Agent to the Paws
  2. Print length
    299 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Minotaur Books
  6. Publication date
    October 9, 2018
  7. File size
    1331 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A second sharp outing for Copperman's pitch-perfect heroine."―Kirkus Reviews

"Charming...animal lovers and cozy readers should savor this romp through the world of animal acting and television production."―Publishers Weekly

"Funny cozy mystery with a cover I'm in love with."―Book Riot

Praise for Dog Dish of Doom:

"Admirers of old comedy sketches and anyone looking for a laugh-out-loud mystery should pick up this series launch by Copperman."―Library Journal (starred)

"Readers will root for Kay to be more than pals with Sam Gibson, proprietor of Cool Beans coffee house―and, of course, to keep Bruno as more than a client. [Filled with] resilient, warm, funny supporting players."―Publishers Weekly

"The wry, feisty heroine is a welcome addition to Copperman’s troupe."―Kirkus Review

"Well-drawn characters, including a heroine who talks directly to the reader, and effectively framed with details of the theater enhance this humorous cozy."―Booklist

“E.J. Copperman – I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again – is one of the best cozy writers working at the moment… Great first in a series, and I’m looking forward to more.”―Aunt Agatha’s

“The author gives Kay a voice that is a believable mixture of exasperation and vulnerability, and her attitude towards show business is equal parts fondness and despair… Copperman has the makings of a successful series, one that could break out and find a wider audience than just “cozy” readers.”―Criminal Element

“Kay’s narrative voice is very good, and her parents are delightful (El has a great response early on when Kay says “Mom, I don’t think you’re getting exactly what I’m risking here;”Jay is constantly playing a part). This is probably going to get tagged as a “cozy,” and maybe it is. But it’s also pretty tough underneath. I think you’ll enjoy this installment; I know I’m already looking forward to #2.”―Words & Music

“Readers can always count on getting a good mystery, great characters, and a lot of laughs as they turn the pages. The only disappointment is in finding out how it ends, is that you’re at the end of the book. Get them all and binge read. It will improve any bad day and make good days even better.”―Kings River Life Magazine

About the Author

E. J. Copperman is the author of the Haunted Guesthouse series (Berkley Prime Crime) with nearly 200,000 copies sold. Writing as Jeff Cohen, he has published two nonfiction books on Asperger's Syndrome, including The Asperger Parent. You can visit him at EJCopperman.com.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B079DW43S9
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Minotaur Books (October 9, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 9, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1331 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 299 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 45 ratings

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
45 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

kfromMN
5.0 out of 5 stars Love this series
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2022
Verified Purchase
Is it really a series if it consists of only two books? Please write more of this series. Of the two, this was the better one. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good mystery, and loves animals.
One person found this helpful
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Donald A. Coffin
4.0 out of 5 stars A well-done mystery, with likable characters, and a parrot (who has some of the best lines
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2018
Verified Purchase
Kay Powell, whom we first encountered in Dog Dish of Doom[1], represents animals (and their owners) to the entertainment business. She grew up as a child performed in her parents’ night-club and cruise-ship act, until she dropped out and entered college, intending to become a veterinarian (which lasts until sciences do that in), but getting a law degree (and license to practice).

Her newest client, Barney, is a parrot, and a replacement for Babs (who is no longer, apparently, with us) who has a continuing role on a hit TV series (Dead City, a zombie-based adventure/drama). Barney, we soon learn, is quite adept at being able to repeat short phrases and to associate them with cues. Kay is present on the set, because Barney’s owner, Patty Basilico, has a heavy-duty cold. During a break in taping, Kay meets the show’s star, Dray Mattone, who plays the medical examiner. They chat, and Kay leaves Barney in Dray’s trailer to await the subsequent set-up and shooting.

Except another shooting intervenes. Dray is shot (and Barney is a witness, of sorts)). And Kay, once again, winds up in the middle of a murder in which one of her clients is a principal.

Her first difficulty is making it clear to the police (the investigation is headed by Joe Bostwick) that Barney doesn’t really spontaneously say things; he has to be coached into repeating a word or phrase when given a cue to do so.[2] So Kay is stuck caring for Barney for a while and becomes, whether she likes it or not, involved in the investigation. And things become difficult when Barney starts (apparently spontaneously) coming out with lines like: “A lot of people want you dead, Dray.”

Things become even more difficult when the police arrest Patty, because Patty says she wants to consult with her lawyer—Kay. Kay protests that she is not really a lawyer, and definitely not a criminal defense lawyer, but she in temporarily stuck. (She does get Patty linked up with a law school buddy, Jamie Wallace, who is a criminal defense lawyer, and a good one, and this will be a very high profile case for him.)

Meanwhile, Kay’s parents, who stay with here when they aren’t working, have their own crisis to deal with—her mother wants to quit.

And things proceed, with a lot to be sorted out, which it eventually is. And Kay managed to sort through several layers of deception to arrive at the truth. The book moves smoothly, and the characters, both the continuing ones and the ones whom I do not expect to see in subsequent books, are well-dome. I enjoyed this a lot, and will be happy to buy the next installment as soon as it’s available.
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Shirley Wetzel
5.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining read that is not (just) for the birds
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2018
Verified Purchase
Kay Powell is a theatrical agent whose clients usually have four feet or paws, but she does handle the occasional bird or ferret. She gets stuck with babysitting a parrot named Barney who has an important role in a detective series with zombies. The star is murdered in Barney's presence, and the cops think he can name the killer. The media and the suspects think so too. Kay, no stranger to crime-solving, uses all her resources and tricks to uncover the truth.
This is the second in the Agent to the Paws series. Copperman's sly sense of humor comes through loud and clear. I highly recommend Bird, Bath and Beyond, a fun mystery with delightfully zany characters and a stellar plot.
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loves cozy mysteries
4.0 out of 5 stars different series
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2020
Verified Purchase
good ideas makes in different either as book or audio to listen to
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Reader of the Pack
5.0 out of 5 stars Animal Agent with a Sense of Humor
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2018
This book was my introduction to E.J. Copperman. It's always a bonus finding a new author who has written books I can explore. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The writer has a great sense of humor and used it to give the readers truer picture of what the protagonist thinking versus what she saying. Kay Powell is a talent agent who started her own business. All her clients are animals. You can imagine what her opinion is regarding human actors since she refuses to represent them. Kay has a quick wit and her comments kept me amused throughout the book. The mystery had several layers of deception that kept me guessing right up to the reveal. I plan to check out some of this author''s other books very soon.

I received an ARC of Bird, Bath and Beyond from NetGalley. I'm pleased to voluntarily write this review. All comments are my own. #BirdBathandBeyond #NetGalley
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S. Byrd
4.0 out of 5 stars When you just want to relax
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2018
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an advanced digital copy of Bird, Bath, and Beyond by E. J. Copperman. This is the second in the ‘An Agent to the Paws Mystery’ series and my first book in the series. The mystery is self-contained and the reader does not need to have read the previous book to enjoy this one. There seem to be some relationships that are continued from the first book, particularly with secondary characters Sam and Lo, but it is easy to understand relationships between these characters and Kay, the protagonist, without having read the first novel in the series.

In this book, Kay, who is a New York talent agent for animals is representing a parrot who has been hired as a character for one episode of a television series. Barney, is accompanied to the set by Kay because his owner is ill with the flu. The book opens with Kay on set, and the premise is believable enough to help the reader with immediate suspension of disbelief.

Throughout the book there is light humor and some self-deprecating comments about being an animal talent agent. Kay clearly loves animals. She has three dogs of her own, one recently acquired (see first book in the series apparently) and is happy to bring Barney home with her at the request of his owner.

Kay’s assistant, Conseulo, is another regular character in the books, and provides some assistance in taking care of Barney. She is also interested in becoming a talent agent and her efforts to this end provides a side storyline and adds depth to her character. The cast of secondary characters is rounded out with Kay’s parents who are currently on hiatus from their typical work as entertainers and the police detective assigned to solve the mystery of who murdered the television star. Actors and production workers for the television provide possible perpetrators and give a framework to the on-set world.

This is a light, cozy mystery that is an easy, breezy read. It is not at all difficult to keep the characters separate and the actual murder was easy for me to solve. There are a few clues and red herrings spread out through the story, but more time is spent relating the set and activities surrounding the filmings, the story of Kay’s parents and whether or not they will split up their act, and the consideration of several animals as potential first clients for Consuelo. Kay’s trips back and forth to the television set as she talks with various people associated with the production provide the primary information offered the reader who may be trying to solve the mystery on their own.

If you like your books light, with limited emphasis on the murder and how it was accomplished, this may be one for you. There is little tension throughout the book and although the reader is told how the victim dies, it is without any description and absolutely no blood and gore. Even the very last few pages, when Kay is about to solve the mystery if she can survive an encounter with the murderer are written without much heart pounding suspense.
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