A fund raising project turns into a family nightmare for Mae December that involves the disappearance of Mae’s sister’s, July’s, boyfriend, Tom Ferris, fifteen years earlier. Because July has found Tom dying, Mae’s boyfriend, Sheriff Ben Bradley, is warned not to take part in the active investigation, so it’s up to his Detective, Wayne Nichols, and Debuty Rob Fuller to conduct interviews while Ben, aided by the indomitable office manager, Dory Clarkson, is tied to the office doing research; which uncovers a possible reason why Tom Ferris disappeared.

Murder aside, Mae is dealing with a sister on the verge of a mental breakdown, training a new puppy (she breeds porgis – a cross of Pug and Corgi) and entertaining Ben’s four-year-old son Matthew for the weekend.

Some of the characters in Lia Farrell’s book are explored in depth.  Dory has ambitions; Wayne is hiding a gut-wrenching personal history and George Philips may be a stronger member of the team than Ben thought.

A mix of drama with some comedic moments (well, there are dogs; and a four-year-old), TWO DOGS LIE SLEEPING is an enjoyable read.  You really want to know how Mae and Ben get along; if Dory will move up in the police and if Mae’s sister will – at last – get over Tom Ferris and make peace with her husband.

—Sally Powers, I Love a Mystery Reviews, Posted 6/28/2014
http://iloveamysterynewsletter.com/SALLY%20POWERS.html#TWO

Two Dogs Lie Sleeping: A Mae December Mystery by Lia Farrell
Publisher: Camel Press
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (286 Pages)
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Cyclamen

It’s early August in Rosedale, Tennessee, and July December Powell is alone at the historic Booth Mansion, putting the finishing touches on the Showhouse room she designed for tomorrow’s grand opening. A loud noise draws her to the nursery, where a man lies dying. Not just any man, but Tom Ferris, the love of her life, who she hasn’t seen since he disappeared with no explanation some fifteen years earlier. Who shot Tom in the back? What drove him away in the first place and made him stay away, even after his parents were killed in a car accident? What was he trying to tell July with his last breath? The gossip mill is in high gear in the small town of Rosedale, and July is the sister of Mae, a dog breeder and kennel owner who happens to be dating the sheriff, Ben Bradley. Ben’s close relationship with the December family has thrown a wrench in his investigation, forcing him to rely on Detective Wayne Nichols, his deputies, and his office manager Dory to do most of the legwork. Meanwhile July’s marriage is imploding, and Mae already has too much to deal with—including a new corgi puppy and Ben’s four-year-old son. Mae is torn between loyalty to her boyfriend and her sister as she does her darndest to get the bottom of a case that just seems to involve more and more of their friends and neighbors.

July Powell finds her former lover dying on the nursery floor of the historic Booth Mansion. He’d disappeared over fifteen years ago, just as they were going to get engaged, and now she finds him fatally shot. When Tommy Ferris is pronounced dead at the hospital, Sheriff Ben Bradley is given the case. However, the fact that he is dating July’s sister Mae complicates things for him. He can only oversee the paperwork, but he cannot interview any suspects or collect any evidence.

Two Dogs Lie Sleeping is a fast paced mystery with lots of twists and turns in the plot. The author plays fair with the reader, but it is still very hard to figure things out until the end. And even at the end, there are more surprises.

For me though, even better than the plot are the characters. Mae, who runs a local kennel and just got a new puppy, is bright as well as kind. She cares a great deal about her family, but she also loves Ben. She ends up having to define her loyalties and look carefully at her priorities.

One of my favorite characters is Dory Clarkson, the office administrator for the sheriff’s department. She is computer savvy, whip smart, sassy, and caring. She wants to become a detective and I, for one, hope she gets the chance in the next novel in this series.

The story is told from several points of view—Mae’s, July’s, Ben’s, and others—and each point of view adds greatly to the story. Not only do the different viewpoints bring more information to light, but more characters are developed and the reader is drawn into the lives of a number of them. And through it all, there are a number of dogs who add even more charm to a delightful cozy mystery.

This is the second in the Mae December Mystery series and I have read the first as well. The books stand alone just fine, but my choice would be to read them in order so that the growth in some of the personal relationships can be fully savored.

-Cozy Mysteries Book Reviews (Read The Review Online)