Books like 'Heart of Barkness'
Readers who enjoyed Heart of Barkness by Spencer Quinn also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary mystery action / adventure animals dogs humor cozy law-enforcement crime suspense
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Gators and Garters by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.72 of 5 stars · 18 ratings‘Til death do us part?Ida Belle, Fortune, and Gertie are gearing up for the big day—Ida Belle’s wedding to Walter—but when the caterer goes missing just a week before the big day, it puts a huge black mark on the joyous celebration... -
Baskets and Beignets by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWorth dyeing for.Ten years ago, Ryan Comeaux was convicted of killing his girlfriend and was sentenced to life in prison. Now a witness has come forward who claims she was with Ryan the entire night and it’s not possible that he was the killer. But the local police assume she’s mistaken and aren’t interested in reopening what they view as an open-and-shut case... -
Fortune Furlough by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIt’s not a vacation until there’s a murder. Fortune, Ida Belle, and Gertie are finally off to Florida on the vacation they’ve always talked about. Days filled with white sand, turquoise water, and fruity drinks are the only thing on the agenda... -
Cajun Fried Felony by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsVenus Thibodeaux had a reputation for being trouble. Some said she started at birth. When she finally left Sinful shortly after turning eighteen, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. When she blew back into town four years later, no one was happy about her return... -
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Swamp Santa by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIt’s Christmas in Sinful and Fortune is set to participate in all the local hoopla. A Christmas gala, caroling, and a sleigh ride are on the agenda. Murder is not. But when someone bumps off Santa, Fortune is aware a killer is lurking among the holiday cheer... -
Swamp Sweets by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIt’s November in Sinful and everyone is gearing up for Thanksgiving. But when Fortune, Ida Belle, and Gertie bag a body on their turkey hunting trip, the quiet enjoyment of fall is over. No one really knew Miles Broussard well, and as he’d recently sold the building his business was in to retire in another state, no one could explain how he’d ended up murdered and dumped in the bayou... -
Bamburgh by L.J. Ross
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen a cantankerous old woman dies at her home in the sleepy, picturesque village of Bamburgh, DCI Ryan doesn’t think much of it—except, that is, for the small matter of it having been his wife who happened to find her body... -
Frightfully Fortune by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsRest when you’re dead?It’s time for the annual Halloween festival in Sinful, and Fortune, Ida Belle, and Gertie can’t wait to suit up and enjoy the food and activities. But when a dead man gallops through the park on a black stallion and slides to a decapitated stop right in front of Swamp Team 3, they know another festival is about to be turned on its head…so to speak... -
Panda-monium by Stuart Gibbs
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTeddy Fitzroy returns as FunJungle’s resident sleuth when the zoo’s newest addition goes missing—before she even arrives!FunJungle is frenzied, awaiting the arrival of its most thrilling animal yet—Li Ping—a rare and very expensive giant panda that the zoo went to enormous lengths to secure. But when the truck transporting Li Ping shows up, its precious cargo has vanished into thin air...Categorized as:
animals anthropomorphism crime humor law-enforcement action-adventure audiobook book -
Hidden Creed by Alex Kava
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSecrets are exposed and Ryder Creed's life hangs in the balance in the riveting sixth installment of the award-winning Alex Kava Ryder Creed K-9 mysteries.NOTHING STAYS HIDDEN FOREVER...During a training exercise, Creed’s scent dog, Grace, is drawn off course and discovers a shallow grave... -
Lost Creed by Alex Kava, Joshua Mackey
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFifteen years ago Ryder Creed's sister, Brodie, disappeared from an interstate rest stop. She was only eleven and Creed was fourteen. Since then her disappearance has haunted him, so much so that Creed has dedicated his life to his K9 business. He rescues abandoned dogs and trains them for scent detection. Together they search for the lost and missing... -
Angels in the Moonlight by Caimh McDonnell
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFor Detective Bunny McGarry, life is complicated, and it is about to get more so.It’s 1999 and his hard won reputation amongst Dublin’s criminal fraternity, for being a massive pain the backside, is unfortunately shared by his bosses. His partner has a career-threatening gambling problem and, oh yeah, Bunny's finally been given a crack at the big time... -
Poison and Prejudice by Chelsea Field
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Izzy agreed to become an undercover poison taster, she didn’t anticipate that it might involve driving around the streets of Los Angeles with a corpse in the trunk. Because the police asked her to. She also didn’t think finding a body together could be considered a bonding experience until she met Connor’s family... -
Still Waters by Sara Driscoll, Susan Bennett
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSet against the gripping backdrop of K-9 search-and-rescue missions, Sara Driscoll’s mystery series is “wonderfully readable” (Publishers Weekly). A treat for dog lovers who like their heroines smart and their stories with a harder edge.A training session in the Minnesota wilderness becomes a fight for survival for FBI handler Meg Jennings and her K-9 partner.. -
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Leave No Trace by Sara Driscoll, Jen J. Danna
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFBI handler Meg Jennings and her search-and-rescue K-9 partner are heading south where it’s hunting season. But this time the prey is human. One arrow through the heart could be a tragic hunting accident. A second one, within days, looks more like a crime. That’s when Meg Jennings and Brian Foster of the FBI’s Forensic Canine Unit head to Georgia to investigate... -
Caleb by Dale Mayer
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFor Caleb, returning to his hometown for his brother’s wedding should have been cause for a wonderful celebration. However, since his brother is marrying Caleb’s ex-wife, Caleb doesn’t want to go anywhere near the event. Yet Caleb returns, as his best friend, Laysha, is in the same town, and they are overdue a reunion. Plus Caleb’s been asked to look into a War Dog adopted out but now missing... -
Harley by Dale Mayer
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsReturning to the town he was raised in was hard, except that Harley can once more see the only golden light of those days. He’d walked away from her because she’d been too young, and he would never be good enough. Harley was back to check on the War Dog Bowser, but Harley can’t help but feel like he never really left... -
One in Vermillion by Jennifer Crusie, Bob Mayer
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom the NY Times Bestselling duo that wrote Agnes and the Hitman, the third book in a new trilogy.Liz Danger is stuck in her hometown of Burney, Ohio, because her insane employer has rented a house there for the summer, which means she has three more months of trying to get a copy edit done, babysitting a seven-year-old, and figuring out what to do with three hundred and ninety-two teddy bears... -
Storm Rising by Sara Driscoll, Angela Dawe
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe heart-pounding thriller of a series continues as FBI Special Agent Meg Jennings and her search-and-rescue K-9 companion confront the fury of nature—and the more dangerous nature of man . . . In the wake of a devastating hurricane, Special Agent Meg Jennings and her Labrador, Hawk—invaluable members of the FBI’s Human Scent Evidence Team—have been deployed to Virginia Beach... -
Before It's Too Late by Sara Driscoll, Angela Dawe
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSpecial Agent Meg Jennings and her trusted search-and-rescue Labrador, Hawk, must race against the clock before a diabolical killer strikes again . . . Somewhere in the Washington, D.C. area, a woman lies helpless in a box. Barely breathing. Buried alive. In Quantico, the FBI receives a coded message from the woman’s abductor. He wants to play a decipher the clues, save the girl... -
Dirty Thirty by Janet Evanovich
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsStephanie Plum, Trenton’s hardest working, most underappreciated bounty hunter, is offered a freelance assignment that seems simple enough. Local jeweler Martin Rabner wants her to locate his former security guard, Andy Manley (a.k.a. Nutsy), who he is convinced stole a fortune in diamonds out of his safe... -
Home Again: Starting Over by Becki Willis
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThings in The Sisters are heating up, and Madison Reynolds is in the hot seat. When a local woman dies in a most unconventional way, In a Pinch takes on the quirky case and once again, Maddy finds herself in the middle of a would-be murder investigation. Even with the help of her grandmother and best friend Genny, this case may be too hot to handle... -
Rest in Pink by Jennifer Crusie, Bob Mayer
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom the NY Times Bestselling duo that wrote Agnes and the Hitman, the second book in a new series.Liz Danger is a ghostwriter, trapped in her old hometown for the summer... -
No Test for the Wicked by Julie Moffett
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA Geek's Worst Nightmare: Going Back to High School Returning to high school is not something I ever wanted to do over—it was awful the first time around. So why do I have to go back as part of a new undercover assignment? Because the universe loves playing jokes on me, obviously... -
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Trap 'N' Trace by Tee O'Fallon
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFor wealthy socialite Katrina Vandenburg, business meetings and charity galas are all part of her orderly, structured world—one that gets blown to hell after finding two dead bodies in the same day. The police think she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. FBI Special Agent Dayne Andrews thinks otherwise. Dayne and his K-9, Remy, are tracking a cold-blooded killer, and that trail.. -
Armed 'N' Ready by Tee O'Fallon
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMassachusetts State Police Sgt. Nick Houston is as tough as they come, and he and his K-9, Saxon, are hot on the trail of a major illegal gun dealer. But his best lead—the beautiful owner of the Dog Park Café, Andi Hardt––is not cooperating. Doesn't matter how sexy she is, or that his dog seems to be in love with her. She's a suspect and he won't cross that line. Ever... -
Laugh or Death by Camilla Chafer
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen a broken man arrives in town desperate to locate his missing girlfriend, loved-up PI Lexi Graves is determined to reunite the lost loves. However, the further Lexi delves into the case, the more it appears that the missing woman doesn't want to be found... -
Duty and the Beast by Chelsea Field
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIsobel Avery's first six months as an undercover poison taster haven't exactly been easy. But this week will be worse. Two people with nothing in common are found dead. Apparently poisoned by an artificial intelligence security system. Now Izzy needs to find out whether robots are taking over the world or if there's a geeky murderer on the loose... -
No Man's Land by Sara Driscoll, Angela Dawe
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSpecial Agent Meg Jennings and her search-and-rescue dog are on the trail of a killer hiding where others fear to tread… For Meg Jennings and her K-9 companion, Hawk, exploring the ruins of a deserted building is an exciting way to sharpen their skills without the life-or-death stakes they face as part of the FBI’s Human Scent Evidence Team... -
The Promise by Robert Crais
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsElvis Cole and Joe Pike are joined by Suspect heroes LAPD K-9 Officer Scott James and his German shepherd, Maggie, in the new heart-stopping thriller from #1 New York Times-bestselling author Robert Crais. Loyalty, commitment, and the fight for justice have always driven Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. If they make a promise, they keep it. Even if it could get them killed... -
Whiskey for Breakfast by Liliana Hart
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Private Investigator's HandbookRule #1: Don't break the lawRule #2: See Rule #1...And then there's Addison Holmes, who makes up her handbook as she goes along. Addison is licensed to carry and she means business. The only thing getting in her way is a sexy detective, a neighborhood watch from hell, a dead billionaire, a black market sperm bank, and a long lost heir. Piece of cake.. -
Catherine Coulter the FBI Thrillers Collection Books 1-5 by Catherine Coulter
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe #1 New York Times bestselling FBI thrillers are “excellent beach reads”*—stock up today on these five suspense novels featuring Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock. From the debut of the series, The Cove, through the “fast-paced twists and turns” of Riptide (San Francisco Examiner), you’ll be swept away...Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement suspense action-adventure adult anthologies contemporary fiction -
No Such Thing As A Free Ride by Shelly Fredman
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPuff piece reporter, Brandy Alexander is determined to win the battle of self improvement. She is eating better (or at least telling people she is) working out (if sparring with a guy who fishes doughnuts out of the gutter and eats them counts) and checking her impulsive behavior at the door. But it's hard to stay on track when her own therapist gives her up as a lost cause... -
A Body on Fitzgerald’s Bluff by Anna Celeste Burke
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMiriam Webster’s a woman with a few secrets—can she keep them after she and her spirited Dalmatian, Domino, find a body on Fitzgerald’s Bluff? When Miriam Webster moves into the Seaview Cottages active adult community, the last thing she expects is to find a body on the bluffs nearby... -
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Burning Justice by Tee O'Fallon
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAfter narrowly surviving a childhood fire that killed two of his friends, ATF Special Agent Brett Tanner knows what it’s like to get too close to the flame. The trauma only spurs him and his K-9 partner to track down the arsonists targeting a Colorado town. This latest warehouse blaze looks suspicious as hell…and there’s a body. Now it’s murder... -
The Sentry by Robert Crais
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsDru Rayne and her uncle are Louisiana refugees who relocated to Los Angeles after Hurricane Katrina. Now, five years after the storm, their struggling restaurant faces a different danger. When Joe Pike witnesses Dru's uncle beaten by a neighbourhood gang intent on extorting protection money, he offers his own brand of protection... -
Escape Clause by John Sandford
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsWhenever you hear the sky rumble, that usually means a storm. In Virgil Flowers’ case, make that two of them. Welcome to another exceptional thriller from the writer whose books are “pure reading pleasure” (Booklist) The first storm comes from, of all places, the Minnesota Zoo... -
Kissing in Action by Camilla Chafer
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Lexi gets her latest gig, tracking down a blackmailer guilty of extorting thousands of dollars from the country’s hottest girl band, it’s practically a dream come true. However, rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous doesn’t turn out to be as much fun as she hoped... -
Poison is the New Black: by Chelsea Field
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Mr. Black becomes the top suspect in a murder investigation, Isobel Avery is roped into helping Etta, her Glock, and her greyhound clear his name. Except her boyfriend Connor is warning her to stay out of it, the new client she’s protecting from poison threats requires her full attention, and oh yeah, Izzy thinks Mr. Black might be guilty… He did once try to beat her to a pulp after all... -
Ghostly Guidance by Sherry A. Burton
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsJerry McNeal didn’t ask to be born with the gift of premonition. Nor did he ask to be haunted by the ghost of a K-9 police dog that doesn’t even appear to like him. And yet, in the second book in The Jerry McNeal Series, Jerry finds himself saddled with both... -
A Fine and Bitter Snow by Dana Stabenow
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsChange never comes easy so when the news breaks that the new administration oil might be drilling for oil soon in a wildlife preserve in southeastern Alaska, home to P.I. Kate Shugak, battle lines are quickly drawn across the community... -
Dirty Rotten Scoundrel by Liliana Hart
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsCan ghosts really talk?J.J. Graves is about to find out when her past comes back to haunt her. Too bad her life was just beginning to seem normal.J.J. and Jack set off together on a mission to uncover the secrets of J.J.'s felonious parents... -
Whiskey Sour by Liliana Hart
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAddison Holmes is at it again. When priceless Russian gems are stolen on their way to Savannah and the courier is murdered, all the clues lead to back to an escort service that seems above reproach. But looks can be deceiving. Throw in a sexy detective and a dangerous FBI agent, and Addison finds out very quickly that she's in way over her head... -
Under a Blue Moon by Steve Higgs
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThis is a prequel to the Blue Moon series. It tells about Tempest Michaels' first day as a paranormal detective... -
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No Brainer by A.J. Lape
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTwo weeks before junior year, Darcy hops a plane to Orlando for a little R&R with her best friend Dylan and his family. Fresh off the heels of solving three murders in Valley, she is ready to sit back and enjoy the vacation capital of the world…maybe if you're a noun. Darcy Walker, however, is nothing but verb... -
Ice by Lauren Carr
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen Sandy Lipton and her unborn child disappeared, the court of public opinion found young Chris Matheson guilty. Decades later, the retired FBI agent returns home to discover that the cloud of suspicion cast over him and his family has never lifted... -
Rocky Start by Jennifer Crusie, Bob Mayer
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRose Malone’s landlord and employer has just died and now she has no idea if she has a job or if she and her daughter, Poppy, have a place to live, and that’s on top of the arrest warrant that’s been out for her for nineteen years. Then a stranger shows up and tries to throw her out. It just isn’t the week to do that... -
The Spellmans Strike Again by Lisa Lutz
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAt the ripe old age of 32, former wild child Isabel "Izzy" Spellman has finally agreed to take over the family business. And the transition won't be a smooth one.First among her priorities as head of Spellman Investigations is to dig up some dirt on the competition, slippery ex-cop Rick Harkey - a task she may enjoy a little too much... -
Maverick by Jodi Burnett
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMaverick will release sooner than the posted date! Stay tuned.Small Town Thriller!While on a run in the mountains, K9 Renegade finds a red high-heeled shoe. He and his handler, Deputy Caitlyn Reed, locate its twin — on the foot of a dead woman floating face down in Moose Lake... -
Taken by Robert Crais
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsWhen Nita Morales hires Elvis Cole to find her missing adult daughter, she isn’t afraid, even though she’s gotten a phone call asking for ransom. She knows it’s a fake, that her daughter is off with the guy Nita will only call "that boy," and that they need money: "Even smart girls do stupid things when they think a boy loves them."But Nita is wrong...
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