Books, Betrayal & Blame by Sally Bayless

A question that’s regularly asked of cozy mystery fans is: What’s your favourite aspect of a cozy? Is it the small-town or village location? The sleuth and their band of helpful friends and assistants? The cozy setting, which could be a bookshop, tea shop, or florist, for example? Or might it be the furry, feathered, or scaly sidekick, who always manages to unearth that vital clue that cracks the mystery open?

Although I love all the elements mentioned above, as an animal lover, it’s the final one that nearly always makes it for me. And a loyal and lovable dog comes at the top of the list of my favourite animal sidekicks.

Taking a slight sidestep for a moment, my husband and I have been puppy raisers for Guide Dogs UK for the past couple of years. Our first puppy went to school last September. (She qualified with her human partner this April. We’re so proud!) When we were asked in November if we’d home a golden retriever as our second puppy, we didn’t even take a second to say “yes”. The golden retriever is our absolute favourite dog breed, so to have one of our own to love, albeit just for a while, is a dream come true.

But now back to cozies. With a love for golden retrievers, you can perhaps understand why I fell in love with Sally Bayless’s Dogwood Springs series. Sally writes well, comes up with great plots and characters, has created a charming setting, but on top of all that, there’s the most wonderful furry person in her books: Bella, the golden retriever. Of course I enjoyed all those other aspects when I read the first book in the series, Antiques, Artifacts & Alibis, but Bella truly won my heart and compelled me to keep coming back for more.

The newest book in the series, Books, Betrayal & Blame, is out today, and I’ve so enjoyed reading my ARC copy (thanks, Sally!) with my own golden retriever at my side.

Blurb

When a rare original manuscript is set to be given to the library in Dogwood Springs, historian Libby Ballard is among those excited to celebrate the literary treasure. But before the event begins, the book vanishes without a trace—and the donor is found murdered.

With her loyal golden retriever, Bella, by her side and her friends ready to help, Libby starts putting the pieces together. Can she identify the killer before another deadly chapter is added to this tale?

My Review

I’ve enjoyed every book that I’ve read in Sally Bayless’s Dogwood Springs series, and this one has been no exception. Yet again, the author has drawn together all the elements that cozy mystery fans love and has created a wonderful read.

Returning to Dogwood Springs is always like visiting old friends with whom you’re really comfortable. The mystery-solving team that Libby’s gathered around herself is a lovely mix of people of different ages and from different walks of life, and I always feel that I’d like to be part of their group. Especially when Alice brings cake!

And then there’s Bella, the gorgeous golden retriever, who I’m not ashamed to say is my favourite fictional animal. Since I last read a Dogwood Springs mystery, my husband and I have welcomed a golden retriever puppy into our home, so I was able to appreciate the author’s wonderful observations of Bella’s behaviour even more this time around.

The mystery is a delightfully small-town affair, with both family members and members of the local community coming under suspicion for the murder of a local woman at an event at the library. Libby and her team dig around for clues and, of course, they’re the ones who eventually pinpoint the killer. It’s always enjoyable to watch the process as they “interview” their suspects, put the information together, and eventually, after following a few red herrings along the way, unravel the case and bring the murderer to justice.

As a bonus, we also have Libby and Sam researching another historical mystery of their own, and we get to follow their ups and downs as they plan their wedding. Sally Bayless has packed a lot into this multilayered book, and it all combines to keep you reading right until the last page.

And I can’t finish this review without giving a shoutout to the wonderful Donna Rogers for her gorgeous cover design. Her covers are always the perfect pairing for Sally Bayless’s books.

I highly recommend this latest instalment in the Dogwood Springs series and am already looking forward to Libby and friends’ next case. 

Books, Betrayal & Blame was published by Kimberlin Belle Publishing LLC on 16 June 2026. You can buy your own copy of the book on Amazon UK or Amazon US.