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Pit Perfect Murder (A Barkside of the Moon Cozy Mystery Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Renee George (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 3,129 ratings
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When cougar-shifter Lily Mason moves to Moonrise, Missouri, she wishes for only three things from the town and its human population. . . to find a job, to find a place to live, and to live as a human, not a therianthrope.


Lily gets more than she bargains for when a rescue pit bull named Smooshie rescues her from an oncoming car, and it’s love at first sight. Thanks to Smooshie, Lily’s first two wishes are granted by Parker Knowles, the owner of the Pit Bull Rescue center, who offers her a job at the shelter and the room over his garage for rent.


Lily’s new life as an integrator is threatened when Smooshie finds Katherine Kapersky, the local church choir leader and head of the town council, dead in the field behind the rescue center. Unfortunately, there are more suspects than mourners for the elderly town leader. Can Lily keep her less-than-human status under wraps? Or will the killer, who has pulled off a nearly Pit Perfect murder, expose her to keep Lily and her dog from digging up the truth?


Fall in love with Lily Mason, the shifter who only wants to live as a human, and her pit bull Smooshie, a rescue dog who in the end may be the one doing the rescuing!


Book 1 of the Barkside of the Moon Mysteries from USA Today bestselling paranormal cozy mystery author Renee George, is an exciting tale of mystery and suspense that will have you on the edge of your seat. A clean read full of humor and small town charm, mystery, and even a little romance.
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  1. Book 1 of 8
    A Barkside of the Moon Cozy Mystery
  2. Print length
    233 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    March 1, 2018
  6. File size
    3235 KB
  7. Page Flip
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  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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From the Publisher

These murder mysteries are pit perfect.

Mystery, paranormal, cozy, small town, older heroine, Barkside of the Moon Cozy Mysteries

Series Reading Order:

  1. Pit Perfect Murder
  2. Murder and the Money Pit
  3. The Pit List Murder
  4. Pit and Miss Murder
  5. The Prune Pit Murder
  6. Two Pits and a Little Murder
  7. Pits and Pieces of Murder

These standalone who-done-it mysteries will have you guessing until the very end!

Renee and Kona

Author Renee George and muse Kona

Always available for the boop!
Always available for the boop!

Kona's to-do list:

  1. be adorable and cuddly
  2. nap
  3. chase squirrels
  4. get the yum-yums
  5. nap again
  6. go for a walk
  7. poop
  8. did I mention napping?

Meet the muse!

Kona the Princess Pitador

My muse Kona, a 7-year-old pit/ Lab mix, is the most cuddly, loving, sweet animal I’ve ever met (totally not bias at all). When she came to us, she was a year old, and so ready for all the love we had to give. She instantly became my crime-solving sidekick, cracking the case of the murderous squirrel, the disappearing fried chicken, and where all the bones are buried in the backyard. She inspires me, not only in writing this series, but in every aspect of my life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Clever, frisky, and fun! Pit Perfect Murder is a spirited paranormal mystery jam-packed with witty characters and rollicking twists. --Ann Charles, USA Today Bestselling Author of the Deadwood Mystery Series

From the Author

Barkside of the Moon Paranormal Mysteries
    • Pit Perfect Murder (Book 1)
    • Murder & The Money Pit (Book 2)
    • The Pit List Murders (Book 3)
    • Pit & Miss Murder (Book 4)
    • The Prune Pit Murder (Book 5)
    • Two Pits and A Little Murder (Book 6)
    • Pits and Pieces of Murder (Book 7)
    • Pittie Party Murder (Book 8)
    Witchin' Impossible Paranormal Mysteries
      • Witchin' Impossible (Book 1)
      • Rogue Coven (Book 2)
      • Familiar Protocol (Booke 3)
      • Mr & Mrs. Shift (Book 4)
      • FurOut (Book 5)
      Peculiar Mysteries & Romances
        • You've Got Tail (Book 1)
        • My Furry Valentine (Book 2)
        • Thank You For Not Shifting (Book 3)
        • My Hairy Halloween (Book 4)
        • In the Midnight Howl (Book 5)
        • Furred Lines (Book 6)
        • My Wolfy Wedding (Book 7)
        • Who Let The Wolves Out? (Book 8)
        • My Thanksgiving Faux Paw (Book 9)
        • You Can't Furry Love (Book 10)
        Grimoires of a Middle-aged Witch
          • Earth Spells Are Easy (Book 1)
          • Spell On Fire (Book 2)
          • When the Spells Blows (Book 3)
          • Spell Over Troubled Water (Book 4)
          • Ghost in the Spell (Book 5)
          Spin-off Novels
            • Burning Djinn of Fire
            Nora Black Midlife Psychic Mysteries
              • Sense & Scent Ability (Book 1)
              • For Whom the Smell Tolls (Book 2)
              • War of the Noses (Book 3)
              • Aroma With A View (Book 4)
              • Spice and Prejudice (Book 5)
              • Age of Inno-Scents (Book 6)
              • Aroma Holiday (Book 7)
              • The Vapes of Wrath (Book 8)
              Hex Drive
                • Hex Me, Baby, One More Time (Book 1)
                • Oops, I Hexed It Again (Book 2)
                • I Want Your Hex (Book 3)
                • Hex Me With Your Best Shot (Book 4)
                • Hex Me All Night Long (Book 5)

                Product details

                • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B079WH8LTB
                • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Barkside of the Moon Press (March 1, 2018)
                • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 1, 2018
                • Language ‏ : ‎ English
                • File size ‏ : ‎ 3235 KB
                • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
                • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
                • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
                • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
                • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
                • Print length ‏ : ‎ 233 pages
                • Customer Reviews:
                  4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 3,129 ratings

                About the author

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                Renee George

                Renee George

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                About Renee:

                USA Today Bestselling author Renee George writes paranormal mysteries and romances because she loves all things whodunit, Otherworldly, and weird. Also, she wishes her pittie, the adorable Kona, could talk. Or at least be more like Scooby-Doo and help her unmask villains at the haunted house up the street.

                When she’s not writing about mystery-solving werecougars or the adventures of a hapless psychic living among shapeshifters, she is preyed upon by stray kittens who end up living in her house because she can't say no to those sweet, furry faces. (Someone stop telling them where she lives!)

                She resides in Mid-Missouri with her family and spends her non-writing time doing really cool stuff...like watching TV and cleaning up dog poop.

                Connect with Renee George!

                Join Renee's Rebel Readers (Facebook Group): https://www.facebook.com/groups/reneesunusualsuspects/

                Like "Renee George, Author" fan page:

                https://www.facebook.com/authorreneegeorge

                Follow Renee on Twitter: @reneegeorge2008

                Website: http://www.renee-george.com

                Instagram: author_renee_george

                Author Note: For readers who have enjoyed reading my books and taken the time to share their love in reviews, thank you so much! I can't tell you how much it means to me to know my work is valued.

                Hugs,

                Renee George

                Customer reviews

                4.4 out of 5 stars
                4.4 out of 5
                3,129 global ratings
                What a darling, clean book this is! I actually went in and bought the 2nd in the series!
                5 Stars
                What a darling, clean book this is! I actually went in and bought the 2nd in the series!
                Honestly I almost never read books with shifters, etc. The cover and the fact that there is a dog involved got me to get it!! What a darling, clean book this is! It was so good I actually went in and bought the 2nd in the series!Lily Mason decided to leave the only place she ever knew--her parents had been murdered--and then so was her brother. She discovered that she had an uncle who lived in Moonrise--so off she went.She got there and her car needed fixing. She left it at the garage in town and starting walking. She would need a place to live, a job and most importantly would have to learn how to hide that she was a shape shifter.She left her car and started crossing the street---when suddenly she was pushed--by a big dog. She would have been run over-but the dog saved her life. She ended up adopting him!! What a big love bug that dog is--you are going to LOVE him! Of course she meets the guy who was walking him, or trying to catch up with him--the chemistry was immediate-but they kind of ignored it. He found out that she had no place to live and offered an apartment above the garage. He ran an animal shelter.Plenty goes on--murder and mayhem. You will not stop reading this one until the end and like me will more then likely want to keep reading this series!
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                Top reviews from the United States

                john
                5.0 out of 5 stars So much fun!
                Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2024
                Verified Purchase
                This book was an entertaining read. The love interest, Parker, was complex. The small-town cast of characters was wonderful. Best of all--- dogs!
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                Jessica Madden
                4.0 out of 5 stars Good Start!
                Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2023
                Verified Purchase
                This ended up being a good listen. At first it felt rather abrupt, mentioning the murders of her parents and brother in the first minute of the book. I felt like I'd missed something, and I have to assume there is another book which explains that story. Still, once things started going and the first murder happened, things seemed to fall into an easy rhythm. Enjoyable and easy, I'd recommend if you're looking for a quick read/listen that won't leave you feeling anxious or with a book hangover. Will give the second a go!
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                Kindle Customer
                5.0 out of 5 stars Great storyline
                Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2024
                Verified Purchase
                I really enjoyed reading it and I highly recommend reading it. I can't wait to read the rest of this series.
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                MaryLou Hoffman
                5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT START TO THE SERIES
                Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2018
                Verified Purchase
                PIT PERFECT is the first in the Barkside of the Moon series. I believe you will need to read them in the order of release. In fact, the main character, Lily, is a transplant from a previous series, the Witchin’ Impossible series. While it is not technically necessary to have read those stories, since you get a synopsis from Lily of what happened to her family, I think I would have preferred to have read those stories first.

                If you’ve never been owned by a pit bull, you are missing out! Smooshie is a very well-written representative for the breed. In my experience, they are lovable, sweet tempered babies for their humans. They are also protective (which is the main source for a lot of the misleading reputation). Renee George describes this particular sweetheart with so much clarity and love it is obvious that she is a dog lover.

                I loved these characters and cannot wait to return to town… even though a return means another murder since these are cozy mysteries. I love Lily. She is an intriguing character with so many facets to be further explored. Smooshie, as I’ve already mentioned, is a fur baby after my heart. Parker is the perfect friend, boss, … boyfriend? I even love that there are loose ends on that front. There is room to grow as the series grows.

                Lily is doing all of this while keeping her cougar-shift a secret from the humans. Thank the Goddess for Uncle Buzz who helps her navigate that rocky beach. Yet, she’s getting notes. Someone saw her.

                Now I’m off to go grab book 2! I have to know who knows her secret.

                Title: PIT PERFECT MURDER
                Series: Barkside of the Moon 1
                Category /Genre: Paranormal Romance, Mystery
                Recommended for: 18+ due to sexual content
                Grammar/editing: B – a few small errors
                Received from: Amazon purchase
                One person found this helpful
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                wiz_programmer
                3.0 out of 5 stars Not cozy, but eh
                Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2023
                Verified Purchase
                What I looked:
                I really liked the characters. Interesting and some twists to many. I also enjoyed the paranormal aspect of this. It gave it another dimension. This was also thrilling and I enjoyed the plot overall.

                What was lacking:
                This is not a cozy. It had some aspects of a cozy, but there is violence. Some people will not like that. I just want expecting it. Grammar issues abound. Also, and what really makes this seem amateurish, is the long front porch. The mystery doesn't begin until about a fourth of the way through. I also didn't believe some character's actions/reactions. Above all, I wanted more twists and turns to this mystery. I was already cheated because the book didn't start until the mystery started, so why so short? I'll not be reading the next book in the series.
                One person found this helpful
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                Miranda J.
                4.0 out of 5 stars Great were-cougar story
                Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2021
                Verified Purchase
                This is my first book by this.author and I must say....well done! The story is about a we red cougar Lily, who has lost her family and wants a.New start. She finally d's she has a long lost uncle and decides to move to his town. However this is a small town that is unaware of weres and Uncle Buzz wants to keep it that way. Of course, Lily will have to learn how to live among humans, which she is happy to do.
                There is not one, but two murders. And although Lily hasn't been in town more than a day, she has met so.e nice.people, one of whom is Patrick whom she really likes. The local sheriff arrests.Patrick foe the murder and Lily, who found the first body, wants.to clear his name.
                The story is well-written and has good character development. All in all, a very Goodreads. I liked reads to more in the series.
                One person found this helpful
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                Tari H.
                5.0 out of 5 stars Loved the characters, the dogs were awesome and even got to help with the showdown
                Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2020
                Verified Purchase
                This was a really good mystery with a nice twist at the end. I was suspecting someone, but it took awhile for me to come up with them due to some good red herrings. I thought the main character being a cougar shifter with witch tendencies was pretty cool and knew going in that it was going to be paranormal, which was fine with me, because it didn't verge on anything too weird, and I know it's all fiction anyway. When Lily moved to a new town to reunite with an uncle she never met who was one of her kind, she had not only one but two human guys interested in her. There was another little side mystery that wasn't solved, so I'm anxious to read on eventually and find out more about that. The main murder was completely explained, so I was totally fine with a mini cliff hanger.
                One person found this helpful
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                billsbabiegirl
                5.0 out of 5 stars Lily only wants to live her life as a human
                Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2019
                Verified Purchase
                Another fun story by Renee George. I have been binge reading the first books in her series the last few days, and can say I found me a new favorite author. I had just finished reading Witchin' Impossible, another first in a different series by the same author, and was surprised that Lily Mason was also in that book, and Hazel and Tizzy in this book. It also was a good book that I could not put down. So here is my review of Pit Perfect Murder. Lily's ambitions are to find a job, a place to live, and to live as a human, you see, Lily is a witch and a cougar shifter. She ends up in Moonrise, Missouri, hoping to meet the last of her family. Right off the bat she meets Smooshie, a pit bull, who rescues her. Through Smooshie she meets Parker, who offers her a job and a place to live. There are a couple murders in town, and Lily is involved in solving them. I never guessed who the murderer was. Will she be able to keep her secret, no one knows she can shift. Murder, romance, and paranormal all in one. This was a fun story and I want to read more from this author, she is very entertaining. I was given an ARC of this book from the author, but to be honest, it was in my TBR pile. So I am leaving an honest and unbiased review because I want to.
                4 people found this helpful
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                Top reviews from other countries

                Translate all reviews to English
                Marcia
                3.0 out of 5 stars É um pouco infantil na resolução dos crimes
                Reviewed in Brazil on May 17, 2023
                Verified Purchase
                É leve.
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                Grace Murphy
                5.0 out of 5 stars This is a wonderful book for everyone who enjoys cosy mysteries, the paranormal & dog stories!
                Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 21, 2023
                Verified Purchase
                A brilliant first book in a series! The main character is a were-cougar called Lily who moves to a new town, gets to know some lovely (and horrible) well rounded characters, gets adopted by a dog and helps to solve a local murder. It is beautifully written, the storyline is believable and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series!

                5 stars! A must read!
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                Hoener, Birgit
                4.0 out of 5 stars Great story, bad editing
                Reviewed in Germany on September 7, 2020
                Verified Purchase
                When Cougar Shifter Lily arrives in Moonrise, Missouri, she's bowled over and subsequently adopted by a Pitbull she names Smooshie. Parker Knowles, owner of the local Pitbull rescue, offers her accommodation while she waits for her car to be repaired. When the wife of the church's Reverend is killed, and Parker is the main suspect, Lily needs all her senses to find the true murderer whilst at the same time trying to hide being a shifter - not an easy feat and actually downright dangerous.
                I loved this book; plot, characters, and storytelling came together and mixed into a perfect tale, with a sort-of-romance and a murder or two to solve. What I did not like were the numerous spelling and grammar errors which really got on my nerves after a while - this story deserved better editing!
                One person found this helpful
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                Kindle Customer
                5.0 out of 5 stars Murder, mysterIES and mayhem
                Reviewed in Canada on April 28, 2018
                Verified Purchase
                What more could anyone ask for? A happy ending? Well, the book has one. The story, everything wrapped just not with a bow, nor an actual end. A series guaranteed to happily create an addict in every reader. I can't image any addict to this, complaining. Bonus, substance is safe to leave in the presence of children, pets and even in-laws! Conversion is both welcome and legal.
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                Kindle Customer
                5.0 out of 5 stars Good reading
                Reviewed in Australia on November 28, 2018
                Verified Purchase
                The plot is clearly defined and it travels at a pleasing pace. The author seems more concerned with pacing the novel and developing the characters than getting bogged down with iffy paranormal stuff.
                Even though its part of a series the story is full with no hanging conclusions. There are more than enough well developed characters to fuel further stories.
                You will enjoy.
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