19 CRIMINALS: A Romantic Comedy Mystery Novel
(Maizie Albright Star Detective)
by Larissa Reinhart
I am delighted to welcome Larissa Reinhart to
Escape With Dollycas today!
MEET CUDDLES, THE NEW HOOCH
by Larissa Reinhart
With the release of 19 CRIMINALS, I most look forward to everyone meeting Cuddles. Cuddles is Maizie Albrightâs unexpected canine companion in this eighth mystery. Take that image of the poofy, little lapdog out of your head. Instead, picture 150 pounds of slobber, snarl, and snap. This is the Cuddles youâll meet at the beginning of 19 CRIMINALS.
I saw you flinch. But donât worry, heâll grow on you. Dogs have a tendency to do that, donât they?
Cuddles is a gigantic, ferocious bullmastiff, who upended the Mr. & Mrs. Smith-style mystery I was writing and turned it into a Turner & Hooch meets Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
Why did I allow that to happen? Sadly, I donât have a lot of control over my characters once my fingers get busy on the keys. Also, Cuddles was so much fun to write, I let him off leash and enjoyed his romp.
My dog, Biscuit, is sixteen pounds of terrier bounce and sniff. Cuddles was inspired by my neighborâs bullmastiffs, Charlie and Winnie. The chocolate brindle bullmastiff pictured is the sweetheart, Charlie, one of Biscuitâs friends in our neighborhood. Charlie was also a living vacuum. When he wasnât eating forest debris, he loved to take naps during his walks.
The fawn-colored bullmastiff pictured is Charlieâs older sister, Winnie. Winnie was not so much of a friend, but a tolerated member of Biscuitâs community. If allowed to do so, Winnie could scare the pants off people, other dogs, and the surrounding wildlife (caveat: in my neighborhood, only the people wear pants, although we had one dog who wore dresses).
Through Charlie, Winnie, and their dog mom, Cinda, I learned a lot about bullmastiffs. And found a lot of humor in their personalities.
While doing research on bullmastiffs for 19 CRIMINALS, I learned they are âpeopleâ dogs, which I understood from Charlie and Winnie. They love their peopleâfiercely loyal, yet perfect couch potato companions, too.
However, they are true working dogs. The Romans used mastiffs as war dogs and even used them to fight with gladiators. In the sixteenth century, the British aristocracy bred them with bulldogs to use as sentries for their estates. The dogs would patrol their forests at night, looking for poachers, and would spring on the trespasser and hold them until the groundskeeper would appear. This came in very handy for some of 19 CRIMINALSâ action scenes. I never saw Charlie or Winnie knock someone down and stand on them until help came, but I believe they could do it.
I love that paradoxâready to fight, yet also ready to nap. Reminds me of a linebacker. And linebacker eating? For a bullmastiff the size of Cuddles, about six cups of dry dog food a day. Or the equivalent of seven pounds of meat.
However, Cuddles prefers chicken sandwiches and donuts to dog food. This is not a recommended diet, not even by fiction standards. But thatâs Maizieâs diet, and Cuddles had a tendency to help himself.
Bullmastiffs are also known to slobber, drool, and snore. Great characterization traits for a story, too. Add in the constant search for food and a dogâs tendency to chew when bored, and I had more than enough material to make Cuddles a real character.
Charlie and Winnie were well-behaved (for the most part) because Cinda is a dog whisperer and had Charlie and Winnie well-trained. Charlie was truly a gentle giant. Winnie was more ferociousâalso a bit of a tiger mom with Charlieâbut presented herself serenely, an unflappable guardian. They were both extremely protective of Cinda, but if Cinda seemed okay with a situation, Charlie would immediately expose his belly for a rub. Winnie would give you the side-eye and relax off her protective stance. A little.
I miss Charlie and Winnie, and maybe Biscuit does, too. I guess my subconscious decided to resurrect them into my story as Cuddles.
Cuddles could really use a Cinda in his life, but he gets Maizie Albright. Cuddles and Maizie learn a lot from each other, and not all of it was solving the mystery. I hope you enjoy getting to know Cuddles, too!
Thank you, Larissa, so much for visiting today. My daughter has an African Mastiff and he is so darn loveable.
_____
Keep reading for more information about Larissaâs new book 19 Criminals.Â
About 19 Criminals
19 CRIMINALS:
A Romantic Comedy Mystery Novel
(Maizie Albright Star Detective)
Cozy Mystery
8th in Series
Setting - Georgia
Past Perfect Press (January 16, 2024)
Print length â : â 416 pages
Digital ASIN â : â B0CHR1TBZR
IS IT CONSIDERED STALKING YOUR BOYFRIEND IF HEâS INVOLVED IN YOUR MURDER INVESTIGATION? (ASKING FOR A FRIEND)
Turner & Hooch meets Mr. & Mrs. Smith in the eighth book of the Wall Street Journal bestselling Maizie Albright Star Detective series. For fans of rom-com mysteries, like Janet Evanovichâs Stephanie Plum or Jennifer Crusieâs Liz Danger seriesâreaders who like quirky characters, funny fast-paced plots, and amateur sleuthing heroines who earnestly agonize over (but not between) murder and marriage.
#WannabeMrsSmith Ex-celebrity and current (assistant) private investigator Maizie Albright finds her already strange life has become even odder. Her new partner is two hundred pounds and canine. And her ex-partner/still-boyfriend is on the wrong side of her infidelity case.
Not that Wyatt Nash is cheating.
At least not on Maizie. She thinks Nash is cheating on his boss. Her dad. Which sounds much worse than it is. Except it is (maybe) worse than it soundsâŠ
Itâs Spy vs. Spy â or rather, Detective vs. Detective â when Maizie and Nash realize theyâre both tailing the same subject for very different reasons. Can Maizie out-investigate Nash to learn the secrets heâs probing into at her fatherâs company?
Secrets she fears are much darker (and stinkier) than the secret DeerNose formula.
Secrets possibly related to old rivalries and a recent murder.
Her relationship is on the line, but itâs more than her heart at stake. Her career rests on this case. And thereâs a killer at large. One who will do anything to keep dark secrets from getting dragged into the light.
About Larissa Reinhart
A Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Larissa loves to tell funny stories about sassy Southern women looking for love (and sometimes dead bodies) in all the wrong places, like in her international award-winning Cherry Tucker Mystery, Maizie Albright Star Detective, and Finley Goodhart Crime Caper series. You might have seen Larissa and her family with their little dog, Biscuit, on HGTVâs House Hunters International âLiving for the Weekend in Nagoyaâ episode. Theyâre back in Georgia where Biscuit has a bigger yard and now barks at deer instead of crows.
Check out LarissaReinhart.com to learn more and get a free story while youâre visiting.
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The Rest of the Series
Also written by Larissa Reinhart
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