Dogs Don’t Lie is a work of cozy mystery fiction centered around animals, and was penned by author Lisa Shay as part of her Kallie Collins Mystery collection. In this fast-paced storyline, we meet our central heroine Kallie Collins as she is working hard at Medford Emergency Animal Hospital. When Kallie is tasked with wrestling a mysterious bone from a very stubborn dog, she unveils her secret ability to communicate with animals. The bone belongs to a human, so the dog says, and he leads Kallie to an entire body. Unfortunately, those around Kallie immediately put the finger of suspicion on her as to how she acquired this mysterious knowledge.

In a charming and intriguing story from the get-go, author Lisa Shay knows how to settle readers in for an entertaining mystery ride that never takes too dark or dreary a turn. Despite the bones and bodies being unearthed, the theme of the furry little friends who help Kallie through her troubles keeps things light and humorous, and the gorgeous beauty of Oregon is faithfully and lovingly brought forward to light up the scenery of every page. There’s clearly plenty of room to grow and more characters to meet from this opening adventure into Kallie’s world. Her communication skills with animals are credibly portrayed and present a whole new world of possibilities for mystery fiction in the future. Overall, Dogs Don’t Lie is an excellent and delightful tale that will make a great addition to anyone’s cozy mystery reading pile.

Veterinarian Kallie Collins uses a special technique to communicate with a dog and cat who witnessed a murder in Dogs Don’t Lie, the first book in Lisa Shay’s Kallie Collins Cozy Mystery Series. Kallie Collins successfully dodges another of her mother’s attempts to set her up on a date when she’s called away on an emergency. The police require veterinarian assistance with a dog that refuses to give up the human bone he’s discovered. Once on the scene, Kallie puts her training in Animal Communication to use. The dog leads Kallie and the cute but skeptical Detective Ben Jacobson to a skeleton buried in a ditch. Kallie’s skills are needed again when the police track down the deceased’s family, whose pet cat and dog share startling information with Kallie.

A clever, relatable heroine with unique skills and an intriguing mystery make for addictive reading in Lisa Shay’s Dogs Don’t Lie. Shay’s descriptions of Kallie implementing the animal communication skills she’s adept in are clear and convincing while the imagery of the Southern Oregon woods is enchanting. I loved the close-knit bond Kallie shares with her best friends, Grace and Sam, and the budding chemistry between Ben and Kallie. I look forward to seeing whether there’s romance on the cards for Ben and Kallie in future installments of the Kallie Collins series, as well as discovering what happened that made him transfer to Medford. There are several deliciously tense moments as Kallie searches for answers, and eventually finds them in a surprising denouement. Dogs Don’t Lie is a fast-paced, entertaining cozy mystery.