Rating: 4 out of 5.

I really enjoyed this contemporary cozy mystery that focuses on 25 year old Kat who had a terrible childhood, never stays in one place long, and doesn’t let anyone into her life, and 77 year old Dorothy, who has lived in Shelley House over 30 years and has appointed herself caretaker and watchman of the building and her neighbors. Neither woman is liked much, but underneath the crankiness and contempt, is a world of hurt, grief, and pain.

Kat is subletting a room in Shelley House and has no plans to stay in town long, but when her flatmate Joseph is injured and winds up in the hospital, there is no one to watch his dog. It’s a mystery whether he tripped and injured his head, or was attacked. Kat and Dorothy think the latter, and coupled with a notice of eviction for the entire building, they are betting their slumlord is the culprit. The unlikely duo band together to fight the landlord and get justice for the tenants.

Although it’s understandable how Kat came to be so closed off, it was still hard to connect with her until she started caring for Joseph’s dog and reluctantly teams up with Dorothy to discover how Joseph was injured. This forces her to work with Dorothy, communicate with strangers and the other neighbors, and more importantly, reporter Will, who helps dig into the mystery. Slowly she starts to trust others, which allows us to see more of her. Her character arc was a bit up and down throughout the book, but that’s how life is, isn’t it? Life is messy and rarely goes smoothly.

Dorothy was my favorite character. She reminded me of every prickly busybody “Karen” that self-appoints herself the person in charge. I loved her character growth as she is forced to work with pink-haired, tatooed Kat, and accept responsibility to watch Joseph’s dog. I cracked up every time Dorothy gave the dog a treat, patted his head, or let him kiss her face. She thought she was being so slick and secretive, but dogs have a way of worming their way into your heart, and Dorothy was no exception. As the story progresses, we come to understand why she monitors the building so closely and keeps her daily journal of everyone’s activity, and it was hard to read the extent of her guilt and grief. Luckily, even Dorothy learns that it’s never too late to live your best life.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group. All opinions are my own.