Yoshi and Gatsby are back. During his relaxing country break, Gatsby finds himself dragged into a new mystery. But who could be trying to be ff a retired racehorse- even if he is a jerk…

I am not sure who this book is aimed at, but it is suitable for all ages. A simple plot, a lot of red herrings, and a direct writing style and plain vocabulary that makes it very easy to follow.

What makes it better is that even if the animals talk, they are still animals in many ways, not just furry people. Yoshi and Gatsby might live together, but after his owners take Gatsby to the vet, that just means Yoshi tells Gatsby to stay away until he smells right again in words, not hisses.

There some funny moments, flowing naturally from the characters and situations. Gatsby is charming: vain, ego driven and street smart, and utterly obsesses with his show-cat companion Penelope.

It is nice to see characters returning from the first book, but it is a good standalone read. Even better, this doesn’t spoil the previous book, barely touching on the events there, so you can read this and go back to the first without issue.

The thing about this series is that while these may be short reads, they are worth a readers’ time and money. While I can rip through one in an hour or so, I would not welcome interruptions while I was doing so.

Readers who like horror or grimdark will probably not enjoy these, but anyone looking for an escape from those genres, or just something unashamedly fun, should give these a look. How serious am I? I spent my own money on book no 3.