Richard Audry's "The Karma of King Harald" will take its place on the shelves of those who love [a:Lilian Jackson Braun|21625|Lilian Jackson Braun|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1206733773p2/21625.jpg] and [a:Susan Conant|21712|Susan Conant|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1314469506p2/21712.jpg] for their cozy mysteries and companion animal antics.The story begins with the titular King Harald, a rescue dog of uncertain heritage, finding what turns out to be the first in a series of clues to string of crimes happening in the fictional town of New Bergen (my best guess that this is somewhere in Minnesota, based on a number of indicators). Harald keeps showing up in the right place (or the wrong place) to find new clues -- and that puts his owner, Andy Skyberg, in the perfect position to be a person of interest in the cases.Further complicating matters is the fact that his lady friend, Cass, is the deputy sheriff who is investigating the cases -- and the target of a great many of the crimes is his former lady friend, Trudy.Complications galore, of course ... and a rather surprising whodunnit1 I read a great many mysteries, and the surest way to get five stars from me is to surprise me with the reveal. Audry accomplished that with aplomb.This is an entertaining cozy mystery peopled with great characters and a very nice dog. What more could anyone ask?
