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Unleashed #2

Deadly Tails

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From USA Today bestselling author Beth Prentice comes a doggone funny mystery...


Chloe McDermott’s life in Westport is pretty close to perfect. She has a good job, a gorgeous boyfriend, Brody, and an adorable little dog, Theo.


But when Chloe receives a gift of an old chessboard from an elderly friend, her perfect life unexpectedly falls apart. Theo is dognapped, the chessboard is stolen, and her friend apparently commits suicide in his home. But when the autopsy reveals a murder, Chloe knows something doesn't add up, and she suspects the old game board is at the center of it all. She enlists the help of her boyfriend's hot-headed father and her flamboyantly fabulous BFF to get to the heart of the truth. Can she solve the riddle and find a killer before Theo is added to the body count? Or will she lose her little furry friend forever?


Unleashed Mysteries:
Killer Unleashed – book #1
Deadly Tails – book #2


"Author Beth Prentice has a natural knack for creating real life characters with real emotions, thoughts, and behavior. If you are a dog lover or not, you will instantly fall in love with Theo, as well as the human characters. Definitely a winner...4 stars!"
—Readers' Favorite Book Reviews


"Beth Prentice pens a tail wagging good time with this fun cozy mystery."
—Night Owl Reviews

256 pages, Paperback

Published March 31, 2023

53 people are currently reading
59 people want to read

About the author

Beth Prentice

53 books172 followers
Beth Prentice is the award winning, USA Today Bestselling Author of the several series and standalone novels.
She was born in Manchester, England, but after moving backwards and forwards across the world 13 times in 14 years she decided that at the age of 18 that Australia was to be her home. She now lives on the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia where every day is a good one. She is the lucky mother of two grown up children, and, along with her ever-patient husband, she is the proud but sometimes flustered owner of four dogs, a cat, and a canary. She has always had a love of reading, and even though her background is in accounting, she has now discovered her love of writing. Her main wish is to write books you can sit back, relax with, and escape from your everyday life...and ones that you walk away from with a smile! When she's not writing you will usually find her at the beach with a coffee in hand, pursuing her favorite pastime --people watching!

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5 stars
58 (56%)
4 stars
26 (25%)
3 stars
14 (13%)
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4 (3%)
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Profile Image for Sandy Bartles.
1,395 reviews38 followers
August 13, 2017
Chloe, Brody, Isaac, Lee and Theo, the chihuahua, are back in Unleashed Mysteries, Book 2. In this story, Theo gets dognapped and he is ransomed for an old chess board. Unfortunately the chess board has gone missing. Poor Chloe is falling apart without her dear Theo. This is an entertaining and humorous book by author Beth Prentice, who really knows how to turn out a story. I loved the ending!
Profile Image for Kim Petersen.
Author 23 books101 followers
August 8, 2017
Prentice delights again!
Deadly Tails is a smart, sassy and humorous mystery which had me laughing out loud one moment and challenging my murder-solving skills the next as I was pulled into Westport with Chloe and her colorful companions and kept there in this wonderfully crafted tale about a girls love for a dog, a chessboard and murder.
Prentice is a truly gifted author and this book will not disappoint.
11 reviews1 follower
August 9, 2017
I received my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book introduced me to group of very funny characters, especially Chloe. Poor Chloe. All her troubles start over a chessboard that she is given. From there, the chessboard disappears and her dog gets kidnapped right from her own home. She has to find the chessboard or her dog will be harmed. This book had a lot of twists and turns. Very good read. Can't wait for the next book in the series.

Profile Image for Infinity Sisters Reviews.
101 reviews2 followers
October 19, 2017
Deadly Tails by Beth Prentice is book two in The Unleashed Mysteries series. While Chloe McDermott is out delivering packages, an elderly friend, Jimmy, insists on giving her an old chess board as a gift. Not long after, Chloe's life seems to fall into chaos when her beloved dog, Theo, is abducted and the dognapper wants the board as ransom. The only problem is the chess board has gone missing. When she goes to get answers from Jimmy, she's shocked to learn that he has committed suicide. Accepting help from her boyfriend's father and her best friend, she discovers this is more than a dognapping case, it's a murder investigation. Chloe will stop at nothing until she can get Theo back, even if it means getting into the middle of a dangerous game.

The danger remains fairly upbeat with humorous phone calls with the dognappers and the group's continuous failed attempts to rescue her dog. Beth Prentice balances the comedic elements with an emotional roller coaster, while striking the perfect blend of dangerous stakes and lighthearted romp. It's heartwarming how everyone rallies around Chloe in her search, coming to her aid without a second thought. The mystery is full of twists as the danger increases and surprises keep coming around every turn. Chloe teaming up with Lee and Isaac makes for a hilarious good time with bickering, car chases, and sleuthing. Delightful and charming, Deadly Tails is a clever and dangerous adventure that gets funnier and deadlier with every page. A fun read for any cozy mystery lover!

Profile Image for Barbara Hackel.
2,679 reviews43 followers
July 15, 2017
How on earth can one little dog get into so much trouble? From dripping chocolate syrup all over the downstairs, ending with the new white couch cushion, to getting dognapped, Theo is having a rough week. Of course it isn't much better for his owner, Chloe, who aside from being grief stricken from Theo's dognapping, has found herself tangled up in another mystery. How a parcel delivery person becomes imbedded in the city's worst nightmare starts out innocently enough, but if you have ever met Chloe, you know that's how most of her adventures start! She is a good girl who tries to do the right thing, but somehow gets caught between evil schemes.

I'll say this for author Beth Prentice, she can make obscure hobbies (please don't hit me over the head with your chessboard) fascinating. Clues left meant nothing to me since I don't understand chess, however I am sure others who do jumped ahead understanding the story line. Fortunately Ms Prentice explained things so even a chess novice like me could understand. It was a fascinating book and kept me reading on into the night.

Good characters in the book make the mystery even better. If you haven't read the other books in this series, you will be able to understand the interactions of characters in Deadly Tails. However, you probably would enjoy the book a lot more if you started at the beginning of the series and read them in order. Besides, Chloe and Theo are a lot of fun and who wouldn't want to read more about them?
Profile Image for Ann-Maree.
1,056 reviews10 followers
August 8, 2017
This is the second book in this series about Chloe and her little Chihuahua Theo; both of them always find themselves in the middle of a hilarious, exciting and sometimes dangerous mystery. If you didn’t fall in love with Theo in the first book or you have not read the first one, you will just want to give him a great big hug in this one. You can read this book as a stand-alone but to fully appreciate the characters you are better off reading them in order.
Beth’s style of writing will have you laughing out loud at the antics she has her characters get up to but at the same time intrigued and trying for solve who did it. All the characters in this book are enjoyable to read about and will leave you with a smile on your face and a great feeling when you read any of Beth Prentice's books.
Chloe’s started a normal day well a normal day for her anyway at work but as one strange thing, after another happens, she soon realizes today was not going to be a typical day at work. It soon turns into a murder, dognapping and an old chess board someone wants. Chloe must solve the mystery to save Theo’s life and get her beloved dog back home where he belongs.
I would highly recommend this great cozy mystery with a bit of humor and a very sassy and fun loving female character that always finds herself in a very interesting situation with her cute little dog Theo. I received a free copy of the book and have voluntarily written an honest review.
307 reviews2 followers
August 16, 2017
mystery humorous deadly tales

A must read very entertaining to read could not put the book down the main character being Chloe and the love for her dog that was kidnapped resulted in mayhem to find her with her boyfriend Brody the competitive journalist along with boyfriend father and her gay friend Isaac and the good looking cop ed in the myst of all this there is murder a secret society she will now be another favorite author i will follow she is up there with j evanovich f Michael a r winters and a few more of these authors that's written good humorous mystery with main characters having good zany friends that brings chaos to the story but cannot help fall in love with them
Profile Image for Tânia Antunes.
11 reviews1 follower
April 26, 2024
The story is funny, with action and adventure, but why, oh why must the main character be so dumb?! I don't even want to go deeper into that because, there is cute and people pleaser, and then there is stupid and blind to the world around her.
Also I've hated the "best friend" in the first book, and he didn't improve much in this one, and I air quote the best friend because he sounds so self absorbed that nobody can be considered his actual friend, he has no problem in putting her in jeopardy to help himself.
For me all the characters feel hollow, lame and sound like a caricature, not real at all.
I hate to talk negatively about peoples books, because I think there is a lot of courage and imagination to create a story from scratch, but considering the other books from the author these are a disappointment.
I love the Westport series, but this one is a no for me.
240 reviews2 followers
August 7, 2017
Deadly Tails by Beth Prentice is a charming cozy mystery that is well worth reading. It is a cute story with quirky characters and an interesting plot. Theo, Chloe feisty little Chihuahua
has been stolen and her friend has been murdered all for a mysterious “chessboard” and now its up to Chloe to solve the mystery before Theo joins her murdered friend's fate. Ms. Prentice has done it once again, Deadly Tails is a real winner and well worth reading. It is a book I have no problem recommending. Read and enjoy!!!

I received this book from the author and I am freely posting this fair and balance review.


835 reviews10 followers
November 21, 2017
Doggone Crazy!

Deadly Tails is the second book in this series about a package delivery girl Chloe & her pet dog Theo. The story takes place in a small town in Australia giving it a slightly different flavor. There are quite a few amusing & quirky characters providing the reader with a bit of laugh out loud moments. While Chloe is locked in a desperate race to save little Theo she finds a great amount of chaos & gets herself into one dangerous situation after another. Chloe & her motley crew chase from one clue to another building to a very exciting conclusion.
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Profile Image for Laura.
2,557 reviews
August 9, 2017
This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.
Profile Image for Jenny.
287 reviews
November 9, 2018
Beth Prentice kept me on the edge of my seat with this book. I HAD to know what happened to Theo, and whether he would be returned safely.
Theo has been dognapped because of a chessboard, and Chloe needs to figure out why. Between her, her hot boyfriend, her gay BFF and her hot boyfriend's hotheaded dad, the race is on to figure out who has Theo and why the chessboard is so important.
Beth has become a go to author of mine. I love her books.
Profile Image for Eirlys.
1,748 reviews15 followers
August 9, 2017
Great idea for a good read

I loved this book about Chloe and her dog, Theo. She is given an old chess board that propels her into a nightmare few days. Chloe finds that Theo had been kidnapped and the ransom was the chess board. I liked the way that her friends rallied round to support her. Can't wait to read the next one.
Profile Image for Krystyna.
5,134 reviews52 followers
July 1, 2018
The chessboard clue

Stunning. How far would you go if someone stole your dog? A fast paced action filled cozy that has you griped to the end. Okay I figured out the real killer well before the end but nevertheless enjoyed the hectic ride that this book gave. The characters are soo real that they feel as if you actually know them and the settings are in vivid colour. A tremendous read.
Profile Image for Kristi.
255 reviews1 follower
September 5, 2019
Great book this one like better than first can be wait for next in series

Fun read love the characters they well developed unique and believable . This story

Book had really good mystery lot of suspense lots of good guys who turn out to be bad guys ,some miss adventure some comedy all you need for a great book
322 reviews4 followers
September 26, 2017
A Doggone Tail

An entertaining read with a very endearing heroine even when she wears pink hair. Some weird characters in the mix make this an interesting tale. Throw in a tiny dog who is missing and we have an exciting chase to find the doggie.
2,317 reviews25 followers
August 11, 2022
Well, I read the whole story to see how it ended, but I wasn't that invested in it. Chloe seems terribly immature for her age and keeps putting herself in harm's way. I liked Theo the best. There are a lot of weird characters throughout the story.
1,353 reviews
August 9, 2017
This book was fun to read and the clues kept you guessing (especially if you don't understand chess like me). I enjoyed it and definitely recommend it!
268 reviews
December 12, 2024
I have to say I was a bit disappointed.. I really, really like the first book but the second I've been skipping pages
Profile Image for Charlene.
1,249 reviews35 followers
August 13, 2017
very cute cozy novel! Chloe's dog Theo gets into so much mischief! fun read!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews

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