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Rating: 
Summary: an OK mystery....authors hang-ups show
Review: After seeking out and buying the entire Holly Winter series, this one -- my first hardcover purchase -- was the one that put me off the series for several years. Agatha Christie originally became famous by breaking one of the cardinal rules of the whodunnit (whoever is the murderer, it's NOT the narrator). In this book Conant breaks a different but even more important rule of the genre, which makes the entire novel pointless. I have not been so unhappy with a novel in this genre since Robert Goldsborough's faux 'Nero Wolfe' novel where the killer commits suicide halfway through the book, and the book continues on anyway. Later volumes in the Holly series recover some of the old magic, but this one is almost a total loss.
Rating: 
Summary: Where is the Mystery...and what do the Freemasons have to do
Review: I discovered Susan Conant a few years ago. I am an avid Mystery reader and am always looking for new outhors and waiting for my favorites to write the next installment. The first book in the Holly Winter series that I read was somewhere half-way through the series. Last year I decided to start at the beginning. I am now reading Black Ribbon and I must say I am very disappointed. Miss Conant does indeed go on and on and on as Holly Winter warns, and as far as I can tell, about not much of anything that holds my interest. At least not in this book.
I love dogs (own two, one mixed Golden and one backyard-bred purebred Golden Retreiver.) I love the training tips in her books but object to her attitudes about mixed breeds and "pet quality" purebreds. My mixed Golden is as smart as Rowdy any day of the week and my backyard bred Golden is as sweet as a dog could be. They are my best buds.
I also take offense to her attitude about "anyone who weighs more than 150lbs." As a matter of fact, I do. I haven't always but I do now, and I wear shorts!! Perhaps Miss Conant is a size 2, if so, perhaps she should be on the cover of Vogue. If not, how about not being so negative about the rest of us. After all, we buy her books, at least we have up to this point.
And as far as the Freemasons go, who cares!! I purchased her books because I like the original premise...A woman who writes about dogs for a living, trains dogs for a hobby, and gets herself involved in mysteries. MY KIND OF GIRL!!! Hopefully the rest of the sereis will get back to Holly Winter, Dog Writer who has a Vet for her lover.... Where is he, anyway!!
Rating:
Summary: A Big Whiner
Review: I have enjoyed several of the books in this series, but found this one to be very slow going. All the protagonist seems to do is whine and complain about the other characters -- that is, when she's not launching into long digressions. The latter are, perhaps, meant to be informative about dogdom and humorous, but in this book Holly's usual digressive monologues left me cold. Try some of the other books in the series instead.
Rating: 
Summary: Keep on writing Ms. Conant!
Review: i really enjoyed this book and have read it many times. Ms. Conant is really doing well on her writing. this has to be my #1 favorite Conant book along with her 1st, A new leash on death. it is well written and has a good topic. the part where Rowdy saved Holly was 1 of my favorite parts.i dont see why anyone wouldn't like it.
Rating:
Summary: Keep on writing Ms. Conant!
Review: It's kinda funny how I was introduced to Holly. My girlfriend, Kimmie, really enjoys reading and she would read to me on our one and a half hour trip to work each day. We stared with Susans first Malamute book and proceeded in order. I finished "Black Ribbon" this week and was extrememly dissapointed. All Holly did was complain about camp Waggin' Tail. Basically all of the characters were made out to be a thorn in her side. None of the "regular" characters had any significant roles. It took me a long time to finish the book, because it just did not keep my attention. I just ordered "Evil Breeding". If it is as boring as "Black Ribbon", I won't be buying anymore "Holly" books.
Rating:
Summary: Let's NOT get to the point
Review: It's kinda funny how I was introduced to Holly. My girlfriend, Kimmie, really enjoys reading and she would read to me on our one and a half hour trip to work each day. We stared with Susans first Malamute book and proceeded in order. I finished "Black Ribbon" this week and was extrememly dissapointed. All Holly did was complain about camp Waggin' Tail. Basically all of the characters were made out to be a thorn in her side. None of the "regular" characters had any significant roles. It took me a long time to finish the book, because it just did not keep my attention. I just ordered "Evil Breeding". If it is as boring as "Black Ribbon", I won't be buying anymore "Holly" books.
Rating:
Summary: I like them all, but this was a favorite
Review: Sorry, everybody, when I read this book I wasn't focusing on Holly's attitude toward fat people. Next time I read it, maybe I will, and if you are right about her obsession maybe I will downgrade my opinion, but this negative aspect of the book, if indeed it exists, didn't make an impression on me. There are plenty of HW books where the bad guy/gal wasn't fat, don't forget.To get off the subject of how much the characters weigh, I really liked the camp setting. It provides a lot of opportunities for humor and canine insight (and insight into the humans who are so obsessed with dogs that they would go to such a camp). I enjoyed reading about the activities (in case I too become one of the obsessed!), and I really loved the ending, which of course I won't give away, but anybody who admires dogs ought to get a kick out of it. In fact, now that I come to think of it, I believe this book deserves more than the 4 stars I was originally going to give it, and I am going to change it to 5 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Unbelievably disappointing
Review: This book was dreadful; I give it one star only because I respect the fact the woman actually made the effort and published a book. I have my full review of the book on my web site, Collie's Bestiary, but frankly, the Publishers Weekly editorial is absolutely correct.
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