I regularly attend goat yoga sessions in the summer, so when I heard that Janna Rollins was writing a cozy mystery titled An Escape Goat: A Zen Goat Mystery about a goat yoga retreat gone awry, I knew I had to read this book.
Prepare yourselves, Tartlets, for all the goats, all the yoga, all the foodie fiction, and, yes, for a spot of murder.
What’s An Escape Goat about?
An Escape Goat is about a woman named Callie who opens up a goat yoga retreat on her rural New Hampshire family’s farm. There are just a few problems: Callie discovers she’s extremely allergic to goats (after sinking her money into this business venture. Of course.) and a social media influencer turns up dead during her first retreat.
Callie, her family, and the retreat guests end up in lockdown together on the farm as Callie tries to discover who the murderer is, and how to save her fledging goat business from “buying the farm” before it even gets off the ground.
What I loved about An Escape Goat
I’m a sucker for small town vibes, and author Rollins delivers them all with An Escape Goat. The family farm where Callie lives and works is serene and quiet (y’know, when people aren’t getting murdered there…). It’s full of blooming flowers and hilariously headstrong animals, and the nearby fictional town of Bobwhite Hollow has just enough hustle and bustle to provide fun outing opportunities with friends and family, as well as numerous potential love interests for Callie.
Callie lives with her long-lost aunt and uncle, and they seem like the sweetest people on earth. Uncle Will is a loveable, wise old man with heartfelt advice for his grand-niece, and Aunt Ellen’s love language is food, which she illustrates by whipping up many delicious-sounding treats and meals for her family and the stranded retreat guests.
Let’s talk about the goats…
And, of course, there’s the goats. THE GOATS. The entire reason I decided to read a cozy murder mystery, which isn’t my preferred genre.
Callie’s goats are absolutely adorable in An Escape Goat, getting into mischief when they can and providing cuddles and nuzzles when everyone needs love the most. I did a happy dance in my reading chair anytime a goat pranced “on stage,” and Rollins great writing brings all the details to life.
Unrelated to the book itself: Here’s a photo of me at goat yoga last year, a.k.a., THE GREATEST SELFIE EVER TAKEN.
How’s the suspense level in An Escape Goat?
The story’s told through Callie’s eyes, and you follow her along as she tries to Jessica Fletcher the whole murder situation out. Rollins is really good at making you think everyone in An Escape Goat is a suspect.
There are quite a few possible murderers roaming the family farm, and everyone’s acting a lil’ sus – hidden guilty looks, sneaky behavior, secret trysts, family and friend feuds. Callie pretty much looks at everyone how I would if I were trying to detect a murderer in my midst, so I felt really pulled into the story.
My only complaint about An Escape Goat…
The only thing that bothered me about An Escape Goat — and “bothered” is a strong word — is that the first half of the novel felt like we were dropped into the action a little too early. An Escape Goat is currently the only book in the Zen Goat Mystery series, but it makes so many casual references to Callie’s pre-goat yoga life that it read like the second book in a series. I kept wondering if there was another Callie book I should have read before this one, even though I know there’s not.
Rollins brings the reader up to speed on Callie’s backstory throughout An Escape Goat, but the many recaps made me wish for a prequel. It would be fun to see Callie meet her New Hampshire relatives for the first time and awkwardly get to know them; to watch her select her goats, go home all excited, and then discover she’s allergic to them; to learn more about the life and family she left behind in Seattle. I’m sure more of Callie’s past will be revealed as the Zen Goat Mystery series grows, but I still would’ve loved to experience all these things in “real time” instead of through recaps.
Should you read An Escape Goat?
If you’re a sucker for cozy mysteries and books full of small town charm, you need to read An Escape Goat. I warmed to Callie immediately, and her family/friends circle is completely endearing.
I’m also not the hugest fan of mysteries, but I really liked the whodunnit aspect of this story. I’ll definitely be reading more books in the Zen Goat Mystery series when they come out.
What’s the book-inspired recipe for An Escape Goat?
Be sure to check back in for the book-inspired recipe for An Escape Goat: Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins.
Yay!!! I’m so glad you enjoyed An Escape Goat, CJ! I was biting my nails while reading your review and now can breathe a sigh of relief! That goat yoga selfie of you is the BEST!!!!
-Janna Rollins/Paula Charles
https://www.paulacharles.com/
You had nothing to worry about! The book is great. 🙂