THE CURSE OF THE COCKERS

Hardly a dull moment at Three Oaks Kennels (scene of Doghouse, 1992, etc.), the Scottish dog breeding/training farm owned and run by ex-army captain John Cunningham, his wife, Beth, and their older friends Isobel and Henry Fitts, with an assist from the aptly named young Daffy. As the last stragglers leave the annual New Year's Eve get-together at the local pub, a hit-and-run accident kills a man who turns out to be a grifter wearing someone else's coat. A note in the pocket connects the coat to a recent murder in nearby Dundee, and on the roadside is a very young cocker spaniel pup that John and Beth agree to care for until it's claimed. Because of evidence found on his Land Rover, the police suspect John's army buddy Angus Todd, who persuades John to help investigate. Working with Beth, he eventually traces the breeder of the cocker spaniel. Subsequent events include another murder and three serious attempts to add John to the list, the final one bringing the culprit into the open. The plot lines are cluttered, and there's the usual ration of dog lore, but the cozy setting and the likeable Cunninghams make Hammond's latest an easygoing, mildly engaging read.