SNIFFING OUT MURDER

A newly minted author will be blamed for the death of a hometown diva unless her bloodhound can sniff out the real killer.

Priscilla Cummings’ decision to leave teaching for full-time writing is reinforced during her last parent-teacher conference with her former high school heartthrob, Joe Kelley, and his wife, forever mean girl Whitney. If their daughter, Clarice, grows up to be like them, she’ll become even more of a cartoonish baddie than she already is. Pris is relieved that she’ll never have to deal with these parents again, especially after Whitney suggests that Pris’ 3-year old bloodhound, Bailey, a registered therapy dog, has no place in the classroom. In her role as chairwoman of the school board in Crosbyville, Indiana, Whitney even threatens Pris, though Pris’ resolve to focus on her writing puts her safely out of Whitney’s jurisdiction. Pris is eager to put out a worthy sequel to The Case of the Missing Maltese, her middle-grade title, which is already enjoying moderate success. Though Pris thinks she’s finally washed her hands of Whitney and her ways, she couldn’t be more wrong, for soon after Pris and Bailey uncover Whitney’s body in the begonias, she’s anointed prime suspect in her murder. New police Chief Morgan seems unimpressed at Pris’ claims of innocence, but his gentle demeanor with Bailey makes her wonder if maybe he’s more of a softie than he lets on. With Pris’ freedom at stake, finding the real killer is im-paw-rative.

Deserves to sit and stay.