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Ad hoc investigators get emotionally tied to a case when their pets are involved.

Ginny Mallard, owner and operator of Mallard Services, a concierge company, has been hanging around Mary’s Bar & Grill so much that it’s like a second office to her. It’s not just the comfortable atmosphere that’s an attraction, it’s also the fact that her sometime co-worker Teddy Tonica tends bar there. Ginny involves Tonica in her work when it leans toward the investigative end, since his understanding of people nicely complements her computer expertise. When Ginny meets Nora, a new client who seeks the utmost discretion, she’s not sure what to expect. It turns out that Nora is a volunteer with LifeHouse, the local animal shelter where Ginny adopted Georgie, her Shar-Pei mix. Given that connection, Ginny can’t turn down the case, in spite of the fact that Nora can barely afford to pay. Tonica tries to talk sense into Ginny, but since bar cat Penny has chosen him as her person, he finds himself taking the case. Now, the two, along with their animal companions, are stuck in an investigation of the mismanagement of agency funds that eventually turns into something more. If only their animal friends could clue them in to the truth.

Kornetsky continues to flesh out the core relationships, but both Ginny and Tonica are hard to get close to. More personal information could help this series (Collared, 2012, etc.) reach its target audience.