FAUX PAS

A doggie-yoga instructor gets help in solving the death of a wealthy student from a private eye who’s part detective and all dreamboat.

Although she and her pup, Buddha, are living with her mother and just scraping by, Elle Pressley is thankful that her job at the posh Pampered Pup Spa & Resort gives her the opportunity to be the Gulf Coast island of Moon Key’s premiere (and only) doga instructor. The doga classes Elle leads allow rich women to come in and do yoga alongside their dogs, even if the doga classes provide more chances for the women to posture for one another than to work on their postures. Elle doesn’t mind until the fighting between two of her students interrupts the class’s inner peace. It’s not Celeste’s fault that Zebina stole her husband—at least that’s one side of the story. And when Celeste is found dead in a mud bath the following day, Zebina has her own story: Celeste’s death is completely unrelated to their feud. Elle figures that she should’ve known something would go wrong when the ghost of her childhood dog, Angel, appeared to her, since Angel’s appearances have always been warnings to watch out. The one who really needs to watch out is Elle’s best friend, Hope, whose husband, Dr. Ira Craft, is accused of the murder. It only makes sense, since Celeste was killed by Botox to the neck right after her Botox appointment with Dr. Craft. Certain that meticulous Ira had nothing to do with Celeste’s death, Elle turns to interloping Irish PI Devon Burke for help solving the crime, though it seems the hunky helper wants something more.

More romance than whodunit, this series debut from the author of the Pet Psychic mysteries (Karma’s a Bitch, 2013, etc.) embraces the absurd and has fun poking at the wealthy characters in a way one hopes is intentional.