Animal Mysteries

A shipment of dinosaur bones meant for a new exhibit has been stolen from the Capitol City Natural History Museum! But even worse, the group of paleontologists working on the shipment has disappeared, too - and among them is Wilson Kipper’s mother. Wilson and his friends are determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, but can they do it in time to save his missing mom?

Best-selling authors Rita Mae Brown and her cat, Sneaky Pie Brown, are beloved for their Mrs. Murphy mysteries. Set in the quiet town of Crozet, Virginia, each delightful book finds Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen and the incomparably clever feline, Mrs. Murphy, caught up in a puzzling whodunit.

In Midcoast Maine, Jamie Flint and her K-9 team search for the cognitively challenged son of a local animal hoarder, while recently licensed private investigator Jack Juarez looks into a murder related to the case. Unfortunately, each new clue Jack finds in the investigation seems to lead him back to a suspect police already have in their sights: Jamie's son. Meanwhile, Jamie fights to save a critically ill pit bull pulled from the hoarder's home who could hold the key to the woman's dark secrets.

Filled with frisky pets and fine suspense, the Mrs. Murphy mysteries are instant New York Times best sellers. Fans love the sleuthing team of spunky postmistress "Harry" Harristeen and Mrs. Murphy, her savvy tiger stripe cat.

A quaint English garden party comes with good friends, a talking French Bulldog, fabulous cocktails, and a cozy murder mystery. Lola Ramsay dreads the garden party. She loves everything about England but hates fuss. However, it seems that saving the vicar from a murder charge makes her a bit of a celebrity. All is going well until the village trouble causer, Lucinda Clinton-West, drops dead after drinking her cocktail. Was the Mai Tie a mix of murder? All eyes fall on Roy Patterdale. After all, he threatened her life when she made the council cut his precious hedges.

Chipper is a very special dog. He's part of a multi-million dollar experiment at a secret organization known only as The Institute. The Institute has been experimenting with dogs, melding them with state-of-the-art computer technology. But there's a problem with Chipper. His natural dog instincts often overrule his computer side. No matter what he's doing, if he sees a squirrel or a mouse, he'll drop everything to chase it.

The final hurrah of the summer tourist season coincides with Estes Park's commemoration of the Big Thompson Canyon flood and the results of the contentious town council election. As the warm evening gathering for somber remembrance wraps up with dramatic election announcements, the surprises involve shouts of anger . . . and murder. Following a trail of blackmail, Winifred Page discovers a crime with more twists and turns than the Cozy Corgi Bookshop's mystery room can handle.

When Chet the dog, "the most lovable narrator in all of crime fiction" (Boston Globe), and his partner, PI Bernie Little of the desert-based Little Detective Agency, arrive to a meeting with hydrologist Wendell Nero, they are in for a shocking sight - Wendell has come to a violent and mysterious end. What did the hydrologist want to see them about? Is his death a random robbery, or something more? Chet and Bernie, working for nothing more than an eight-pack of Slim Jims, are on the case.

It all starts with a school essay. Twelve-year-old Gratuity “Tip” Tucci is assigned to write five pages on “The True Meaning of Smekday” for the National Time Capsule contest, and she’s not sure where to begin: When her mom started telling everyone about the messages aliens were sending through a mole on the back of her neck? Maybe on Christmas Eve, when huge, bizarre spaceships descended to Earth, and aliens - called the Boov - abducted her mother?

Defense lawyer Andy Carpenter usually tries to avoid taking on new cases at all costs. But this time, he's happy - eager, even - to take the case that's just come his way. Andy's long-time friend Martha "Pups" Boyer takes in stray puppies that the local dog rescue center can't handle, raises them until they're old enough to adopt, and then finds good homes for them. Not everyone admires the work Pups does as much as Andy does, however.

Guilty until proven innocent? Who - or what - has been killing chickens on the ranch? And what is Hank the Cowdog, Head of Ranch Security, going to do about it? Using his top-notch law enforcement skills, Hank launches one of the hardest-hitting investigations of his career. No one is to be trusted, and everyone is a suspect - even Hank!

Seeing a dog next to a homeless man inspires lawyer Andy Carpenter to give the pair some money to help. Soon after Andy’s encounter with them, man and dog are attacked in the middle of the night on the street. The dog defends its new owner, and the erstwhile attacker is bitten but escapes. But the dog is quarantined, and the man, Don Carrigan, is heartbroken. Andy’s wife, Laurie, can’t resist helping the duo. In a matter of days, Don and his dog, Zoey, are living above Andy’s garage and become two new additions to the family. But things soon go awry....

Despite the sweltering summer, Maddie's problems keep snowballing. A freak accident sends her K-9 search and rescue team racing to locate the victim, but a gruesome discovery makes her question everything . . . and everyone around her. Her partner, Sheriff Oliver Desjardins, is keeping secrets. Her flirtatious veterinarian friend is spending a suspicious amount of time with an enticing widow. A loathsome new deputy threatens her. And Maddie must work with wild and extraordinary Vixen.

Every journey might start with a single step, but where does it end? Albert Smith and his faithful dog, Rex Harrison, have been on the road for far longer than they ever expected, but they can’t go home yet. Not until they solve one final case.

Between taking care of her family and assorted Standard Poodles, Melanie is also working as a special needs tutor for Howard Academy. This year, the headmaster has come up with an idea for a school fundraiser. All students will participate in a town-wide treasure hunt. Tokens shaped like pumpkin spice muffins have been hidden in downtown stores. Students will scramble to collect as many as they can in exchange for prizes. At first all goes smoothly, and the uptick in foot traffic to the stores is a win-win . . . Until the pet supply shop owner lodges a complaint.

Maggie Atwood and Becky McCabe, mother and daughter, both champion riders, vowed to never, ever, go up against one another. Until the tense, harrowing competitions leading to the Paris Olympics. Mother and daughter share a dream: to be the best horsewoman in the world. Coronado is Maggie’s horse. An absolutely top-tier Belgian warmblood. Sky is Becky’s horse. A small, speedy Dutch warmblood.

Someone has been stealing calves from Uncle Johnny's pasture, and it's up to Hank and Slim to put a stop to it. In the hopes of catching the "crinimals" in the act, they set up camp in the field just north of the canyon. But the stakeout isn't all fun and games.

It's the grand opening of Daybreak Island's cat cafe, where customers can get cozy with an assortment of friendly felines - and maybe even take one or a few home. Co-owner Maddie James is purring with excitement over her new warm-and-fuzzy venture, until she becomes entangled in a petty drama between one of her volunteers and a wealthy woman who insists on adopting a calico kitty. The catfight that ensues is bad enough for business. But when the snubbed socialite is found dead with a tell-tale catnip toy on the scene, suspicion lands squarely on Maddie's staffer.

Lawyer Andy Carpenter can finally take a breath; he's back on dry land after a family Caribbean cruise forced on him by his wife, Laurie, to get into the Christmas spirit. Of course the family's first stop is to the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization that has always been Andy's true passion. But when Andy arrives, his partner, Willie Miller, needs his help. Willie's old cellmate, Glenn Anson, has been arrested for murder. Andy doesn't necessarily believe in Glenn, but Willie does. And Andy believes in Willie, which is why Andy decides to take the case.

It's Valentine's Day in Winterspell, but not everyone appears to be feeling the love. And no, I'm not talking about my dateless self. Instead of being wooed by candlelight, I'm working in a candle shop. Cora Hearth, Winterspell's magical chandler, has teamed up with Sugar Shack to create party favors for the lucky couples, and they're counting on us to spark some magic for their special night. So, when a thief breaks into my delivery van and swipes the goodies, Cora and I-and her persnickety talking cat-have to join forces to track down the culprit in time to save Valentine's Day.