Dog Cozy Mysteries

Bryce Finn started out using his golden retriever Sierra's nose to win at childhood games of hide-and-seek. Now 17 and Washington state's youngest SAR dog handler, Bryce and K9 Sierra are hip deep in a series of murders that some political leaders deny is happening at all.

Starving artist Lia Anderson makes a new friend at her seasonal job scoring academic proficiency tests. Desiree is a sassy, pocket-sized sexpot and owner of a larcenous beagle named Julia. Desiree also has a secret admirer who leaves her tiny figurines sculpted from twisted aluminum foil. The friendship falls afoul when the pair discovers a connection in their past, a secret Lia's detective boyfriend, Peter Dourson, kept from her. When Desiree is murdered, Lia not only winds up with the woman's kleptomaniac beagle, she also inherits her stalker.

Would you recognize a serial killer if you met one? Talked to one every day? Artist Lia Anderson doesn't, and neither does anyone else who frequents the Mount Airy Dog Park. But a violent death brings Detective Peter Dourson into the close-knit group, and he is convinced someone is not who they seem. As the investigation uncovers secrets, Lia struggles to cope with warring emotions and a killer watches.

Marigold Evans first attempt at rescuing an abandoned pooch lands her in the underground sewer lines of Houston's Buffalo Bayou...and almost in jail, until Parker Jenson comes to her defense. Then a bad day only gets worse as the Lone Star Vet Clinic, where they both work, is vandalized and the list of suspects starts to climb. With the help of her fellow employees, Marigold sets out to simultaneously solve the crime, rehab the rescued dog, and help more dogs in crisis. But why would anyone continue to work against all their good efforts?

Paperback mystery/adventure novelist Jonathan Tyler Springer is dragged into action once again in Errol Flynn’s Treasure: Conch Republic, Volume 2. While trying to write his first serious book, a mysterious letter and an old friend draw him away from the keyboard and onto a path of adventure. Following a treasure map that leads them to the island of Jamaica, will these colorful characters of Key West be the writer’s muse for another story or his downfall, leading him to a stint in a Cuban jail cell? Life in the Florida Keys never has a dull moment.

The weather turns to spring, and Charlie faces a pair of puzzles. Against Charlie’s better judgment Ron, her PI partner, takes a cheating-spouse case that turns into a comedy of errors involving a star football player and his wife’s petty vengeance. Meanwhile, Charlie’s neighbor Elsa has a bad feeling about a family up the street. Is it a case of the neighborhood busybody having too much time on her hands, or is there truly something sinister happening with twin teen girls who’ve been left with too much money and not enough supervision?

Roses are red, violets are blue, and Olivia Rickard is officially the worst at fixing relationships. Case in point: Olivia decides the best way to go about getting her boyfriend back is to tail him around town. There’s no way daring to spy on Andrew’s date was going to end well...but Olivia didn’t expect it to end in death. Hannah Maclin, Andrew’s date, is found dead in the parking lot of the restaurant with a tacky rose sticking out of her chest and lots of suspects near the scene of the crime.

While trying to shut the door on the mess of her relationship, Olivia accidentally opens the door to a murder investigation. Olivia’s friend, the owner of a boutique dog food brand, has been killed at her warehouse - bludgeoned with a side of beef. Olivia tries to run off her emotions but only stumbles upon the main murder suspect acting suspicious. She sees this as a sign. If she can’t solve her romantic problems, she can solve the murder of her good friend.

Something borrowed, something blue, Olivia’s a bridezilla, and Andrew’s pretty scared too…Olivia is on the warpath of wedding planning. She’s ticking off her tasks rapid fire: flowers, food, and fireworks. Those all are checked off just in time for Andrew to get hit writing a big check of his own. He’s beginning to get suspicious of her motives, since his blushing bride has gone from dragging her feet on a proposal, to suddenly running down the aisle. Olivia doesn’t want to admit that she’s trying to get hitched before her cold feet get the best of her.

Pru Marlowe isn't your ordinary animal psychic. A tough girl on the run from her own gift, Pru left the big city to return to her picturesque Berkshires hometown looking for a little peace. Too bad that her training as an animal behaviorist got her mixed up with Lily, a rescue dog, and Charles, the dog’s guardian. Now Charles is dead, and Lily appears to be headed for the same end, for after all, Lily is a pit bull, a fighting-ring dropout.

It's not like she's going to do anything dangerous... When Detective Peter Dourson arrests that nice stranger for the brutal murder of a dog park regular, he begs his girlfriend, artist Lia Anderson, to stay out of it. But her best patron takes the woman under her wing, and Renee insists her new friend needs help. Lia isn't going to do much, just ask a few questions. Surely that won't lead to trouble. Besides, she's got an escape-artist foster dog to deal with. Then there's Peter's desire for a commitment she's not ready to make.

Northside's Fourth of July parade is famous, and this year the dog park gang is training their fur-babies to participate while Lia builds a float promoting local best-selling author Lucas Cross. When Lucas disappears at a book convention, the entire world is watching. Then someone tries to kill one of the ladies of Fiber and Snark, the cat-rescuing knitting club that manages his career, and Lia is the only one they can trust to discover the truth while protecting their secrets.

One steamy South Carolina morning, Low Country dog walker Andi Grace Scott discovers a client’s dead body. Police quickly decide she’s the prime suspect. Horrified, she knows she’ll have to turn detective if she’s going to convince them they’re barking up the wrong tree.

Old bones land Detective Peter Dourson up a creek without a paddle. Human remains surface on the banks of Cincinnati’s Mill Creek, sparking a media circus. It’s a case Detective Peter Dourson shouldn’t have, with attention he doesn’t want - even before his former fiancée arrives to fan the flames.

There's no end to the drama when Lia stumbles on a dead diva. Talented, charismatic Dr. Geoffrey Lawrence has manipulated students and staff at Hopewell Music Conservatory for years, destroying lives and careers at whim. No one knows this better than Hannah Kleemeyer, the school admin who plays nanny for the professor's trio of adorable dogs. Lia's mural commission at Hopewell and her friendship with Hannah place her at the center of the drama when the Machiavellian voice professor is murdered.

Kate put her hands on her hips in exasperation. “Roger, I don’t know what else to tell you. I opened the door to pick up the Sunday paper, and her body fell inside.” The Tucker family planned the perfect vacation. They wanted to sail down the Sea of California, around the Baja to the Sea of Cortez, and explore the Mexican mainland. They were never seen alive again, and the boat was never found. How does Ivy Tucker end up dead on Kate Nash’s front porch 10 years after the family was presumed lost at sea? Did anyone else survive the tragedy?

Amy’s opening a pet salon with her grumpy grandmother, Granny, after a stressful stint in Pine Grove. But when Amy’s first and only customer is murdered, she realizes if she doesn't catch the killer, the grand opening of her pet salon could be ruined. Hotshot rookie cop Michael Fine thinks Amy committed the murder. Amy and Granny know he’s wrong, but they don’t have proof. There’s a killer on the loose in their little slice of heaven, and if the ladies don't solve the mystery, they could lose their business...or worse.

I always thought weddings were supposed to be about joining lives...Not ending them. But when an unexpected guest shows up dead on the beach and the groom seems to be hiding more than just cold feet, I need to take my chef's hat off and don my deerstalker once again. Who was this mysterious stranger that came to town claiming to be a long lost relative, and why is she now dead? Who is the groom really, and are his intentions for my friend pure?

Autumn on the Maine coast is stunning, which brings the tourists out in droves. My restaurant, the Little Dog Diner, is teeming with them, thanks to the locally famous fall festival. Usually that's a great thing...this year, however, the discovery of a dead body puts a damper on business awfully fast. Add to that the fact that the victim had a vendetta against almost every small business owner in town, and now I've landed right in the middle of the very long and tedious suspect list.

Lone Star groomer Isabel Fuentes adopts a feisty rescued dachshund, and the two are inseparable … until Texans quarterback Corey Wallis announces a large reward for his missing female dachshund. Suddenly all of Houston are on the lookout for the MIA pooch that bears a strong resemblance to Isabel’s new pup. Isabel contacts Corey, but soon Ginger goes missing and Isabel is convinced Corey and his agent took her for a publicity stunt. Then there is a reporter who could be trying to manufacture a great story or a cameraman seeking the big reward. Will there be a happy ending for Ginger?