by Jean Little
First published 2008
Sister Jane Arnold travels to Kentucky for the Mid-South Hound Show, where champion foxhounds, bassets, and beagles compete for top honors. The festivities turn deadly when contestant Mo Schneider is found murdered after the competition, shot with birdshot and stripped half-naked. Mo had made countless enemies in the dog world, creating a suspect list longer than anyone wants to tackle. Back home in Virginia, Sister faces another shock when her friend Hope Rogers, a beloved veterinarian, dies from an apparent suicide by gunshot. Sister refuses to accept that Hope took her own life and begins investigating. Before she can make progress, a wealthy pet food manufacturer disappears during the Virginia Hound Show. Sister connects these three incidents and discovers a pattern that chills her more than the corpses appearing in unexpected locations. With help from familiar allies including Shaker Crown, Sister must use all her instincts to uncover the truth.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, amateur-sleuth
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, found-family
Setting: Kentucky, Virginia
304 pages · Hardcover · Ballantine Books