First published 2026
Margot Cartwright feels like an outsider in Glenville, South Carolina. The Washington D.C. transplant clashes with locals obsessed with their designer dogs and a reality show called Pawsh. Her own mutt Sid Vicious doesn't fit the town's precious aesthetic. After Margot steals pro-Pawsh yard signs in protest, she becomes the neighborhood pariah. Then someone kills the local dog walker in a gruesome scene involving elaborate Halloween decorations and multiple skeletons. The town immediately suspects Margot. She must prove her innocence before her reputation gets destroyed and her family falls apart. Margot teams up with two unlikely allies: Anne, a powerful septuagenarian who rules the homeowners association, and Sally-Claire, a seemingly perfect mom hiding secrets beneath her casual sweatshirts. The three women and their dogs investigate Glenville's quirky residents, uncovering the town's hidden darkness. Margot races to find the real killer before they strike again.
Genres: domestic-fiction, humor, mystery, crime, contemporary, adult-fiction
Vibes: darkly-comedic, fast-paced, quirky, suspenseful, witty
Tropes: amateur-detective, fish-out-of-water, found-family, unlikely-allies
Setting: Glenville, South Carolina, Washington D.C.
320 pages · Paperback · Bantam
Content warnings: murder