Instead of nesting, Melanie’s feeling a bit restless and agrees to help friend and neighbor Alice check out a new day care situation for her dog so Alice can return to work. Pine Ridge Canine Care Center caters to the wealthy Connecticut suburbs, and Melanie can’t help but feeling a touch of Stepford when she visits the center.  

During her first visit, Melanie meets owner Steve Pine.  Steve is pleasant enough and the animals appear well cared for, but there is something odd about the place and Melanie can’t quite put her finger on it.  When she discovers Steve shot dead in his office, she knows she is right, though not why. 

Steve’s sister and business partner Candy is distraught over Steve’s death and is concerned about the business.  Customers are starting to cancel their reservations and Candy never bothered to learn much about the business end, but relied on Steve and their third, silent, partner Roger Cavanaugh.  For no other apparent reason than she’s there, Candy asks Melanie to snoop around and find Steve’s murderer so Candy can get on about the business of minding dogs. 

Melanie learns that there is a neighbor with adjoining property, Adam Busch, who has issues with the Pine’s business, and that there is a disgruntled client who sued the Pines over the matter of her prize winning toy dog and an unruly common dog.  Neither one, Melanie is certain, has much motive for murder, so under the guise of redoing the center’s website, Melanie pokes around, talking to employees and vendors trying to figure out who murdered Steve.  

Because Melanie has no stake in this murder, and a new baby at home, not to mention husband and soon to be adolescent son, and because she just met Candy, it’s a little hard to understand why Melanie is so concerned about solving Steve’s murder.  While she is chasing murderers, Melanie’s husband is taking care of Kevin, and Aunt Peggy has taken Davy under her wing to start him on the road to his career as a junior showman in the dog ring, and spends time admonishing Melanie on her lack of attention to her family. 

Melanie is a wonderful friend to family and friends, but many times she gets too wrapped up in others’ problems and doesn’t pay as much attention to her family where things seem to be running smoothly.  While there are several suspects and red herrings, it is pretty obvious who the murderer is and what happened, but there is plenty of background for dog lovers to love.  Cozy fans, especially animal lovers, will welcome Melanie’s 15th outing and will look forward to her next mystery.                                                

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry