A small dog attracts Jackie's attention when she is walking through the alley behind the Farmers' and Growers' Market in the oldest part of town. He is barking at a Dumpster and won't quit. Jackie discovers the body of a homeless Jane Doe stuffed in there. From then on, Jackie feels responsible for the dog and for discovering the truth about his owner's death. Troubles abound as the rich scion of the town wants to tear down the old Farmers' market and build a monstrous modern apartment building on the spot. Jackie joins the group vehemently opposed to this sacrilege. Events escalate from there.

When someone tries to kill the homeless dog, Jackie must speed up her investigation. Finding the murderer is not easy, but everything finally starts to fall into place, not without some danger to Jackie herself.

The characters are believable. The new boyfriend is not enamoured of Jackie's propensity to be involved in murder, but he supports her, anyway. This is a better than average mystery.

--Kay Black