Edith and Trevor Cunningham are going through a messy divorce and Edith has hired Allie to decide who should get custody of their five-year-old silky terrier, Shogun. Trevor claims that Edith only wants the dog to spite him, and Allie soon finds herself mediating between the bickering couple.

Another neighborhood couple, Cassandra and Paul Randon have become foster owners for a nursing Siberian husky and her puppies. Cassandra, who’s a little skittish around dogs, asks Allie for help with the new mom and puppies.

Of course, life never does run smoothly in a cozy. Keeping an appointment with Shogun, Allie discovers Cassandra’s body bludgeoned in Edith’s backyard, and Shogun is long gone. Who could have possibly wanted to kill Cassandra, a stay-at-home mom? And where has Shogun disappeared to? Allie has to work fast to uncover this mystery, because the police are a bit suspicious of the woman who discovered the body.

What’s so refreshing about this second installment in the Allie Babcock series, is that the mystery doesn’t play second fiddle to the menagerie of furry friends. So often in cozies, the author spends great amounts of time on the secondary aspects of the story, while neglecting the one feature that many readers enjoy, the actual mystery. O’Kane does a splendid job introducing a host of suspects and motives, that kept me guessing until the final chapter.

Allie is a very likeable amateur sleuth -- very knowledgeable about her chosen profession, never condescending, and with her own life to deal with outside of the mystery. Readers are even introduced to a possible romance between Allie and Russell Greene, a man she shares office space with. This relationship adds some light moments and depth to Allie’s character.

Leslie O’Kane is also the author of the Molly Masters mystery series, and this reader is hoping she will continue to be able to juggle two different amateur sleuths. The Allie Babcock series is proof that mystery and cozy atmosphere can work together to create a satisfying read.

--Wendy Crutcher