Making rounds to homes one wet spring morning, veterinarian Dr. Kate Turner rescues a family’s hamster from a vacuum cleaner, then visits an estate whose owners breed champion Cavalier King Charles spaniels. Instead of sharing traditional tea with the couple, she confronts a bloody scene of bodies and twenty-seven blue-ribbon dogs running wild. Police initially suspect a murder-suicide, but when Dr. Kate proves the famous best-in-show champion is missing, a darker reality intrudes. She remembers her grandfather saying that there are two motives for murder: love and money.
While treating local pets, Dr. Kate discovers suspects and motives everywhere in this charming town filled with people who wanted the couple dead. Was the couple murdered for the money their champion could bring to another breeder? How is their daughter, anxious to rid herself of the pampered dogs, handling the wealth she inherits? Would the celebrity filmmaker living nearby kill to end a multimillion-dollar lawsuit? Did long-buried personal secrets cause the deaths? And what’s going on at the office behind her back? Is Dr. Kate in danger?
First-time mystery writer Eileen Brady’s characters, style, and storytelling bring authenticity and atmosphere to this new “pet noir” series.
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“Here is a novel written with exacting authority, along with a frolicking sense of humor about life, animals, and the lengths to which someone will go to right a wrong, all while still maintaining a solid sense of tension and suspense. I look forward to future mysteries featuring the charismatic Dr. Kate Turner…and I’m sure you will, too!”
— James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author
“A delightful and lively mystery that introduces Kate Turner, a veterinarian with heart, humor, and a new penchant for solving murders. A promising first novel that will leave readers begging for more.”
— Earlene Fowler, Agatha Award–winning author of the Benni Harper mystery series“Winner of the Poisoned Pen Discover Writers Contest, Brady’s series debut is stellar. She weaves in details about the veterinary practice without overwhelming the plot, and the scenic Hudson River setting (think Rhinebeck) enhances the mystery. Recommend for Beth Groundwater readers: gentle but exciting, too.”
— Library Journal (starred review)“[An] enjoyable, leisurely paced first novel…Readers will want to see more of the likable Kate, who, as she snoops and doctors, provides an inside look at quirky pet owners and the oft-satirized dog show set.”
— Publishers Weekly“Kate’s debut has plenty to offer pet lovers and mystery mavens alike.”
— Kirkus ReviewsBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Eileen Brady is a veterinarian living in Scottsdale, Arizona, with her husband, Jon, also a veterinarian, and several pets who won’t get off her keyboard.
Caroline Shaffer is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator. A former company member at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for nineteen years, she received an MFA from the American Conservatory Theater.