TRUST THE TERRIER

Dr. Emily Benton is a newly minted vet and the owner of Coral Shores Veterinary Hospital in Florida. One night, she heads to the beachfront home of her elderly neighbor and childhood piano teacher, Eliza Klein, to deliver some medicine for her beloved terrier, Elvis. There, she finds the woman dead on the kitchen floor and Elvis obviously upset over his owner’s demise. Soon the police—including Emily’s brother, Duncan, who’s a sheriff’s deputy, and an attractive detective named Mike Lane—suspect that Klein’s death is due to foul play. They become more concerned when Emily discovers a shadowy figure apparently ransacking Mrs. Klein’s house. Meanwhile, Elvis, whom Emily is caring for until a permanent home can be found, is acting unusually aggressive, biting the leg of an angry van driver who delivers groceries from a local health food store. Could Elvis’ odd behavior be the key to the mystery? Emily and her dear friend and clinic manager, Anthony Torres,decide to investigate. Overall, Mitchell delivers an accessible and appealing mystery that pet owners will especially enjoy; it also appealingly relates the day-to-day life of an active veterinary practice. As a practicing vet, Emily is shown to have a deep respect for the intuitive connection between animal owners and their pets; owners are said to be able to read “all the little subtle cues” of their animal, and it’s this bond that Mitchell highlights as the amateur sleuths search for the truth. The ups and downs of the budding relationship between the young, busy vet and the handsome police detective adds spice to an already delightful book.