Holly Miller gets much more than she bargained for when she rescues an adorable stray pup by the side of the road in this all-new Paws & Claws Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Krista Davis. Holly Miller is on her way home to Wagtail, Virginia when she spots something in the grass not far from her car. It turns out to be an adorable black Labrador in a cage with a note attached to his collar. My name is Squishy. I am a very good boy. Please take good care of me. Holly takes Squishy home to the Sugar Maple Inn, which she owns with her grandmother, who also happens to be the mayor of Wagtail. They decide to foster Squishy at the Inn. Days later, Holly is surprised to see her ex-boyfriend Ben checking in with a group of his attorney colleagues who all seem to think that he and Holly are still an item! Aided by Squishy, Holly’s rascally dog and cat find one of Ben’s fellow attorneys who has died from a non-accidental fall. Is the fiend a resident of Wagtail or a visitor? Holly bands together with her mom, grandmother, and beloved elderly Inn butler, Mr. Huckle, to uncover the killer and the truth about Squishy. Because nothing brings a town together like murder. Praise for the New York Times bestselling Paws & Claws series “Another charming series with a unique setting, an engaging heroine . . . and a wonderfully quirky supporting cast of characters.”—Sofie Kelly, New York Times bestselling author of the Magical Cats Mysteries “Davis has created a town that any pet would love—as much as their owners do. And they won’t let a little thing like murder spoil their enjoyment.”—Sheila Connolly, New York Times bestselling author of the County Cork, Museum, and Orchard Mysteries “The intriguing plot twists will keep you guessing to the very last page.”—Kate Carlisle, New York Times bestselling author of the Bibliophile Mysteries Krista Davis is the New York Times bestselling author of the Paws & Claws Mysteries, as well as the Domestic Diva Mysteries. One "There is a murderer among us." My grandmother, whom I called Oma, German for grandma, had a great sense of humor. But she wasn't inclined to joke about the macabre. Maybe on Halloween. But it was springtime now. I stared into her blue eyes, hoping to find a twinkle of mischievousness. Her gaze held steady, and no hint of mirth twitched on her face. "I hope you're joking." "Sadly, I am not." "Someone was murdered?" While Wagtail had had its unfortunate share of deadly incidents, I was usually the first person to know about them because my Jack Russell terrier, Trixie, and my calico cat, Twinkletoes, had noses for murder. The two of them had an uncanny ability to find murder victims. I looked down at Trixie, who was doing her best to annoy Oma's golden retriever, Gingersnap. Almost all white, Trixie had black ears and a large black spot on her rump that went halfway up her tail, which had not been cropped. Twinkletoes could be a rascal, but her general demeanor was one of feline superiority. The elegant cat sat watching everything slyly through vivid green eyes. Her face and abdomen were mostly longish white fur. Her forehead bore two spots, one chocolate fudge and the other butterscotch, which made her look like she wore sunglasses on the top of her head. She often regarded the world Egyptian style, with her black tail wrapped around her white feet. "No one has been murdered by this man recently," said Oma. "Not here, anyway. A man called Cooper Adams was convicted of murder. He has just been released from prison and decided to make Wagtail his home. Apparently, he is required to inform the police so we know that this Cooper now lives among us. His name rings a bell for me, but I don't know why." Part of me wanted to be sympathetic toward Cooper, but a conviction for murder was hard to embrace. "Why? What brought him to Wagtail?" "I do not know. It is all new to us." A faint smile crossed Oma's lips. "Zelda says the lunar eclipse is a time for new beginnings. Perhaps it is so for this Cooper." "Maybe it's not as bad as it sounds? Maybe the murder was an accident, not intentional." I sought reasons to convince myself of that. "Maybe it was a stormy night and his car skidded and he hit someone." "We are having a lunch meeting today where I will learn more." Oma had brought me on at the inn so she could take it easy and travel, but then she went and got herself elected mayor of Wagtail, which meant she was busier than ever. One of the advantages, of course, was that I heard the town's scuttlebutt. "Are you still going to Snowball?" she asked. "I had planned to. Maybe I should stay here today instead." "Zelda, Mr. Huckle, and Shadow will be here. And I will be a quick walk away. I'm sure everything will be fine." Probably so. It was simply the shock of the news that caused me to reconsider. There really wasn't any reason to alter my plans or do anything differently, though. "Be careful, liebchen." I smiled at her and w