Judi McCoy's "Dog Walker" mysteries are on my list of favorites. Recently divorced Ellie Engelman is a professional dog walker on New York City's Upper East Side. What makes her different from other dog walkers in a city full of them, is that she can talk to her charges. I mean, anyone can talk to their dogs, but how many of them can talk back?!
In the first installment, Hounding The Pavement
, Ellie finds the dead body of Buddy the Bichon's owner. Buddy himself, a prize winning show dog is missing, but nobody other than Ellie thinks anything of it. She just knows that if she finds Buddy, she'll also find Professor Albright's killer.
In the second book, Heir of the Dog
, Ellie stumbles upon the dead body of a homeless man in Central Park while she is walking her terrier-mix Rudy. Ellie is acquainted with the man, as she has met him several times while walking her charges. She is questioned and becomes the prime suspect, but what nobody knows yet is that Gary, the homeless man has made Ellie's dog Rudy his sole beneficiary!
The third book in the series, Death In Show
is due out in June, and is available for pre-order now! I can't wait!These are funny, enjoyable mysteries. There is some romance involved, as Ms. McCoy is also a romance novelist. But it isn't over the top steamy romance. The story really centers around Ellie and the dogs.
The talking canines are hilarious and it makes you wonder what would happen if one really could understand their pets' thoughts!
One of the best things about Ms. McCoy and this series is that she donated all of the proceeds from Hounding the Pavement to Best Friends Animal Society, one of the U.S.'s top sanctuaries for abandoned and abused animals! How cool is that?
