Shepherded to Death

SIT AND STAY FOR THIS YUMMY DOGGY TREAT! It's a perfect job for the right person in the wrong place: she's a cat lady and her name's even Cat-- yet here she is, working for cable station KDOG in a place called Barkview, the dog-friendliest town in America. Worse, she's just become the babysitter and bodyguard of a 60-pound attack dog named Gem, who thinks she's the bodyguard. Until her owner was shot with a poison dart, poor Gem was the beloved pet of Barkview's toniest jeweler and his wife. But now Ariana, the widow, has to go into protective custody- it seems she and her husband were in the witness protection program. So she begs Cat to take charge of her baby till the murder's solved, knowing full well that Cat is going to solve the murder and Gem will help her: she can identify the murderer. Sadly, the murderer shot Gem too- though only with a tranquilizer, enabling them to wreck the jewelry store, apparently in search of the one missing item- a priceless yellow diamond on loan for a jewelry exhibit. As it happens, the loan was arranged by the former mayor, whose relentless pursuit of Barkview's very own missing treasure- also a fabulous yellow diamond- led to his wife's recent murder. Coincidence? Cat thinks not. And she runs with the big dogs in investigative circles. Cozy fans will fall in love with Barkview, reporter sleuth Cat, and overprotective Gem, as author Wilson weaves her clever way through this delightful small-town mystery, scattering verbal treats and comic gems that'll keep you chuckling.