DOG DISH OF DOOM

Copperman (Written Off, 2016, etc.) adds yet another franchise to his growing resume when he introduces Kay Powell, “Agent to the Paws.”

Having broken her showbiz parents’ hearts by leaving the three-person family act to go to law school, Kay discovers that she hasn’t much of a taste for litigation after all. But she knows how to write up a solid contract. She’s at home with theater folks. And she likes animals—better than people, truth be told. So why not earn a living representing the cats, dogs, and occasional macaw who star in movies, TV commercials, and even Broadway plays? She understands that animals’ stage parents can be pushy. But nothing prepares her for Trent Barclay, whose dog, Bruno, would be perfect to play Sandy in Les McMaster’s production of Annie, if Trent hadn’t just accused Les of being an untalented hack. Before Kay can write a contract hiring Bruno but barring Trent and his wife, Louise, from going backstage, Trent’s found in his kitchen with a knife in his back and his nose in Bruno’s water dish. NYPD detective Alana Rodriguez wants Kay to help her figure out who hated Trent enough to want him dead. Worse yet, Bruno keeps disappearing only to turn up minutes, hours, or days later. Whether it’s the thought of a pooch in peril or her own talent for sleuthing that puts her in gear, once Kay gets started, she goes after the culprit like a dog after a bone.

The wry, feisty heroine is a welcome addition to Copperman’s troupe. It’s only to be hoped that he’ll save some ink for his sleuthing mystery author or, especially, his autistic detective.