THE LITTER OF THE LAW

Murders in a small town leave an armchair detective and her pet family with too few motives, or perhaps too many.

Mary “Harry” Haristeen just can’t stay out of trouble. Now, she and her loyal brood of animals stumble upon a scarecrow whose straw form has been replaced with a corpse. Harry didn’t know the late Joshua Hill and can’t seem to find a reason anyone would want him dead. Harry’s friend Hester Martin has concerns of her own, from her resolve to save historical buildings to her determination to educate the consumers at her vegetable stand on the importance of organic foods. With Halloween fast approaching, Harry would love to get to the truth before the spooky mood settles over her little Virginia town. Before she can solve the case, however, one of Harry’s friends is struck down in another grisly scene. Now, Harry’s husband, Fair, insists that she carry her father’s .38 and try to stay out of trouble, even though both are against her nature. On top of all this drama, sassy cat Pewter is working the last nerve of tiger-striped Mrs. Murphy and corgi Tee Tucker even though the crew have banded together to protect Harry, their mom.

An animal-centric cozy that settles for educating rather than preaching, a nice shift from Brown’s recent outings (Sneaky Pie for President, 2012, etc.).