The Puppy who Knew Too Much

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Leaving Indiana after the murder of her husband, Lilly Echosby moves to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to live near her long-time friend Dixie Jefferson. In The Puppy Who Knew Too Much by V.M. Burns, Lilly hopes her troubles are behind her and her only problem will be training her new poodle Aggie.

When a strange woman approaches Lilly and Dixie about renting her son's house, Lilly jumps in. Even though she has shown no credit history or any background check, Jo Ellen Hansen offers Lilly a one-year lease. Lilly quickly moves in and prepares to join the community. Her first encounter leads her into a confrontation with one of her neighbors.

Next day while walking her dog, Aggie begins sniffing around a tree but doesn't want to be drawn away. As Lilly gets closer, she realizes Aggie has unearthed a shoe attached to a dead man. When the body is identified as Jo Ellen Hansen's son Robert, Lilly begins to worry about her ability to stay in the house.

Lilly's daughter Stephanie and her police officer boyfriend Joe plan to stay with Lilly while she gets settled in. Lucky for her because the next day someone breaks in and ransacks the house. Joe calls in a favor from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and they send Dennis Olson to join the case.

Not one to sit idly by and let someone else investigate, Lilly, Dixie and Stephanie decide to figure out who killed Robert Hanson and what they wanted from Lilly's house. Meanwhile Lilly has been hired by the Chattanooga Museum of Art to untangle the financial mess left by the scion of wealthy donors The Hopewells. Freemont Hopewell takes an instant shine to Lilly and begins deluging her with flowers. She is flattered at first, but wonders what his game is.

I have read other books by V.M. Burns and find them entertaining. This book is the second in the Dog Club Mysteries and I found the characters to be realistic and likable. Plus I learned some dog training tips even though I do not have a dog.