Heir of the Dog — Judi McCoy

Professional dog walker Ellie Engleman is more than just a pal to her pooches -- she can also read their minds. So when a fellow dog lover turns up dead, Ellie makes no bones about using her talents to track down her friend's killer.

Strolling through Central Park with Rudy, her terrier mix, Ellie is shocked to find the corpse of a troubled but harmless park dweller she often met while walking Rudy. When the police arrive and question Ellie, she stumbles over her story -- and finds herself the prime suspect. Fortunately she has onetime fling Detective Sam Ryder in her corner.

But the police investigation is the least of Ellie's worries. Because it turns out that Ellie's pup, Rudy, is the victim's sole beneficiary -- and he has inherited a key to a safety-deposit box whose contents just might point to both the motive and the murderer. Together, Ellie, Rudy, and Sam must sniff out the killer, or they won't have a dog's chance of surviving.