The Long Good Boy — Carol Lea Benjamin

A dog trainer-turned-PI and her pit bull go after a killer -- with a little help from a courageous dachshund -- in this mystery by a Shamus Award winner.

Rachel and Dash have a new client. Well, three new clients. A trio of transvestite working girls want Rachel to investigate the death of one of their own. Rosalinda's throat was slashed on Halloween right after the Greenwich Village parade. Finding her killer isn't exactly the NYPD's top priority -- and LaDonna, Chi Chi, and Jasmine are terrified that they'll be next.

With her cash retainer in hand -- and very few leads -- Rachel starts digging. What is the connection between Rosalinda and a dead butcher? Soon, with the help of Chi Chi's mini-dachshund, Clint, Rachel is breaking into a plant in the Meatpacking District. But her future is suddenly on the line when she sets herself up as bait to catch the killer. As Rachel follows a twisting trail with only Dash for protection, she discovers that her foray into “the life” could end with her own untimely death.

The Long Good Boy is the 6th book in the Rachel Alexander and Dash Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.