I haven't read any of Conant's books for a long time; my memory was that she was just too heavy-handed about the "right" way to be a proper dog owner. Maybe I don't remember it well; or I've changed or she's changed, because I didn't get that vibe from this book at all. This is #15 in the series featuring Holly Winter, dog trainer and writer. Holly gets an offer she can't refuse to train the puppy of a local Mafia kingpin. When the man's driver is discovered murdered next to her car, she's ordered to forget it. She tries her best but keeps getting dragged back into it. Lots of tidbits about dog training and dog shows gently inserted, and the dogs act like real dogs. Enough backstory is provided that I didn't feel like I needed to know what happened in previous books.
