A poisoned treat. A town on edge. And a rescue dog everyone’s ready to blame.

When a beloved local collapses during a dog-friendly café event, what should have been a cheerful afternoon of wagging tails and fresh pastries turns into something far more unsettling. The cause? A suspicious dog treat, one that may have come from the very shelter that brought the community together.

For Mia Harper, volunteer coordinator at the town’s animal rescue, the fallout is immediate. Donations stall. Trust begins to fracture. And worst of all, one of the shelter’s sweetest dogs is suddenly at the center of the blame.

Mia knows something isn’t right.

The timeline doesn’t add up. The vendor records don’t match. And the more she looks, the clearer it becomes: this wasn’t an accident, it was intentional.

With her loyal rescue dog by her side, Mia follows the trail the only way she knows how, through quiet observation, careful questions, and the small inconsistencies others overlook. But in a town built on kindness and routine, every answer threatens to unravel friendships, reputations… and the future of the shelter itself.

Because someone is hiding the truth.
And they’re counting on no one looking too closely.

Can Mia uncover what really happened before the shelter takes the fall?

Or will small-town secrets keep the truth buried for good?

Bone Appétit, Murder is Book 2 in the Paws & Purpose Cozy Mystery series, a warm, clue-driven mystery featuring a small-town setting, an amateur sleuth, and a lovable rescue dog at the heart of it all.