Paws & Probabilities: A Cozy Dog Mystery

The Maplewood Dog Mysteries Book 1

When a skittish rescue dog noses out a clue the thief missed, can her owner untangle a deadly theft before Maplewood’s Harvest Hound Parade begins?

After burning out on corporate life, Emma Carlisle has found calm running Probabilities & Paws, her used bookstore and board-game café on Main Street. But serenity shatters when a wealthy summer resident is found dead at her lakeside home—and the town’s star auction item, the glittering 1920s Founders’ Collar, vanishes from a locked display. Emma’s English Setter, Wendi—a gentle, skittish rescue—sniffs out a torn velvet ribbon near the scene, turning a tragic “accident” into a puzzling crime.

Drawn into a small-town tangle of motives, Emma follows fair-play clues through altered bid sheets, a suspicious security-camera gap, and a cryptic calendar note—while Sheriff Caleb Merritt balances town politics against hard evidence. With suspects ranging from an indebted antiques dealer to an estranged heir and a bitter handyman, Emma must trust logic and Wendi’s instincts to expose a killer hiding in plain sight.

Paws & Probabilities is a warm, witty cozy dog mystery filled with small-town charm, a loyal canine sidekick, and a clean, twist-rich puzzle—no gore, no profanity—and a deeply satisfying reveal that sets the stage for a heart-tugging series.

Love dog cozies, small-town intrigue, and clever amateur sleuths? Start reading Paws & Probabilities today.