Whispers & Wakes: A Cozy Dog Mystery

The Maplewood Dog Mysteries (Book 5)

When a star sailor is found beneath the waves—and a legendary pendant vanishes—can a bookseller and her rescue dog surface the truth before Maplewood’s Summer Regatta runs aground?

Sunlit days and lake breezes fill Maplewood, Vermont, as the Summer Regatta brings boat parades, fireworks, and the Maritime Memories exhibit to town. The headline artifact—the long-lost Rose Pearl Pendant, tied to a 1930s excursion boat called The Lark—is set to dazzle crowds… until it disappears from a locked case. Hours later, regatta favorite Gavin Reeve is discovered near the wreck site.

Bookstore owner Emma Carlisle swore she’d enjoy the regatta drama-free, but her English Setter Wendi—a loving, skittish rescue with a nose for the uncanny—drags a soaked scrap of velvet from the reeds, the exact fabric used to cradle the pendant. With Sheriff Caleb Merritt facing intense public pressure, Emma follows fair-play clues through altered dock schedules, a missing weight belt from the dive shack, and an old newspaper photo linking Gavin to the pendant years before. Suspects abound: an elegant granddaughter protecting her captain grandfather’s legacy, a charming dive instructor with access to the wreck, a polished curator under career-threatening scrutiny, and a rival sailor with everything to gain.

Whispers & Wakes is a warm, witty cozy dog mystery—small-town summer ambiance, a loyal canine sidekick, and a clean, twist-rich puzzle (no gore, no profanity)—anchored by a fair, satisfying reveal and series-deepening heart.

Love dog cozies, lakeside intrigue, and clever amateur sleuths? Start reading Whispers & Wakes today.