Despite Melanie's domestic demands--a toddler and a house full of Standard Poodles--helping Edward March pen his life story is an opportunity she can't pass up. Of course, Edward turns out to be a growly old man who wants his book "Puppy Love" to consist mainly of his amorous encounters with women from the dog show community. It's juicy gossip, but not dangerous . . . until Andrew, Edward's son, pays Melanie an angry visit to stop her from working on the book. When Andrew suddenly turns up dead, the police are looking at Edward as Suspect No. 1. There was lots of bad blood between Andrew and his father, but Melanie is looking at the bigger picture. Between getting caught up in the bafflingly dysfunctional March family, sorting out two generations of disgruntled ex-lovers, and uncovering a shocking case of secret hoarding, Melanie's running into dead ends almost as fast as she's running out of time.