Oodles of Poodles
Praise for the Pet Rescue Mysteries
Hounds Abound
“Pet lovers and mystery readers alike will be impressed with Linda O. Johnston’s latest cozy,
Hounds Abound
…Johnston’s heart for pet rescue is evident in every page of this book…This is a whodunit that clearly has a deeper message…A great addition to a very heartfelt series!”
—
Debbie’s Book Bag
The More the Terrier
“Johnston’s heroine’s compassion for her four-legged friends and their owners make her a likable heroine. Readers who enjoy a mystery heavy on this subject matter will enjoy Johnston’s latest.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“[A] first-class whodunit…Well written…Johnston, an animal lover and advocate, is using her writing not only to give readers a great mystery but also as a platform for animal issues and awareness, and I find that commendable.”
—
Debbie’s Book Bag
“[A] great story…Enjoy!”
—
Once Upon a Romance
Beaglemania
“Gutsy Lauren Vancouver easily wins over the hearts of animals in need—as well as readers…[Vancouver is] an ardent advocate for homeless pets.”
—Rebecca M. Hale,
New York Times
bestselling author of
How to Tail a Cat
“Animal lovers will delight in a new series filled with rescued dogs and cats needing loving homes. Lauren Vancouver is a determined heroine who will solve the intriguing mystery at her private shelter.”
—Leann Sweeney, author of the Cats in Trouble Mysteries
“Lauren Vancouver is a likable, efficient amateur sleuth, passionate about her work and smart about how she goes about her investigation.”
—
Mysterious Reviews
“[A] charming, well-written series.”
—
RT Book Reviews
Praise for Linda O. Johnston’s Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mysteries
“Humorous, cleverly constructed.”
—
Midwest Book Review
“A brilliantly entertaining new puppy caper, a doggie-filled who-done-it…Johnston’s novel is a real pedigree!”
—Dorothy Cannell
“A fabulous series.”
—
The Best Reviews
Berkley Prime Crime titles by Linda O. Johnston
Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mysteries
SIT, STAY, SLAY
NOTHING TO FEAR BUT FERRETS
FINE-FEATHERED DEATH
MEOW IS FOR MURDER
THE FRIGHT OF THE IGUANA
DOUBLE DOG DARE
NEVER SAY STY
HOWL DEADLY
FELINE FATALE
Pet Rescue Mysteries
BEAGLEMANIA
THE MORE THE TERRIER
HOUNDS ABOUND
OODLES OF POODLES
Oodles
of Poodles
LINDA O. JOHNSTON
BERKLEY PRIME CRIME, NEW YORK
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 707 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3008, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) • Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa), Rosebank Office Park, 181 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parktown North 2193, South Africa • Penguin China, B7 Jiaming Center, 27 East Third Ring Road North, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100020, China
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
OODLES OF POODLES
A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / February 2013
Copyright © 2013 by Linda O. Johnston.
No Animals Were Harmed
®
and Certified Animal Safety Representatives
TM
are trademarks of the American Humane Association.
Cover illustration by Jennifer Taylor / Paperdog Studio.
Cover design by Rita Frangie.
Interior text design by Laura K. Corless.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ISBN: 978-1-101-61915-5
BERKLEY
®
PRIME CRIME
Berkley Prime Crime Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
BERKLEY
®
PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
| ALWAYS LEARNING | PEARSON |
Acknowledgments
I want to thank the film industry and its usually fun depiction of animals—although, of course, there are always exceptions, and films and TV shows that don’t earn the coveted “No Animals Were Harmed
®
” designation. I wanted
Oodles of Poodles
to show the industry at its best, at least in its love and care for animals.
I also want to thank Natalee Rosenstein, senior executive editor at Berkley Prime Crime, for suggesting the title of
Oodles of Poodles
, as well as for everything else she does for this wonderful imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. And of course I thank my editor, Michelle Vega, who’s an absolutely delightful editor in all respects.
Then there’s my wonderful agent, Paige Wheeler, founding member of Folio Literary Management, LLC, without whom my career would be very different, and a lot less fun.
As always, this book is dedicated to my wonderful husband, Fred, who brainstorms with me and bears with my fretting over nearly everything as I write. I thank him, and I also thank my adorable pups Lexie and Mystie for always acting as my inspirations…and interruptions.
Author’s Note
Oodles of Poodles
is completely fiction. However, it includes a lot of references to a wonderful organization called the American Humane Association that does, in fact, scrutinize movies and TV shows to make sure that all animals, from insects to elephants, are treated well. Only then will the production receive the coveted “No Animals Were Harmed
®
” designation. “No Animals Were Harmed
®
” is a registered trademark of American Humane. The designation of the Certified Animal Safety Representatives
TM
is also a trademark. I was fortunate enough to receive permission to refer to them in this book, thanks to the kindness of Jone Bouman, director of communications, American Humane Association Film and TV Unit, who also gave me a generous amount of her time, plus a lot of reading and viewing material, to help me learn about her excellent organization.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
