The Reigning Cats & Dogs Mystery Series
The Reigning Cats & Dogs Mystery Series features veterinarian and amateur sleuth Jessica Popper, who has a mobile services unit—a clinic on wheels—on Long Island, New York.
In addition to the dogs and cats Jessie takes care of, the books include the antics of Jessie’s personal menagerie. There’s her rambunctious, tail-less Westie, Max; his shy sidekick, Lou the one-eyed Dalmatian; her aging but dignified pussycat Catherine the Great; a kitten with the personality of a diva named Tinkerbell; mouthy Prometheus, a Blue and Gold Macaw with attitude; and last but not least, the silent yet seemingly wise chameleon, Leilani.
But in addition to having a passion for caring for animals, Jessie can’t resist a murder investigation. Check out these nine books to share in her adventures!
DEAD CANARIES DON'T SING
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While on a house call, Jessie’s two rambunctious dogs stumble upon something unexpected: a corpse half buried in the woods. She soon figures out that this corpse was about to sing. But about what? Or whom? Enlisting the aid of her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Nick, Jess applies the stubbornness of a bloodhound and the agility of a cat to identify a menagerie of suspects; including one who wants her off the case badly enough to kill again.
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While on a house call, Jessie’s two rambunctious dogs stumble upon something unexpected: a corpse half buried in the woods. She soon figures out that this corpse was about to sing. But about what? Or whom? Enlisting the aid of her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Nick, Jess applies the stubbornness of a bloodhound and the agility of a cat to identify a menagerie of suspects; including one who wants her off the case badly enough to kill again.
PUTTING ON THE DOG
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Volunteering at a charity dog show brings Jessie to Long Island's chic East End, the summer playground of the rich and famous. The posh seaside community is crawling with stars eager to take Best in Show for their beloved pooches. But it's murder most tacky when a celebrity photographer is felled by a giant ice sculpture at a $500-a-plate fund-raiser. The question isn't who wanted the sleazy paparazzo dead - it's who didn't. Unable to resist the scent of the hunt, Jess is soon investigating a casting director's dream of potential suspects, from a macho action hero with more secrets than muscles to a sexy Hollywood heartthrob Jess finds all too tempting—until Nick shows up. But somebody doesn't want the case closed. And if Jessie isn't careful, she just might become the next victim of a killer determined to prove she's barking up the wrong tree.
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Volunteering at a charity dog show brings Jessie to Long Island's chic East End, the summer playground of the rich and famous. The posh seaside community is crawling with stars eager to take Best in Show for their beloved pooches. But it's murder most tacky when a celebrity photographer is felled by a giant ice sculpture at a $500-a-plate fund-raiser. The question isn't who wanted the sleazy paparazzo dead - it's who didn't. Unable to resist the scent of the hunt, Jess is soon investigating a casting director's dream of potential suspects, from a macho action hero with more secrets than muscles to a sexy Hollywood heartthrob Jess finds all too tempting—until Nick shows up. But somebody doesn't want the case closed. And if Jessie isn't careful, she just might become the next victim of a killer determined to prove she's barking up the wrong tree.
LEAD A HORSE TO MURDER
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When an emergency call sends Jessie to a posh Long Island estate, it's the rider who grabs Jess's attention. The handsome young horseman exudes plenty of animal magnetism as he canters across the field...and then takes an inexplicable, fatal fall. The dead man was one of the finest polo players in the world, but it was no accident that killed him. The culprit was poison. And as Jessie soon discovers, a number of people had the means, motive, and opportunity for foul play, from the hostile barn manager to the businessman's disgruntled wife. But she’ll have to temper her feline instinct with good old-fashioned horse sense if she's going to stop a killer from leading a certain sleuth to her death.
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When an emergency call sends Jessie to a posh Long Island estate, it's the rider who grabs Jess's attention. The handsome young horseman exudes plenty of animal magnetism as he canters across the field...and then takes an inexplicable, fatal fall. The dead man was one of the finest polo players in the world, but it was no accident that killed him. The culprit was poison. And as Jessie soon discovers, a number of people had the means, motive, and opportunity for foul play, from the hostile barn manager to the businessman's disgruntled wife. But she’ll have to temper her feline instinct with good old-fashioned horse sense if she's going to stop a killer from leading a certain sleuth to her death.
HARE TODAY, DEAD TOMORROW
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It's harvest time in Long Island’s wine region, but this season's crop includes chardonnay, merlot... and murder. The victim is heir to one of the area’s most prestigious wineries—and if the crime isn't shocking enough, the prime suspect is one of Jessie's closest friends. Jessie is determined to catch the killer, who’s left nothing behind but a "hare," a stuffed bunny rabbit. To clear her friend's name, she must maneuver through a warren of bizarre twists and more suspects than a bunny has offspring. It turns out she’ll need a rabbit’s foot to keep from becoming the killer’s next victim . . .
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It's harvest time in Long Island’s wine region, but this season's crop includes chardonnay, merlot... and murder. The victim is heir to one of the area’s most prestigious wineries—and if the crime isn't shocking enough, the prime suspect is one of Jessie's closest friends. Jessie is determined to catch the killer, who’s left nothing behind but a "hare," a stuffed bunny rabbit. To clear her friend's name, she must maneuver through a warren of bizarre twists and more suspects than a bunny has offspring. It turns out she’ll need a rabbit’s foot to keep from becoming the killer’s next victim . . .
RIGHT FROM THE GECKO
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Surf's up . . . and so are the stakes when Jessie flies off to the land of hula, hibiscus, and geckos for a professional conference. The last time she and Nick went to Hawaii, he caused a volcanic eruption by unexpectedly popping The Question to commitment-phobic Jessie. But this trip proves just as dangerous when she befriends an ambitious young reporter whose body later washes up on the sand . . . and someone thinks Jessie holds the clue to the killer's motive. If she doesn't uncover hula-dunnit in time, she'll be saying aloha . . . permanently.
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Surf's up . . . and so are the stakes when Jessie flies off to the land of hula, hibiscus, and geckos for a professional conference. The last time she and Nick went to Hawaii, he caused a volcanic eruption by unexpectedly popping The Question to commitment-phobic Jessie. But this trip proves just as dangerous when she befriends an ambitious young reporter whose body later washes up on the sand . . . and someone thinks Jessie holds the clue to the killer's motive. If she doesn't uncover hula-dunnit in time, she'll be saying aloha . . . permanently.
WHO'S KITTEN WHO?
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Jessie takes center stage in the cast of an up-and-coming Long Island playwright's last production and the fur flies as Jess finds the theater world littered with clues to Simon Wainwright's murder. Was the killer the actress who's a real glamour-puss? Or her rival for Simon's affections, a disheveled costume designer who looks like something the cat dragged in? Or how about the fat-cat Broadway producers? As Jessie investigates, her boyfriend Nick Burby’s family comes to visit, creating havoc at home. Between coping with the "Invasion of the Burbarians" and playing cat and mouse with a killer, Jess could use nine lives herself. But curiosity killed the cat. Will that be Jessie's fate by the time the curtain falls?
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Jessie takes center stage in the cast of an up-and-coming Long Island playwright's last production and the fur flies as Jess finds the theater world littered with clues to Simon Wainwright's murder. Was the killer the actress who's a real glamour-puss? Or her rival for Simon's affections, a disheveled costume designer who looks like something the cat dragged in? Or how about the fat-cat Broadway producers? As Jessie investigates, her boyfriend Nick Burby’s family comes to visit, creating havoc at home. Between coping with the "Invasion of the Burbarians" and playing cat and mouse with a killer, Jess could use nine lives herself. But curiosity killed the cat. Will that be Jessie's fate by the time the curtain falls?
MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DIE
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It's been over a decade since Jessica Popper spoke to vet-school friend Erin Walsh. But when Erin calls out of the blue, sounding desperate, she agrees to meet her. When her friend doesn't show, Jessie begins to suspect that her old pal was making a monkey out of her—until she learns that Erin was murdered. Jessie can't resist getting involved, but her sleuthing quickly pulls her into a jungle of suspects amidst the world of endangered species. Did Erin's husband, Ben, kill her—or was it the eccentric lizard-loving coworker with whom she may have been monkeying around? With the killer going ape to stay hidden, even Jessie's animal instincts might not save her from a fate more fatal than a barrel of monkeys...
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It's been over a decade since Jessica Popper spoke to vet-school friend Erin Walsh. But when Erin calls out of the blue, sounding desperate, she agrees to meet her. When her friend doesn't show, Jessie begins to suspect that her old pal was making a monkey out of her—until she learns that Erin was murdered. Jessie can't resist getting involved, but her sleuthing quickly pulls her into a jungle of suspects amidst the world of endangered species. Did Erin's husband, Ben, kill her—or was it the eccentric lizard-loving coworker with whom she may have been monkeying around? With the killer going ape to stay hidden, even Jessie's animal instincts might not save her from a fate more fatal than a barrel of monkeys...
MURDER HAD A LITTLE LAMB
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Things get wild and woolly when Jessica Popper’s wedding to longtime fiancé Nick Burby is interrupted by the sound of bloody murder. The sacrificial lamb is the black sheep of the Burby flock, a long-lost relative Nick has never even met. In fact, no one thought Cousin Nathaniel would return to the fold for the event—except his killer. So instead of enjoying her honeymoon, Jessie finds herself playing Bo Peep to a growing list of suspects, none with a past as white as snow. All the clues lead to an exclusive private school in Long Island’s high-toned Bromptons, where snobby socialites and a smattering of locals on scholarship take classes in African drumming and field trips to Europe. But shearing away the thick fleece of politics, tension, and rivalries reveals a very different animal under the school’s progressive appearance. And just when Jessie thinks she’s about to herd in the killer, she realizes she’s being led like a lamb to slaughter . . .
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Things get wild and woolly when Jessica Popper’s wedding to longtime fiancé Nick Burby is interrupted by the sound of bloody murder. The sacrificial lamb is the black sheep of the Burby flock, a long-lost relative Nick has never even met. In fact, no one thought Cousin Nathaniel would return to the fold for the event—except his killer. So instead of enjoying her honeymoon, Jessie finds herself playing Bo Peep to a growing list of suspects, none with a past as white as snow. All the clues lead to an exclusive private school in Long Island’s high-toned Bromptons, where snobby socialites and a smattering of locals on scholarship take classes in African drumming and field trips to Europe. But shearing away the thick fleece of politics, tension, and rivalries reveals a very different animal under the school’s progressive appearance. And just when Jessie thinks she’s about to herd in the killer, she realizes she’s being led like a lamb to slaughter . . .
CROSSING THE LION
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Veterinarian Jessica Popper is still basking in newly-wedded bliss when neighbors Betty and Winston beg her to investigate the suspicious death of Linus Merrywood, king of the corporate jungle. On stormy Solitude Island, the Merrywoods have enjoyed the lion’s share of wealth for generations. But from the suspects to the surroundings, Jessie feels as if she’s walked straight into an old-fashioned game of Clue—except here the stakes are life and death. There’s the butler named Jives, a sexy assistant named Scarlett, teatime in the conservatory, and a house with secret passageways, moving walls, and a wailing aunt locked in the attic. With a storm raging around the island and Jessie’s least favorite police detective assigned to the case, things are looking dire until Nick braves his way to Solitude to join her. Then it’s the two of them against a family steeped in secrets—and a killer on the prowl who’s ferociously determined to protect the biggest family secret of all.
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Veterinarian Jessica Popper is still basking in newly-wedded bliss when neighbors Betty and Winston beg her to investigate the suspicious death of Linus Merrywood, king of the corporate jungle. On stormy Solitude Island, the Merrywoods have enjoyed the lion’s share of wealth for generations. But from the suspects to the surroundings, Jessie feels as if she’s walked straight into an old-fashioned game of Clue—except here the stakes are life and death. There’s the butler named Jives, a sexy assistant named Scarlett, teatime in the conservatory, and a house with secret passageways, moving walls, and a wailing aunt locked in the attic. With a storm raging around the island and Jessie’s least favorite police detective assigned to the case, things are looking dire until Nick braves his way to Solitude to join her. Then it’s the two of them against a family steeped in secrets—and a killer on the prowl who’s ferociously determined to protect the biggest family secret of all.
