Murder, She Barked

Contents

Praise for Krista Davis

Also by Krista Davis

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Epigraph

Holly’s List

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty-one

Twenty-two

Twenty-three

Twenty-four

Twenty-five

Twenty-six

Twenty-seven

Twenty-eight

Twenty-nine

Thirty

Thirty-one

Thirty-two

Thirty-three

Thirty-four

Thirty-five

Thirty-six

Thirty-seven

Thirty-eight

Thirty-nine

Forty

Forty-one

Forty-two

Forty-three

Forty-four

Forty-five

Forty-six

Author’s Note

Recipes

Special excerpt from The Diva Wraps It Up

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to my new cover artist, Mary Ann Lasher, who captured the Sugar Maple Inn so beautifully. As always, thanks to my fabulous editor, Sandra Harding, and terrific agent, Jessica Faust. I count myself lucky every day to be able to write mysteries. Sandy and Jessica bring joy and humor to the process, making it all the more wonderful. Fletcher Cochran was kind enough to brainstorm plot ideas with me, for which I am most grateful. I hope you’re pleased with the result, Fletcher.

Thanks also to my friends in crime, Janet Bolin, Daryl Wood Gerber, Peg Cochran, Janet Koch, Kaye George, and Marilyn Levinson for always being only an email away. Also to Susan Erba, Amy Wheeler, and Betsy Strickland, for their friendship and for sticking with me through thick and thin. I would be remiss if I did not thank my mother, who remains my biggest fan. She’s not as mischievous as Holly’s Oma, but there’s a little bit of mom in that character.

Trixie and Twinkletoes are based on my own dog and cat whose antics keep me in stitches and provide fodder for their animal characters in Wagtail.

Last, but most certainly not least, I have to thank my readers for their continuing encouragement and support. Without you, I wouldn’t have the best job in the world!

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and man.

—Mark Twain

Holly’s List

SUGAR MAPLE INN EMPLOYEES

Oma (Liesel Miller)—owner

Sven Berg—front-desk night shift

Casey Collins—front-desk night shift

Shelley Dixon—waitress

Zelda York—front-desk daytime

Chloe Kane—front-desk daytime

Tiny Goodwin—handyman, grounds

RELEVANT GUESTS

Mr. Luciano

WAGTAIL RESIDENTS

Jerry Pierce—mayor

Ellie Pierce—Jerry’s mom, co-owns Dolce with Oma

Rose Richardson—Oma’s best friend

Holmes Richardson—Rose’s grandson, my childhood friend

Dave Quinlan—Wagtail police officer

Thomas Hertzog—chef-owner of the Blue Boar

Prissy Clodfelter—co-owns dog accessory store, part-time police dispatcher

Peaches Clodfelter Wiggins—Prissy’s mom, co-owns dog accessory store

Mr. Wiggins—Peaches’ husband, Oma’s friend

Brewster Byrne—Hair of the Dog pub owner

Eric Dombrowski—pharmacist at HEAL! Drugs and Sundry

Mortie Foster—Ben’s boss, Kim’s dad, has fishing cabin (married to Jacqui)

Kim Foster—Mortie’s daughter

Hazel Mae and Del Izard—live near Mortie’s cabin

Philip Featherstone—1864 Inn bed-and-breakfast owner

Ben Hathaway—my boyfriend