Donovan (Knock Me Off My Feet, etc.) returns with a frisky caper centered around a tiny hairless dog known as a Chinese Crested. Thomas Tobin—an undercover investigator of paid "hits"—discovers little Hairy trembling near the body of a key informant. Feeling responsible for the man's death, the usually cynical Thomas takes Hairy home, then consults animal behaviorist Emma Jenkins to help fix the dog's decidedly weird behavior. Emma responds immediately to Thomas's blinding sex appeal, but her recent divorce and her adoption of her best friend's orphaned daughter leave her with little energy for romance. Despite painful baggage of his own, Thomas is less ambivalent. The discovery that Hairy may hold a clue to the murder gives him an excuse to hire Emma again. Meanwhile, Emma's shady ex-husband Aaron—the murderer Thomas is seeking—re-enters their lives in a dramatic way. The early revelation of Aaron's guilt undercuts the suspense, but the book's comic sharpness picks up the slack. The humorous interactions among Thomas, Emma and Emma's quirky family give the book a golden warmth as earthy as its rural Maryland setting. But there are also enough explicit erotic interludes to please readers who like their romances spicy. (Aug.)
