Brute Strength: A Dog Lover's Mystery

For her leisurely 19th Dog Lover’s mystery featuring Cambridge, Mass., “dog trainer and dog writer” Holly Winter (after 2007’s All Shots), Conant takes a cue from her protagonist’s love for Jane Austen by contrasting the fraught world of human relationships with Holly’s expertise in the canine realm. On the personal front, Holly tries to help a new friend and neighbor, Vanessa Jones, deal with the death of her son’s fiancée in a car crash; find a new mate for her newly single friend and fellow dog owner, Rita; and preserve the marriage between her temperamental father, Buck, and her stepmother, Gabrielle. Meanwhile, Holly’s job screening applications for the adoption of rescued Alaskan sled dogs has earned her enemies, including a threatening anonymous caller. The story’s lack of urgency and focus may deter newcomers, but series fans should enjoy spending time with familiar characters, the warm humor, and the dog lore. (Sept.)