The Scent of Murder

Logan (the League of Literary Ladies series) makes a confident stride from cozies into a harder edge story with this solid series launch set in Cleveland. Jazz Ramsey, an administrative assistant at St. Catherine’s, a prestigious Catholic high school, volunteers as a trainer and handler of Luther, a German shepherd employed by the Human Remains Detection service. During a training session, Jazz hides a tooth in an abandoned building, but Luther finds instead the body of Florie Allen, who graduated a couple of years before from St. Catherine’s. The discovery brings Jazz back in touch with Det. Nick Kolesov, her ex-boyfriend, who’s handling the case. To help her cope with the shock of Florie’s death, Jazz tries to learn more about how she changed since high school. The appealing Jazz is guided by her love of dogs and her close relationship with her two firefighter brothers and her mother. Believable characters, crisp dialogue, and an insider’s view of Cleveland’s energetic arts and restaurant scenes enhance the mystery. Readers will hope to see a lot more of Jazz and Luther. Agent: Gail Fortune, Talbot Fortune. (May)