Best in Showdown
(2025)(The third book in the Ruby Mae Thornton Mystery series)
A Story by Maisy Marple and Miranda Mercer
When it comes to murder, someone's barking up the wrong tree...
Mobile pet groomer Ruby Mae Thornton's day goes from suds to suspects when she attends the grand opening of Bow Wow Bakery in Whisker Falls. What should be a celebration of gourmet treats for four-legged friends quickly turns sinister as dogs across town begin falling mysteriously ill. When bakery owner Francine Pickett is found dead amid a batch of poisoned biscuits, Ruby knows this is no simple baking mishap.
With her faithful beagle mix Sherlock by her side, Ruby navigates a tangled web of counterfeit organic certifications, substituted ingredients, and stolen secret recipes. The suspect list is growing: fastidious health inspector Walter Pritchard with his suspicious inspections, rival pet store owner Eli Buckley who'd love to see the competition eliminated, and resentful assistant Edith Lovelace who claims Francine stole her recipes.
As Ruby investigates in her purple "Pampered Pooch" van, she discovers that the sweet façade of Whisker Falls' pet community hides bitter rivalries and deadly ambitions. When Ruby uncovers a hidden storage unit filled with evidence of fraud and follows the clues to an abandoned textile mill, she realizes she might be in over her head—especially when she finds herself face to face with a killer who's willing to do anything to keep their secrets buried.
Time is running out, and Ruby will need all her grooming expertise, small-town connections, and the reluctant help of Detective Grimsby to solve the case before she becomes the next victim in this high-stakes showdown.
In this delightfully clever sixth installment of the Ruby Mae Thornton mysteries, the fur is flying, the treats are deadly, and only one sleuth has what it takes to be Best in Showdown!
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Mobile pet groomer Ruby Mae Thornton's day goes from suds to suspects when she attends the grand opening of Bow Wow Bakery in Whisker Falls. What should be a celebration of gourmet treats for four-legged friends quickly turns sinister as dogs across town begin falling mysteriously ill. When bakery owner Francine Pickett is found dead amid a batch of poisoned biscuits, Ruby knows this is no simple baking mishap.
With her faithful beagle mix Sherlock by her side, Ruby navigates a tangled web of counterfeit organic certifications, substituted ingredients, and stolen secret recipes. The suspect list is growing: fastidious health inspector Walter Pritchard with his suspicious inspections, rival pet store owner Eli Buckley who'd love to see the competition eliminated, and resentful assistant Edith Lovelace who claims Francine stole her recipes.
As Ruby investigates in her purple "Pampered Pooch" van, she discovers that the sweet façade of Whisker Falls' pet community hides bitter rivalries and deadly ambitions. When Ruby uncovers a hidden storage unit filled with evidence of fraud and follows the clues to an abandoned textile mill, she realizes she might be in over her head—especially when she finds herself face to face with a killer who's willing to do anything to keep their secrets buried.
Time is running out, and Ruby will need all her grooming expertise, small-town connections, and the reluctant help of Detective Grimsby to solve the case before she becomes the next victim in this high-stakes showdown.
In this delightfully clever sixth installment of the Ruby Mae Thornton mysteries, the fur is flying, the treats are deadly, and only one sleuth has what it takes to be Best in Showdown!
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Used availability for Maisy Marple's Best in Showdown
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