Hell of a Dog

Someone is killing off the great dog trainers of the world—and it’s up to PI Rachel Alexander and her pit bull, Dash, to collar the murderer Rachel has just been hired as undercover security at a dog-training symposium at a posh Manhattan hotel. How can the Greenwich Village PI and her pit bull, Dashiell, turn down the hefty fee, plus free room and biscuits at the Ritz? All Rachel has to do is keep the peace among the competitive diva dog trainers who have come with their prize pooches from all corners of the globe. She and Dash have barely infiltrated the festivities when they find out that one of the trainers, the self-proclaimed guru of a controversial obedience technique, has been electrocuted in his bathtub. The cops are calling it an accident. Until another trainer dies . . . and then another. With suspects including a dog psychic and a behaviorist to the stars, Rachel discovers that it’s the humans who need to be housebroken as she and Dash bring a serial killer to heel.A Hell of a Dogis the 3rd book in the Rachel Alexander and Dash Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

“Expertly blending dog-training lore with an excellent and satisfying mystery.” —Publishers Weekly “The writing is excellent, as always, with a nice touch of humor and just the right amount of off-stage violence. . . . Recommended for all mystery collections.” —Library Journal “Boasts appealing human and canine characters . . . will satisfy anyone who enjoys pet mysteries . . . Benjamin reminds readers that, more often than we care to admit, humans are the ‘dumb animal’ in the people-pet equation.” —Booklist “Benjamin’s breezy wit makes for an entertaining read.” —CNN.com “Carol Lea Benjamin is as good at writing mysteries as she is at writing about dogs.” —Laurien Berenson, author of Underdog

Carol Lea Benjamin is the author of the Rachel Alexander and Dash mystery novels, which feature a Greenwich Village–based private investigator and her pit bull sidekick. This Dog for Hire, the first book in the series, won the Shamus Award for Best First PI Novel. Benjamin has also been a teacher, worked as a private investigator, trained dogs, and written dog-training manuals such as Mother Knows Best: The Natural Way to Train Your Dog. She lives in New York City with her husband and two dogs.