Veterinarian Rachel Goddard and her love interest Captain Tom Bridger of the local sheriff's department team up to solve the murder of a prominent doctor in rural Virginia. A pack of feral dogs is on the loose and seem to be the cause of the doctor's brutal death. However, nothing is what it seems to be and before long secrets of the community are uncovered. This is the fourth in the series and one I hope to revisit --another enjoyable Malice Domestic 25 freebie from an Agatha Award winner! This is the fourth entry in Sandra Parshall’s Agatha Award-winning series, which brings back Rachel Goddard, veterinarian in Mason County, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where there has been a rash of mysterious disappearances of family pets from all over the area, posters of which cover the walls of Rachel’s animal hospital. At the same time, reports have been coming in of a pack of feral dogs attacking ranches and homes at night, stealing eggs and killing chickens, threatening the safety of the homeowners and the local farmers’ livestock, and causing somewhat of a panic among the citizenry. Some of them are up in arms, literally, and want nothing more than to form hunting parties, rifles at the ready, to find and kill the animals. Rachel has other plans: She is setting up a sanctuary, where she can house the animals and try to get them to bond again with humans, rather than the other members of the pack.The stakes suddenly escalate in fast and furious manner when a local man is viciously killed, and when it appears that an animal is to blame, those already planning to hunt them down become crazed. But Chief Deputy Sheriff Tom Bridger, with whom Rachel has been living for the past month, sees the evidence as pointing to a human killer who uses a trained and vicious dog as his weapon. The powerful novel details some very real horrors and ugliness in our society [a hint of which was provided in real life by football player Michael Vick].The ensuing investigation and chase becomes more and more complex: The victim was not without enemies, outside of and perhaps within his own household, which includes several adopted children and not a small amount of animosity. The author has created some beautifully drawn characters, who come vibrantly alive in the hands of a terrific storyteller. The suspense mounts to very high levels as the tale draws to an end, much too soon. I loved it, and it is highly recommended.
What do You think about Under The Dog Star (2011)?
In this series, none of the characters ever want to cooperate with the police.
—nyrieish
Actually a solid mystery but I found it too predictable.
—Sammi3
This one kept me up all night!! Grrrrr!
—bribrimcb
