The dog days of summer have just begun, and Melanie Travis is looking forward to savoring each lazy afternoon. School's out, her son's at camp, and even her rambunctious Standard Poodle is taking a break from the show ring. And where better to enjoy herself than at her Aunt Peg's Fourth of July barbecue attended by members of Connecticut's most elite kennel clubs. Everything is perfect until an uninvited guest proves that even the laziest dog day of the year can suddenly turn vicious. A star poodle handler is killed in his own driveway, and though he bred plenty of contempt in the world of dog shows, Melanie is still stunned. Theres no shortage of suspects, and as Melanie digs for clues deep under Connecticut's well-groomed surface, she finds herself sniffing around in the killer's own backyard, and counts herself lucky to have the animal instincts to keep herself alive