Paws and Peril

Book One of the Hound Haven Mystery Series

In the quiet coastal town of Hound Haven, life moves at a gentle pace. Main Street is lined with historic storefronts, family-run shops, and neighbors who’ve known one another for generations. It’s a place where community still matters — and where change doesn’t always come welcome.

Ellie Rogers never planned to become the reluctant defender of her hometown.

As owner of Hound Haven Kennel, Ellie spends her days wrangling energetic Labradors, grooming pampered poodles, and helping anxious rescue dogs find their footing. Her world revolves around loyal clients, muddy paws, and preserving the Victorian home she inherited from her parents.

But when Mayor Harry Sawyer announces an aggressive redevelopment plan that threatens to bulldoze Main Street and replace it with modern shopping plazas and condominiums, Ellie finds herself drawn into a battle she never expected.

The protest is small. The resistance is fragile.

And then Harry Sawyer is found murdered in his office at City Hall.

A knife in his back.

A knife that belongs to Ellie.

Within hours, Ellie is arrested and charged with the mayor’s murder. Her public confrontation with Harry, combined with damning evidence linking her directly to the weapon, makes her the perfect suspect.

But Ellie knows she didn’t kill him.

Someone else wanted the mayor silenced.

And that someone is still out there.

With her business on the brink of collapse and her childhood home under threat from developers — and even her own sister — Ellie must fight not only for her freedom but for the future of Hound Haven itself.

Joining her is Max Emerson, the town’s sharp-tongued antique dealer with an encyclopedic knowledge of local history and a stubborn loyalty to tradition. Also stepping forward is Siobhan, the mayor’s assistant, who reveals that Harry’s life was far more complicated than anyone realized.

As secrets begin to surface, Ellie uncovers a web of:

• Disgruntled investors with financial motives

• A powerful real estate mogul with big ambitions

• A scorned former lover with a reputation for revenge

• Political maneuvering behind closed doors

• Hidden resentments that have simmered for years

In a town where everyone seems to have something to lose, trust becomes dangerous.

And the closer Ellie gets to the truth, the clearer it becomes that the mayor’s murder wasn’t just about business.

It was personal.

Paws and Peril blends small-town charm with high-stakes suspense, delivering a cozy-style amateur sleuth mystery with sharper edges and emotional depth. With memorable characters, community conflict, and plenty of four-legged personality woven throughout, this series opener sets the stage for an ongoing battle to protect Hound Haven’s heart and heritage.

Fans of small-town murder mysteries, amateur sleuth fiction, and character-driven suspense will find themselves quickly immersed in Ellie’s world.

Because in Hound Haven…

Even the quietest streets can hide deadly secrets.

This book is available on Amazon. Click Here.

On Audio now too.