Muzzled: A Kate Turner, D.V.M., Mystery

Brady’s enjoyable, leisurely paced first novel introduces Dr. Kate Turner, who, like Brady herself, is a veterinarian. When Kate pays a house call on Vivian and Thomas Langhorne, who breed and raise champion Cavalier King Charles spaniels, she discovers the dead bodies of the elderly couple. The police call it murder-suicide, but Kate’s not so sure. In the course of her rounds, Kate discovers that many residents of Oak Falls, N.Y., had good reason to do them in, ranging from the heartlessly competitive dog show grande dame to the even more heartless, money-grubbing Langhorne daughter with a checkered legal past. Readers will want to see more of the likable Kate, who, as she snoops and doctors, provides an inside look at quirky pet owners and the oft-satirized dog show set (shoe polish shines a nose!). She even imparts wisdom on such matters as clipping parrot toe nails and the importance of doggie weight loss diets. (Apr.)