Faux Pas: A Paws and Pose Mystery

In this amiable series opener from Esposito (Karma’s a Bitch), pampered pooches and their owners meet at the Pampered Pup Spa & Resort, on the Florida Gulf Coast island of Moon Key, where “doga” instructor Elle Pressley leads dogs and women in simple yoga exercises, until murder upsets their cozy routine. The victim, Celeste Green, is found face down on the floor of the mud-bath room and appears to have traced the letters B and O in the mud—clues that possibly point to plastic surgeon Ira Craft, whose Botox treatments are a popular option on the island. Elle, the best friend of Ira’s wife, Hope, is keen to prove Ira’s innocence. She goes in search of other suspects, starting with Celeste’s ex-husband, Robert, and Robert’s new girlfriend, Zebina. Handsome PI Devon Burke provides romantic tension as well as detection. An exotic setting compensates only in part for a routine mystery. (Dec.)