When she delivers a dog to the home of a client who their pet groomer has insulted, she finds the wife with a pair of grooming scissors in her chest. She flees the scene after erasing any fingerprints she may have left. Later the same day, Barclay, an adorable labradoodle puppy, is kidnapped. Barclay, the most valuable puppy in Fort Lauderdale, is the object of a bitter custody battle between Willoughby Barclay and his wife.

To complicate matters, there is a hurricane expected to make landfall. Helen sets out to find the murderer and the kidnapper.

The reader is given a bird's eye (canine?) picture of the elite canine world with its special cuisine and grooming. The author explores the trend of fashion conscious pet owners using their pets as accessories. The light hearted story is full of twists and turns which makes it suspenseful. Helen is a welcome addition to the female amateur sleuths. She is intelligent, witty, ingenious, and resourceful with an excellent sense of humor. The Florida setting is described beautifully, especially its hurricane drama. We are left hoping to learn what Helen's next "dead end" job will be...