It’s January in Reckless River, Washington—cold, dark, damp, and dismal. Stuck in a rut of routine, substitute teacher Barbara Reed wishes for change. It hits with the force of a hurricane.
The high school principal’s body is discovered in a remote cabin. Barb’s drug cop boyfriend wants the case and the move to homicide that comes with it. But what about his drug-sniffing canine partner Lola? Will she be reassigned? Will Barb’s entitled mutt Cheese Puff cope if she is? Or will he retaliate as only a small dog can?
While Barb stresses, a member of the Cheese Puff Care and Comfort Committee suffers a stroke, and her shocking secret comes to light. Meanwhile, Barb’s ex-husband drives a tour business to disaster, a talk-radio blowhard makes fresh enemies, and pearl power fails Mrs. Ballantine.
When drug dealers capture Lola, everyone races to launch a risky rescue operation—an operation that hinges on Cheese Puff’s devious nature.