Melinda Leigh’s Bree Taggert series has plenty to recommend it. Bree is the sheriff in a rural upstate New York county. She left her job as a homicide cop in Philadelphia to move into her sister Erin’s home and raise her niece and nephew after Erin was killed. She accidentally ended up as the sheriff, and she has a lot on her plate.

The series thus far has provided a great deal of backstory on Bree's life and her romance with Matt Flynn, who contracts with the sheriff's office, where he previously worked. Leigh is a master at seamlessly incorporating these details into the narrative. It's not forced, and it works well at bringing newcomers up-to-date on the characters and reminding fans of their history.

"Leigh takes a series of seemingly unconnected events and creates a brilliant mystery with pieces that all fall into place beautifully.... It's a lot of fun, and there are some very touching scenes along with the suspense."

CATCH HER DEATH begins as Bree arrests a member of the sleazy, drug-dealing Ekin family for murder. She is threatened by the mother and brother, and then finds herself being stalked. In the meantime, her former partner and best friend, Dana, who lives with them now that she is retired, finds herself at the center of a murder investigation.

While visiting someone she has just started dating, Dana arrives at the house and interrupts a shooter shortly after he gunned down the man with whom she was going to have dinner. She grapples with the gunman and is injured, but he escapes. He wore a mask and gloves, so there is little evidence at the crime scene. While investigating her stalker, Bree and Matt run into the scene of a drug deal. There they get to see how the new county K9 functions in action as the dog locates evidence of crimes.

One of the many things to like about this series is that dogs play vital roles in the stories. Here, Greta, a rescue who was too much dog for her family, finds new life as a police dog. In fact, Leigh uses her deep knowledge of canines to share important facts with readers. "FYI, a wagging tail signals excitement. It's not an indication of friendliness," Matt tells Bree when she mistakes Greta's wagging tail for just that. To clarify, it depends on the wag. Some do indicate friendliness, while others mean a dog is excited, anxious or aroused. Reading dog body language isn't for the uninformed.

There are also horses --- rescue horses --- and even a rescue dog named Ladybug, who is the fictional equivalent of Leigh's own rescue dog. Both are terrible watchdogs but great in the cuddling department. Sadly, Leigh just lost her real-life Ladybug, an adult rescue she adopted and loved dearly. Ladybug will be remembered not only by Leigh and her family, but also by readers as she is immortalized in these books.

Dogs (and horses) aside, Leigh takes a series of seemingly unconnected events and creates a brilliant mystery with pieces that all fall into place beautifully. Along the way, we get front-row seats to see the progression of the relationships of those in the story. It's a lot of fun, and there are some very touching scenes along with the suspense. CATCH HER DEATH is a great ride.