Obedience trial chairman River Kincaid thought possums in the restroom would be the biggest problem she'd face at the Cedar Valley Dog Trainers' spring show until an irascible club member turns up dead at the show site . . . and everyone from the chief ring steward to the trophy chairman has a motive. All River wants to do is focus on finishing her Australian shepherd's Obedience Trial Championship, but as she helps the authorities navigate the quirky sub-culture of competitive dog obedience in order to solve the murder, old grievances and unexpected secrets threaten the future of the kennel club that's like her second family. On top of it all, Ty MacAllan, a newcomer on the show scene, seeks her help after making an ill-fated show ring debut. She can't resist a guy with a heart-stopping smile and an adorable rescue dog, never mind he's a stranger in town with a shadowed past he doesn't want to talk about. Missing funds from the club treasury and an escape-artist Belgian Malinois looking for her forever home complicate River's life beyond anything her emotional support coffee can hope to remedy. When the prime murder suspect disappears and the least likely suspect is arrested, River and Ty join forces to find the killer before the judge's final show ring command of "Exercise finished" becomes a permanent condition for them both.