Poison & Pooches
By Sandra Balzo
Oct. 2025. 224p. Severn, $29.99 (9781448314386); e-book (9781448316847)

Following her popular Maggy Thorsen books, Balzo launches a new series, a charming read with appealing characters both human and canine and a meaty murder mystery at its center. 

Arial Kingston (who featured in Balzo’s Brew unto Others, 2024) inherits a property on California’s Monterey Peninsula and has moved herself and her dog-sitting business from Wisconsin to her new home. There’s a main house and a guest house, but unfortunately, termites have invaded the guest house, so fumigation is required. In the process, a body is discovered in the house's crawl space, and it appears to have been there for a while. But who is it, and how did he or she end up under Arial’s guest house? Being a naturally nosy person (Arial prefers the term inquisitive), she’s determined to solve the mystery despite warnings by the police to let them handle it. An appealing new series for keen cozy fans.