
Seventh in the series, and okay to start here if you want. I really like this small-town police procedural series. The characters feel real to me, the scenery is vivid, the pacing is just right. This one feels a little darker to me than the others; I could feel for the families involved and was glad Shames didn't spend a lot of time dwelling on the animal cruelty. The puppy kind of makes up for it. I didn't guess whodunit either. But I've read these out of order so I can tell you that in the one after this, you'll learn why Loretta changed her hairstyle.

This is another good addition to the series. This one is back to the present after the last one took place in the past. A good mystery and some nice new additions.