My name is Yesenia Ubeda Goldstein. In the Spanish manner, I tack my mother’s maiden name onto my father’s to acknowledge my full Cuban-Jewish heritage.

Six months ago, my days revolved around teaching food-tradition seminars, grading papers, and answering endless emails from my department chair. Then The New School decided not to renew my contract.

Just when I was wondering if anyone still cared about my work, Jay Bishop, a producer at the Culinary Network, called—and suddenly, someone did.

Jay had seen the videos I’d made of a winter course and asked me to consult on a new program called Dog’s Kitchen. He needed an assistant producer with food knowledge who wouldn’t mind wrangling a cast of dog-fluencers and their canine companions.

I agreed eagerly, which is how I’ve ended up on a makeshift set in the refectory of an old monastery in the Pennsylvania countryside. I’m up at six, coordinating makeup artists, food shipments, lighting technicians, two chefs (one of them very cantankerous), and four human judges—each with a canine sidekick.

Jay’s inspiration came from his own problem at home. He wanted to eat the same gourmet-quality meals he fed his dogs—without worrying about ingredients that might harm them. I researched chefs experienced in cooking for both species, then judges who could evaluate the results. But managing the whole project has been like herding cats.

Although that’s not a phrase you should use on a set full of dogs.

And if that isn’t enough, someone is sabotaging my production. Ingredients have been switched, power failures caused, and I’m afraid the whole project might collapse—sending me straight back to the adjunct circuit. Fortunately, my friend Steve manages the property, and his golden retriever, Rochester, has a reputation for sniffing out dastardly deeds.

I hope he can nose out who’s responsible—or Dog’s Kitchen will end up like a dog’s breakfast. And not in a good way.

I used to grade papers. Now I’m grading chefs—and praying my second act doesn’t go up in smoke.

DOG’S KITCHEN
Series Name: A Golden Retriever Mystery, Book 22
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: December 2025
Format: Digital, Print
Purchase Link

Lights, cameras… and sabotage in the kitchen.

Steve Levitan expects summer at Friar Lake Conference Center to be peaceful—until the Cuisine Network shows up with a full production crew, celebrity chefs, social media dog-fluencers, and a brand-new reality show: Dog’s Kitchen, where every dish must be safe and delicious for both humans and their dogs.

Steve agrees to put up with the chaos to save his budget…and maybe his job. His golden retriever, Rochester, just wants to stay close to the food.

But as filming begins, things start to go wrong. Equipment fails without explanation. Key ingredients disappear. A star chef threatens to walk. Someone swaps precious truffles, ruins dishes, and injures a staffer in the chaos. If the show collapses, Friar Lake’s future might go down with it.

Steve needs Rochester’s clever nose to follow a trail of suspicious scents. It’s a mystery without a murder, but careers, reputations, and futures are at stake. And the truth could cost more than money.

Dog’s Kitchen serves up a delightful blend of culinary creativity, behind-the-scenes TV drama, lovable dogs, and light-hearted mystery—perfect for fans of cozy fiction who prefer tension without tragedy and sleuthing with a wagging tail.

About the author
Neil S. Plakcy is the author of more than seventy novels of mystery, romance, and adventure, including the popular Golden Retriever Mysteries starring Steve and his dog Rochester. His stories combine humor, heart, and canine intuition to solve crimes both cozy and compelling. As he likes to say, he writes “stories with heart… and fur.”