The Crosbyville Fall Festival has always been one of my favorite events. As a young girl, I loved the games, the rides, and the fantastic food. I’m an adult and I still love the festival. Especially the food. This year, my Aunt Agatha’s café, the Blue Plate Special Café, is selling hand pies and other delicious goodies.

But I’m not just attending the festival, I’m participating. Quitting my job as an elementary school teacher and returning to my hometown of Crosbyville, Indiana to write has turned out better than I expected. The first book in the Adventures of Bailey the Bloodhound, Pet Detective series is selling well and my three-year-old bloodhound, Bailey, and I are performing in the pet-assisted therapy reading program and the Crosbyville Search and Rescue demonstration.

It’s a beautiful day. Bailey and I have worked hard to get certified in search and rescue, and I’m excited to show off what Bailey can do. Our Search and Rescue (SAR) instructor, Hilda Diaz-Sanchez and her lab, Teddy, are pros. She kicks things off by explaining that dogs have superior olfactory receptors which make them invaluable for search and rescue. Cadaver trained dogs like Teddy have even been able to identify buried human remains from 700BC at an archeological site.

The excitement is palatable. Bailey is eager, and pulling at his leash, ready to get started. Hilda introduces each human handler and their canine companion. When it comes to me and Bailey, there’s a cheer from the crowd. However, I’m not naïve enough to believe the cheers are for me. My name, Priscilla Cummings, may be on the front of my books, but I’m second fiddle to the star, Bailey the bloodhound. Bailey isn’t the most experienced or highest skilled dog on the Crosbyville SAR team. Yet, even among more experienced Search and Rescue dogs, Bailey stands out. Teddy has more years of experience under his collar than Bailey, but when it comes to tracking, bloodhounds are at the top of the pack. Hilda explains that not unlike other breeds, bloodhounds were bred to hunt—deer, wild boar, and rabbits. What set bloodhounds apart was that ever since the Middle Ages bloodhounds have been bred to track humans. Yep, that gets a gasp from the crowds. Then, it’s showtime.

Bailey is a natural at tracking, often finding things I wish he wouldn’t. To demonstrate how awesome bloodhounds are, Hilda has given us a more challenging trail to follow than the other SAR teams. Bailey picks up a two-day old scent. He puts his nose to the ground and follows the scent. I can tell by the way his ears are perched on his head and the wag in his tail, that he isn’t just following the trail of a squirrel. He’s working. Eventually, he leads me to a shed where he sits—his alert signal. Mission accomplished. When the shed door is opened, we find more than we bargained for.

I glance into the deep soulful eyes of my bloodhound who is sitting patiently waiting for his treat. He’s waiting for me to tell him what a good boy he is, but my lips can’t form the words. He followed the trail. He found the missing person. Mouth open. Tongue hanging out. His tail thumps the ground, but I’m shaking. Someone screams and it isn’t until Hilda Diaz-Sanchez slaps me that I realize I’m the screamer. Please, God. Not another body.

Giveaway: I love dogs and include them in all of my mysteries. Are you a fan of dogs in mysteries? Let me know in the comments below for your chance to win a Kindle or print copy of HOUNDING A KILLER. U.S. entries only, please. The giveaway ends May 8, 2025. Good luck everyone!

Hounding A Killer – A Bailey the Bloodhound Mystery, Book 2
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: May 2025
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link

It’s chaos in Crosbyville when someone tries to swindle a large inheritance, but as Pris and Bailey start digging for the missing money, they uncover the wrong kind of bones…

Finally finished with the renovations on her new house, bestselling children’s book author Pris and her trusty bloodhound, Bailey, are finding more opportunities to join the community, including attending the annual town festival. But their efforts are paw-sed when David Townsend, volatile grandson of the late wealthy resident Edward Townsend, comes to fetch his inheritance.

After the new arrival riles up several other locals with petty arguments, the once sleepy town goes barking mad. Before long, the wealthy bachelor disappears without a trace, and the police suspect foul play. Bailey’s tracking instincts helped them collar the last criminal in Crosbyville, so the cops turn to Pris and her sweet hound to track down David.

But on their search-and-rescue mission, Pris and Bailey sniff out fraud, theft, and a body. Before they know it, both are hackles-deep inside another homicide investigation. Can the unlikely duo chase down the killer, or will they be left chasing their own tails?

About the author
Kallie E. Benjamin is a pen name for Valerie Burns, who also writes as V. M. Burns. Valerie is an Agatha, Anthony, Edgar, and Next Generation Award finalist. She is the author of the Baker Street Mystery series, the R.J. Franklin Mystery series, the Dog Club Mystery series, and the Mystery Bookshop Mystery series. Valerie is a mentor in the Writing Popular Fiction MFA Program at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA. Born and raised in northwestern Indiana, Valerie now lives in Northern Georgia with her two poodles. Connect with Valerie at kallieebenjamin.com, and on Facebook, Instagram, and Bookbub.