I love kids. That’s one reason why I became a teacher. There’s nothing better than watching students learn. You can almost see the lightbulb turn on when all the pieces fall into place and they get it. What I don’t love are overcrowded classrooms, curriculums that focus on teaching to standardized tests, never-ending budget cuts, and pay that’s barely above what I can make flipping burgers at a fast-food restaurant. That’s why I, Priscilla Cummings, am taking a leap of faith and quitting my job teaching at Crosbyville Elementary School with its regular paycheck (such as it is) and benefits to focus on writing children’s books. My first book in the Adventures of Bailey the Bloodhound, Pet Detective series was selling well. If I’m frugal, I should be able to survive…maybe.

I glanced down at my muse. Bailey was my three-year-old bloodhound. He had his head down and his nose glued to the ground. He’d picked up a scent and he wasn’t about to let it go until he found whatever left the trail. Like most bloodhounds, Bailey had a superior nose for tracking. He also had a stubborn streak and a penchant for getting me in trouble. As if reading my mind, Bailey stopped, turned, and glanced up at me. His soulful eyes were expressive. He gave me a look that said, Trouble? Who Me? You must have me confused with some other canine.

“Don’t give me that look. You know it’s true,” I said.

Bailey snorted and returned to his scent.

I could tell by the pull on his leash that he was onto something. We were in the park next to the elementary school, his favorite place for walks. We came practically every day. Lots of people, and critters, wandered through the hedge maze, so there were always lots of intriguing scents. He was practically dragging me through the maze to get to the source of the smell that had captured his attention. Bailey made a sharp turn and I nearly fell through the hedges.

“Bailey, stop.” I tugged on his leash.

Despite the fact that we’d spent months and hundreds of dollars on obedience training, I was still surprised when he listened and stopped.

I rounded the corner and saw Bailey frantically digging. Dirt flew up in the air along with flowers, which I recognized as newly planted Impatiens.

“Bailey, stop,” I ordered.

Finished, he stopped. Turned. And sat.

Hesitantly, I took a step forward and peeked into the hole. My heart skipped a beat and my knees buckled. I glanced over at my dog. He looked pleased with himself.

I was anything but pleased. “Darn it, Bailey. Not again.” I took several deep breaths, pulled out my cell phone, and dialed the number for the Crosbyville Police. When I told the dispatcher what my dog had unearthed, he had the same reaction. “Again Ms. Cummings?”

I hung up and stuck my tongue out at the phone. Then, I took a seat on a nearby bench and waited. Avoiding the hole, I closed my eyes and prayed. Surely, this couldn’t be happening, again.

Bailey sat in front of me and placed his muzzle in my lap. He gazed up into my eyes.

I scratched his floppy ears. “Bailey, I know you don’t mean to cause problems for me, but you’ve got to stop digging up trouble.”

Chief of Police Gilbert Morgan turned the corner. He stopped and stared from Bailey to me. “You two, again?”

I sighed. This was just another day in the life of Bailey the Bloodhound, Pet Detective.

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 paper copy of Sniffing Out Murder. U.S. entries only, please. The giveaway ends December 7, 2023. Good luck everyone!

Sniffing Out Murder, A Bailey the Bloodhound Mystery Book #1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: December 2023
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link

When a murder unleashes a widespread investigation through Crosbyville, children’s book author Pris and her trusty bloodhound, Bailey, must sniff out the truth before the whole town goes to the dogs.

After deciding that life as a teacher wasn’t right for her, Priscilla found inspiration for her first children’s book in her three-year-old bloodhound’s nose for truth, and so The Adventures of Bailey the Bloodhound was born. After the book’s massively pawsitive response led Pris to move back to her hometown of Crosbyville, Indiana, to continue the series, she’s surprised by how things have changed in the town, but even more so how they haven’t.

Pris is frustrated to discover that newly elected school board trustee Whitney Kelley—a former high school mean girl—is intent on making Crosbyville more competitive by eliminating “frivolous spending” on the arts and social programs, including Pris and Bailey’s beloved pet-assisted reading program. A minor altercation between them isn’t anything unusual, but after Bailey sniffs out Whitney’s body in a bed of begonias, locals start hounding Pris and Bailey as suspects for the crime.

With Bailey’s sharp senses and Pris’s hometown know-how, can they prove to the community that they’re all barking up the wrong tree?

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.