My name is Arial—like the font, not the mermaid. I was born Arial Kingston, but tacked on Mayes when I moved to the Monterey Peninsula a couple of months ago. You see, my maternal great-grandmother, Gretchen Mayes, leap-frogged over both my mother and grandmother to leave her property in Pacific Grove to me on my twenty-fifth birthday. I figure the least I can do is recognize the woman by using her name.

Besides, the Mayes family has lived in Pacific Grove — or PG—for decades, and I’m finding myself a bit of a local celebrity. Pretty heady stuff for somebody who is used to splitting her time between dog-sitting and crashing on friends’ couches.

Being an heiress, though, isn’t without its challenges. The house is nearly 150 years old and needs work — something Gretchen didn’t provide for.

Good thing I have a transferable skill.

The Monterey Peninsula is doggie paradise. Labs, goldens, frenchies, chihuahuas, doodles, huskies–they all pad down the coastal trail daily. Which means dog-sitting and walking are in as much demand as they were in Wisconsin. And, like most things here, they fetch (sorry) a higher price.

So cross your fingers I can make a living here.

But you asked about a day in my life. I assume you’re talking about an ordinary day, though it’s very early on for anything to feel ordinary.

Most mornings, though, I wake up to early morning fog and pull on sweats for a walk down the coastal trail toward Cannery Row and Fisherman’s Wharf. A diffused glow over the wharf signals sunrise, and by the time I pick up my coffee, the fog is already being pierced by slanting rays of sunlight reflecting off the deep teal waters of the bay.

Magical, absolutely. Serene, you can’t even imagine. Thankful, you bet.

Though life does interfere.

For example, yesterday I returned to men in hazmat suits draping a giant striped tent over my guest house. Yes, I have a guest house. And that would be just great if termites hadn’t eaten through the floor.

Besides the obvious “ick” factor of both the termites and the toxic gas they were about to pump in, I also have to consider my tenant. PG veterinarian Christopher Buck—as handsome as his name—has to sleep somewhere, right?

So naturally he’s staying with me in the main house. Thing is, Chris is my step-sister’s step-brother. (The downside of living near family. Or pseudo-family, in this case.) And before you say it, I do realize that means Chris and I are not really related at all, should the relationship hypothetically progress.

But it does seem to take “it’s complicated” to new levels.

Oh, and did I mention there’s a body in the crawlspace under his guesthouse?

POISON AND POOCHES — A Dog-Sitting Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: October 7, 2025
Format: Print, Digital
Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Introducing Arial Kingston—dog-sitter, amateur sleuth, and owner of a guest house with a body under the floorboards.

Lucky dog-sitter Arial Mayes Kingston has inherited property in Monterey, California. But the novelty of being a first-time homeowner is short-lived due to a noxious termite fumigation in the guest house and the discovery of a body under the floorboards.

Foul play seems most likely, but who was the victim? And why would the killer stash the body under the guest house? Determined to put her observational skills to good use—and with her first doggie client, the adorable Monty, by her side—Arial must overcome neighborly tensions, unravel mysterious disappearances, and mop up canine misdemeanors as she attempts to sniff out a killer!

A page-turning cozy mystery full of clever twists, cunning characters, and canines! Fans of Laurien Berenson, Krista Davis, and dog lovers everywhere will adore Poison and Pooches.

About the author
Sandra Balzo turned to mystery writing after twenty years in corporate public relations, event management and publicity in Wisconsin. She has written three mystery series for Severn House, an imprint of Canongate Books in London, including seventeen books in the Wisconsin-based Maggy Thorsen Coffeehouse Mysteries. Her newest novel, Poison and Pooches, is the first in a series set in Sandy’s adopted home of Pacific Grove, California and featuring dog-sitter Arial Kingston.