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15 minutes of cozy mystery brainstorming

I tried to split up the ideas into categories.

Main Character

  • New to town, setting up dog training and boarding business
  • Has an older dog herself (will adopt another one later)
    • Older dog is a golden retriever named Ernie (dog later adopted will be Bert)
    • Older dog is retired show dog
    • She'll adopt the dog of the dead guy
  • Some tension with neighboring businesses because of noise
  • Local dog show coming up
  • Has written a book on dog training (will get it into the neighboring bookstore as way of introduction to best-friend-to-be)
  • Bright
  • More comfortable with dogs than people, but still fairly charming
  • Pretty
  • 27
  • Reddish hair
  • Brown eyes

Plot

  • Local dog show coming up
  • A rude owner drops off dog (Bert) for a few days but does not come back
    • She goes to his house with the dog and finds him dead and calls cops (but also spies key clues)
    • Rude demonstrated by how he treats his dog but also how other owners going into the dog show talk about him
      • Also rude because he doesn't appreciate the Bert and Ernie coincidence
    • He's a judge in the dog show
    • He's written a competing book to hers which she finds too cruel and/or irresponsible
    • Some people wanted to breed their dog with his and he took all their money even though no puppies came to be (not his fault he said) even though he was only supposed to keep a certain amount
    • She becomes a judge after he does which makes her a bit of a suspect
  • Hunky cop who has a tiny dog as his pet
    • He does not talk about the size of his dog until she happens upon him on a walk and does not react with surprise or judgment
    • He works with dogs at work
      • She offers to help with training and boarding
  • Neighboring bookshop owner to become good friend
    • She has a bookshop dog that is medium sized named Le Guin
  • Training tips spaced throughout book
  • Finale happens at dog show

Titles

  • Doggone Murder
  • Throw a Dog a Bone
  • Murder, She Barked
  • The Girl with the Retriever Tattoo
  • The Silence of the Dogs

(Prompt by Emily Kleeman)

"Woman making her dog sit up - Deland" by Florida Memory


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