Twice widowed Maxie McNabb has decided to stay home this winter in her hometown, the small village of Homer, Alaska. Usually she travels the Lower 48 each winter in her RV with her canine companion, Stretch, the mini-dachshund she inherited from her late second husband. While walking with Stretch, Maxie befriends a lonely traveler, John Walker. They have a nice chat and she decides to invite him a little get-together she's holding the next day.

John gets along well with everyone at the dinner, although he doesn't volunteer much personal information. Still, Maxie is surprised to get a call regarding John a couple of days later. Why would the police want to talk to her? Turns out John has been discovered dead, a presumed suicide, but has left no identification to confirm his identity. As far as the police can tell, John Walker didn't really exist. At least, not as John Walker.

Maxie tries to get away from the persistent questions and gossip by visiting friends. But trouble follows her. Just who was John Walker really? What--or who--is he running away from? Why would he come to Alaska to die all alone? In between visits with friends Maxie slowly pieces together some of John's background.

THE END OF THE ROAD is a pleasant way to while away an evening. The mystery oftentimes takes a secondary role for pleasantries and diversions with friends but the very last part of the book is definitely action-packed. Ms. Henry has a good grasp of canine behavior and I often smiled at Stretch's antics. Readers need not have read the previous books in the Maxie and Stretch mystery series to follow along in this book. Dog lovers and cozy readers should snap up this cutesy story.