July Powell is finishing up her booth at the Booth Mansion. There is to be a grand opening of the mansion. Several different designers have small booths to display their ideas. Upon hearing a noise, she goes up stairs and finds a man dying. To her shock it is her old high school boyfriend Tom. Who would want to shoot him and why is he back in town after disappearing for over fifteen years.

Ben is the town's sheriff, who also happens to be dating July's sister, Mae. This puts Ben in the middle of an investigation and Mae's family. Ben has to work from the side lines as the higher ups feel he is way to close to this investigation.

Ben also discovers that one of Tom's friend's back in college had committed suicide fifteen years ago. But was it suicide, or a murder? Does this murder connect to this potential old crime?

TWO DOGS LIES SLEEPING is the second book in the Mae December Mystery. I have read both books and really enjoy Lia Farrell's cozy mysteries. This is the kind of book, where from start to finish it is hard to try and figure out who committed the murder. Ms. Farrell brings back most of the characters from the first book. This is one item I really like about an author. Even if you haven't read the first book in this series, some give you the back ground on the characters so that you are not confused as to who is who.