Crosbyville, Indiana, is the warm and welcoming home of children’s book author Priscilla ‘Pris’ Cummings, who recently gave up her day job teaching. She writes fiction about her trusty bloodhound, Bailey, who is a great character. During the Fall Festival, they are set to HOUNDING A KILLER.

The festival is held on the expansive estate of recent heir David Townsend, grandson of the late Edward Townsend, a recently deceased billionaire. David’s come all the way from Australia to meet people in Crosbyville and take possession. Pris gets to hear about the family tree and strands of family income, which culminated in today’s situation. David is young, single and a little brash. He smiles at the ladies, including Pris, who is in a relationship but can’t help feeling the magnetism.

During the Fall Festival, Bailey is to give a demonstration of scent tracking. The other dogs trail a freshly laid scent, but Bailey’s breed has a superior nose, so he is given a two-day-old scent. The startling find of a body at the end of the trail causes chaos. Pris’ partner, Gilbert Morgan, is the police chief, and he’s quickly on top of the issues. After that, all bets are off. 

The second Bailey the Bloodhound Mystery by Kallie E. Benjamin is more chaotic and even farcical than the first. You’ll be hard put not to laugh, even as quite chilling events occur. One person after another is dying suspiciously, and someone is brought to the hospital, but the coroner declares them alive after all. I can see the organisers refusing to hold any more festivals. Bailey has fun sniffing around the estate, where he hasn’t walked before, as it’s private land. Naturally, he goes and digs up a whopping clue. That’s a smart dog. At times, he comes across as smarter than humans, but all he’s doing is being a nosey hound.

There is a wide spread of characters, some filling more than one role; for instance, a doctor is needed at night and the vet in attendance does the necessary. Several schoolkids are named, but the crime-solving is restricted to the adults. Marcie Rutherford is a good friend of Pris, Andrew Hicks is an employee of the Townsends, not delighted with the new heir, and Natalie Evans is a newcomer, a somewhat predatory lawyer for David. Anyone who has read the first book should have no trouble keeping everyone straight, but new readers might like a cast list. HOUNDING A KILLER is hard work, and Pris and Bailey need all the help they can get.