This is one of two series I'd have sworn I would have disliked because as much as I love animals, I don't care for books that overly anthropomorphise them. The premise of this series is a woman who can telepathically communicate with all animals and uses this gift to solve crimes.
But Morrigan does such a good job with this; if such a gift as this existed, I imagine it would manifest itself similarly to the author's idea of it: images, emotions, and for domesticated animals a limited number of words they've learned associations for. Guard. Treat. Stay. Outside.
Additionally the characters are great. Relationships are positive, personalities are interesting. There's no love triangle, but there is an intriguing man of mystery in the background, where it seems he'll stay.
The mystery in this one was good, but it really skirted a line between mystery and sci-fi. It isn't, but the ending... well, no spoilers. But I was rolling my eyes a tiny bit. Touch over the top. She also skirts some animal cruelty issues; not enough to be in your face, but enough to be a little confronting. Thankfully she strikes that delicate balance.
Also, I should just mention: this mystery isn't about a murder (although there's a cold case murder very peripherally connected); it's about a missing person. I know some people really enjoy mysteries that don't involve murder, so I thought I'd mention it here. Can't wait for the next one!