I started this one certain it was going to end up in the big black box, but once I got into it, I mostly enjoyed it. I love the cat and dog angle, and the characters are well done and likeable.
The murder mystery took place in the present but is tied to an old cold case and I don't know what it is that I always find interesting about those. The solution wasn't obvious, but it was an odd setup too because there were never really any suspects and it's never really clear why the police arrested the person they did; an attempt at explanation is given towards the very end, but I didn't buy it.
I already have the next one in the series, so I'll read that but I don't know if I enjoy this series enough to stick with it.