Hair of the Dog

Hair of the Dog: A Dan Mahoney Mystery By Susan Slater Poisoned Pen Press July 2015

Review by Cynthia Chow

After their trip to Ireland end before it even started, insurance investigator Dan Mahoney feels that he owes his fiancé a vacation. A working trip investigating a case of arson in Florida isn't the best option, but his boss at United Life & Casualty promises that they have plenty of time to enjoy the hometown of NASCAR. Not surprisingly, the fire at the Daytona Beach greyhound racing track proves to be far more complex than Mahoney was led to believe, as it resulted in five dead dogs and a murdered kennel owner.

For Chicago-based Dan and New Mexico tenured professor Elaine Linden, a trip to Florida may be the break they need as they contemplate the next step in their future together. Pursuing a six-month online course to earn a certificate in private investigation, Elaine faces a crucial decision once her sabbatical from teaching ends. However, Dan faces an additional conflict as he is torn between his duties to wrap up his insurance investigation and his inability to stand by and watch a mentally disabled young man get railroaded by prejudiced police.

Previous installments in this series had Dan engaging with his very opinionated sister Carolyn and her on-the-political-track husband, but now we are treated to Dan's just as independent and vocally assertive mother. Upon learning of her son's assignment in Florida Maggie fast tracks her plan to move to the Palm Coast with the man she recently met on a cruise. Not surprisingly, Florida proves to be the perfect setting for a conflagration of gambling, mobsters on the run, and scams sure to exasperate Dan and Elaine but be a thoroughly enjoyable thrill ride for readers.

In addition to an expertly crafted mystery with very likable characters, Slater proves to be a strong advocate for greyhounds. Much to Dan's discomfort, his mother participates in Prison Greyhound, which has Club Fed prisoners training retired greyhounds to become acclimated into domestic life. Without disrupting the plot, Slater reveals the intense labor and expenses involved in rescuing the racers. Readers can donate to the cause that helps transport greyhounds to homes in other states, but just becoming more aware of the treatment of the dogs proves enlightening. Never fear that the message will ever outweigh the plotting, as there are ample amounts of dry humor and smartly written dialogue.

Susan Slater's "Hair of the Dog" follows insurance investigator Dan Mahoney to Florida for his current assignment; to investigate the death of five greyhounds at the Daytona Beach Kennel Club. Accompanying him is his fiancé, Eileen Linden, who is seriously considering a career change from university professor to Private Investigator. Her PI training starts out as a subplot as does Dan's seventy-seven-year-old mother's plan to relocate to Florida, but these eventually become integral additions to the storyline. The story is interesting and continually moves forward. Slater does an excellent of revealing the character's personalities to the reader, most effectively when she makes the reader privy to private jokes between the main characters.

I live in Daytona Beach so especially enjoyed this book because of the familiar setting, and I learned a lot about dog racing. This is the third in the Dan Mahoney Mystery series. I plan to read them all.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.