Fashion Faux Paw

Praise for the
Dog Walker Mystery Series

Begging for Trouble

“McCoy is as adept at creating colorful, compelling characters, two-legged and four-legged, and writing sharply humorous prose as she is at crafting a cleverly constructed plot.”

—
Booklist

“Primo dog walker Ellie has more than a gift for talking to her four-legged charges. She’s also got a talent for getting caught up in her boyfriend’s murder investigations. McCoy puts her in the action with flair and an easy humor.”

—
Romantic Times

“Charming and funny.”

—
New York Times
bestselling author
MaryJanice Davidson

Death in Show

“Ellie is wonderful, insightful, and her special way of communicating with her charges makes the reader laugh out loud.”

—
Romantic Times

“McCoy deserves a blue ribbon herself for coming up with such an entertaining paranormal-spiced mystery and then perfectly seasoning the plot with just the right dash of romance.”

—
Booklist

Heir of the Dog

“McCoy brings back professional dog walker Ellie Engleman and her reincarnated pooch with a witty and fast-paced mystery set in New York’s fashionable Upper East Side. McCoy has a simmering plan of vengeance, peppered with humor that readers will love.”

—
Romantic Times

Hounding the Pavement

“McCoy fills this delightful story with humor, quirky characters, and delicious hints of romance.”

—
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

“The crisp writing, humorous dialogue, and delightful characters, both human and canine, all make this book a winner.”

—
Romantic Times

“Judi McCoy writes with heart and humor. Anyone who loves dogs or books will have a howling good time.”

—Lois Greiman

“A delightful dog’s-eye-view romp through the streets of New York. If you’ve ever talked to your dog and wished that he would answer back, this is the book for you. Four paws up!”

—Laurien Berenson, author of
Doggie Day Care Murder

“Engaging characters and a cute premise kick off this delightful series. This canine caper will have you begging for more!”

—Nancy J. Cohen, author of the
Bad Hair Day Mystery series

“A treat for everyone, whether a dog lover or not. . . . Ms. McCoy has written a cozy mystery sure to please.”

—Fresh Fiction

Also in the Dog Walker Mystery Series

Till Death Do Us Bark

Begging for Trouble

Death in Show

Heir of the Dog

Hounding the Pavement

Fashion
Faux Paw

A DOG WALKER MYSTERY

JUDI MCCOY

AN OBSIDIAN MYSTERY

OBSIDIAN

Published by New American Library, a division of

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First published by Obsidian, an imprint of New American Library,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, March 2012

10   9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1

Copyright © Judi McCoy, 2012

All rights reserved

ISBN: 978-1-101-57691-5

OBSIDIAN and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Printed in the United States of America

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

So many people helped in the writing of my Dog Walker series, but this particular story,
Fashion Faux Paw
, was a tough one. A huge thank-you to my editor, Kerry Donovan, who did so much to help me get this book into shape.

To my agent, Helen Breitwieser, for always being on my side, especially during life-threatening moments. Thank you, Helen, for New York and for other things too numerous to mention.

For Karen Hood, hairstylist extraordinaire. Thanks so much for all your insights into the fashion world.

And I cannot forget the Miniature Schnauzer Rescue of Houston, run by Karen Coleman. They do a wonderful job with one of the most adorable of small breeds. If you’re interested in adopting one of these bright, energetic, and happy little guys, please contact Karen at
[email protected]
.

Acknowledgments

Congratulations to the following, who each won a different organization’s raffle to be a character in my next Dog Walker mystery:

Cassandra McQuagge, National Greyhound Adoption Program, Virginia Beach Affiliate

Claire Smith, Hampton Roads Writers

Beatriz Alfonso, Miniature Schnauzer Rescue of Houston

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Epilogue

Chapter 1

Ellie Engleman hoisted her packed tote bag over her shoulder, kept Rudy’s leash in her left hand, and balanced a Caramel Bliss coffee in the other. Then she stepped into one of the cavernous rooms that had been prepared to ready the participants for New York City’s most glamorous event. Fashion Week, a yearly celebration, was being held for the first time in the industry’s newly remodeled building near Penn Station.

She still couldn’t believe that she got to be on the sidelines. The winner of the grand finale competition of the show would capture a one-hundred-thousand-dollar prize and a two-year contract with Nola Morgan Design, known in the trade as NMD, a manufacturer of women’s high-end ready-to-wear. The line would be available in Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf’s, Saks, and other upscale mall department stores around the country by the end of next year.