Even if they don't know her personally, everyone in Somerset, New Hampshire knows that StClair Upton loves animals. "That's why she spends so much time studying animal behavior and working with people and their problem pets,even the worst ones," the town gossips tell newcomers. But when StClair meets Monica Sonco and her pit bull, Harley, the veterinarian's semi-reclusive, animal-loving world begins to wobble wildly on its axis. Monica obviously loves Harley, and the dog obviously is devoted to her, but the relationship is wrong. All wrong. But before StClair can help Monica make it right, the young woman's mangled body is discovered with the blood-soaked dog standing over her. As StClair tries to discover who killed her client, she finds herself relentlessly drawn into a high-tech animal conspiracy that takes her so deep into the dark recesses of the human-animal bond, she fears she will never find her way out.

Even if they don’t know her personally, everyone in Somerset, New Hampshire knows that StClair Upton loves animals. “That’s why she spends so much time studying animal behavior and working with people and their problem pets,even the worst ones," the town gossips tell newcomers. But when StClair meets Monica Sonco and her pit bull, Harley, the veterinarian’s semi-reclusive, animal-loving world begins to wobble wildly on its axis. Monica obviously loves Harley, and the dog obviously is devoted to her, but the relationship is wrong. All wrong. But before StClair can help Monica make it right, the young woman's mangled body is discovered with the blood-soaked dog standing over her. As StClair tries to discover who killed her client, she finds herself relentlessly drawn into a high-tech animal conspiracy that takes her so deep into the dark recesses of the human-animal bond, she fears she will never find her way out.