Hank Arrowby, retired firefighter and potter, becomes obsessed with finding the killer of his close friend and neighbor, Sarah Fetzler. At his side throughout the search is his loyal black Labrador mix, Sammy. Sensitive, opinionated and droll, it is Sammy who narrates the story. Hank's pursuit takes him and Sammy from San Jose, California, to the Santa Cruz Mountains, Pacific Coast, and Oregon. Sarah's distraught husband, quirky neighbors, dangerous mountain men, Hank's new girlfriend-all are viewed from Sammy's impudent, but often insightful, perspective. Nancy Foster Ruhle has been writing since childhood. Instead of the expected career in journalism, she did an about face and became a registered nurse. That career made her a keen observer of human behavior. The positive response to her Christmas letters written from the viewpoint of the family dog inspired her to write Doggone Mysterious. She lives in Los Gatos, California, with her family and mischievous dog, "Biscuit." Ironically, "Los Gatos" means "the cats" in Spanish.