Probable Claws — Clea Simon

A reporter for the Boston music scene, Theda Krakow has another serious passion -- all things feline. So when her good friend Violet, owner of a shelter for stray cats, tells her someone has contaminated the pet food, Theda digs into the matter. The crime turns murderous -- and incriminating -- when the shelter vet is found stabbed with a scalpel, and Theda is discovered next to the woman's body. Accused of murder, Theda is out on bail, out of a job and racing to clear her name.

Convinced animal-shelter politics and recent threats may have played a role in the kibble poisoning, Theda can't help but suspect the vet's murder was related to a more personal human drama. But with the law closing in -- and a killer stalking the streets -- her game of cat and mouse is poised to take a deadly turn.