Crunch Time — Diane Mott Davidson

When the rental house shared by chef Yolanda Garcia and her irrepressible aunt Ferdinanda is destroyed by arson, the pair moves in with cop-turned-PI Ernest McLeod. But then Ernest is shot dead and his house is set on fire, nearly killing Yolanda, Ferdinanda, and their good friend, Colorado caterer Goldy Schulz, along with nine beagle puppies that Ernest had recently rescued from a puppy mill.

Concerned for her friends, Goldy invites them to stay with her. But even her house isn't safe. After a failed break-in and the discovery of a second body, the intrepid Goldy decides to swap her chef's hat for a sleuthing cap. Now she's got to move fast because it's crunch time and a killer is getting dangerously close.