Dog Gone Lies — Ted Clifton

This CIPA EVVY award winner features a love-able stray dog, soon to be the hero in this adventure with a cast of unique characters.  Set in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, a recently retired sheriff seeks tranquility, but finds chaos, romance and murder.

Ray Pacheco has retired from being the sheriff of Dona Ana County, New Mexico.  His new job is fishing.  But, not for long.  First a stray show dog raises questions concerning the whereabouts of its owner.Then a body was found close to Ray's rural cabin.  Maybe once a cop always a cop--Ray joins forces with two unusual partners; an Apache fishing guide, Tyee Chino, prone to drunkenness and a bait shop owner, Big Jack, prone to laziness--to unravel the mysteries.  This odd group takes on the task of finding the lost dog owner and solving the mystery of the dead body.  To add to the fun, the group becomes involved in the local election of the county sheriff--making friends and enemies as they proceed. 

Ray is also challenged by what would appear to be a budding romance--something he was not counting on at his age.  This story brings together numerous threads from political corruption, to drug trafficking, to questionable law enforcement activities, to reach a surprising ending.