No one puts falling in love on a to-do list. Do they? It's not something you plan-it just happens. Doesn't it?

It's not until Jessie's friend, Evan, shows up with Gabriella, his hot new girlfriend, that she's shocked to notice the gaping hole in her own life where a boyfriend should be. How had she not been aware of this before? Come to think of it, her entire social life seems to revolve around dogs these days.

Determined to find love-or at least a friend who doesn't have four feet, Jessie is delighted when she meets Gabriella's aunt, a charming artist specializing in pet portraits. While Jessie and Gabriella are getting along like two feral cats at opposite ends of the alley, her aunt is someone she could definitely be friends with.

But when Jessie finds her new friend lifeless at the bottom of a staircase, the questions begin. Was this an accident, or did someone want her dead? Was her family willing to do anything to hasten a hefty inheritance? Was the next-door neighbor irrationally jealous? More importantly, is Evan dating a cold-blooded killer?

And through it all, will Jessie find love, or will her search for answers put her in the killer's crosshairs?