Roscoe & Muldoon: The Mayor is Mad

Roscoe and Muldoon, two dog detectives, set out to solve a rash of burglaries happening around their small town. Getting to the bottom of these thefts is complicated by reports of a sudden flea infestation, an epidemic being blamed on Siamese cats. The detectives are accompanied at times by their young friend, a Maltipoo puppy named Jackson.

The story’s premise starts on familiar ground (dogs and cats don’t get along? who knew?) then moves in inventive ways. When Jackson gets separated from his friends and wanders off, the pup winds up discovering a world that is exciting, terrifying, confusing, and ultimately enlightening in ways he couldn’t have imagined. As the detectives simultaneously try to solve the crimes and search for their young friend, they are reminded of the importance of friendship, the cruel evils of prejudice, the power of peaceful protest and, most of all, the benefits of judging creatures not by their wealth, appearance, or power but by their actions.

These truths are leavened by humor, wordplay, and simple but sharp political satire. There are characters sure to engage both young animal lovers and parents who might be inclined to read to their children at bedtime, among them a curmudgeonly mole, a blue jay who’s afraid of heights, and more cats than you can shake a stick at.