Sleuth Sisters Book #6: Peril, Plots, and Puppies

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I often think of the Sleuth Sisters books as "belonging" to one sister or another. While they all play a role in every book, this one seems to be Faye's. Her concern for the dogs rescued early on in the story continues throughout the book, and we find that Faye has secrets her sisters don't suspect.
We know Barb's big secret, and it leads her into trouble early on. Will the Grammar Nazi be exposed? Charged with crimes? Embarrassed and humiliated?
And Retta has a decision to make. I think our understanding of her deepens in this story, and that's always fun.
I'm often surprised by reader comments, like "I can't stand Barb!" or "Somebody needs to slap that Retta." I guess it indicates they're real to us. And that's kind of cool for an author to know.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PERIL, PLOTS, AND PUPPIES
1.  Puppy mills are often difficult to stop. What factors allow them to operate, and how can they be eliminated?

2. Faye gets an odd sort of revenge on the puppy mill operator. Do you think she was justified, or should she have been more adult about the situation?

3. Retta has a decision to make in this book that boils down to her own happiness or her sisters' best interests. When a person has a decision like that to make, how can she reach a point where she's content with her choice?

4. Were you satisfied with the placement of the Rottweiler with the disfigured man? Do you believe that with time the dog will be rehabilitated?

5. As is usual in this series, Retta makes a decision (taking Frannie Habedank's case) without consulting her sisters because it's "right" in her view. Does Barb's reaction seem fitting, too harsh, or too accepting of Retta's take-charge attitude?

6. Gabe has become a beloved character in the series because he's so earnest (and sometimes clueless). How does his suspicion of his wife add humor to Barb's dilemma about whether to tell the world that she is the "Grammar Nazi"?

7. Another humorous element comes from Barb's confessions to those she's closest to. Do their "I knew that" responses stick a pin in her sometimes pompous belief that she's smarter than most?

8. The murderers in the story are both stalkers in a sense: Oscar never got over his high-school crush on Frannie, and Lila believes she was meant for Steve Deline. How do their fixations lead them to go from dreams of a happy future to committing murder and other crimes?

9. Frannie's personality makes it easy to suspect her of the crime, since she seems to feel that she deserves to get whatever she wants. Did you feel differently about her at the end of the story?

10. This series develops themes of family, since no matter how much the sisters disagree, they work together when a situation demands it. There's also a theme that personal differences can become strengths when people work together. Which traits of each sister led to the solutions in the story, and how do the sisters complement each other's strengths? 

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