Polly unexpectedly takes a library job in Paris, leaving without even saying goodbye to Qwill, and a gardener's so-called accidental death does not seem so accidental.

Whole-Plot Reference: The Maltese Kitten to The Maltese Falcon, complete with the seemingly valuable kitten being replaced with a fake, although the Brigid and Cairo Expys aren't villains.

Doing things with my pets has always been a passion of mine. When my mushing dogs passed away, I got myself a Dachshund. OK, I thought, what can he do? I bought a book called Dog Detectives by Kat Albrecht. Right away I was intrigued. I used to be a registrar within the school system. When I faced retirement, I needed a new thing.

Tranquilizer Dart: In The Maltese Kitten, Evil Poacher Herman Hench carries a dart gun that he uses to put multiple people and animals to sleep for several hours. Washy Watchy: Street cat Oscar watches the machines from the laundromat window as entertainment. He considers it to be as good as television and especially likes the Soaps. Later on he talks about a tv show he saw where the police just chased a guy in circles until they all fell down and is reminded that was the rinse cycle. We see all sorts: theft by finding and premeditated planned stealing, which usually involves a break and enter or trespass as well. In some cases, pets are stolen by someone known to the owner – maintenance workers or contractors who take an opportunity to pinch a pet. And then we are also seeing trusted people doing it – pet-sitters who you’d think you could trust. Masochist's Meal: The "Catslop" cat food is described as something that looks and tastes like a goat ate it and then retched it into the can. Even Sandy (the cat who does commercials for it) only pretends to eat the stuff. Taxidermy Is Creepy: In The Maltese Kitten, Sam is deeply unsettled by all of the stuffed or skinned endangered animals in Big Bad Casper Gutless's home.

How to Vote

Social media has made a huge difference in my work. The internet means dogs found by honest, well-meaning folks can easily be identified and returned. That means I rarely see those simpler cases these days. They resolve themselves. Instead, I’m left with the darker, more complicated, situations. It’s fair to say those keep us all on our toes – and paws. Robert Kenny, UK. Speciality: dogs and cats