"Gone to the Dogs" is the 5th installment in the Holly Winter Mystery Saga, but the first with a new publisher. I like what this publishing change has done for the quality of these books. Conant, always a good writer, has expanded her typical story length by a good hundred pages. This allows her to fill her stories out a little more making the pace and flow of the plotting better.
Diehard mystery fans might be disappointed with the level of mystery in these books. There is a mystery but it isn't that intricate, nor is it approached like a typical mystery novel.
The strength of these books is the information, research, and history given of dogs and show events. When I started this series I never though a dog mystery could be interesting in any way. But like any good author, Conant is able to fuel her passion into her writing getting you caught up in the enthusiasm. I've learned a lot about dogs reading these books, and I've enjoyed every minute of it.