When beloved poodle groomer and amateur sleuth Maggie Harper agrees to judge the prestigious Seaside Paws Dog Parade, she expects nothing more sinister than overly competitive pet parents and questionable costume choices. What she discovers instead is a murdered contestant sprawled beneath the judging booth, a diamond-studded rhinestone collar clutched in his lifeless hand, and a town full of suspects who would kill for a moment in the spotlight.

The sleepy coastal town of Seaside Cove transforms into a pressure cooker of ambition and desperation as Maggie delves deeper into the world of competitive dog grooming, where fortunes are made and reputations destroyed over the perfect pompadour. With her own grooming salon facing financial ruin and her ex-husband's gambling debts threatening to bury her livelihood, Maggie understands better than most how far people will go for a shot at glory. The victim, renowned groomer Viktor Sterling, was known for his ruthless business tactics and scandalous affairs that left a trail of broken hearts throughout the dog show circuit.

As the parade preparations descend into chaos, Maggie must navigate a maze of jealous rivals, blackmail schemes, and family secrets that stretch back decades. The local sheriff, her former flame Jake Morrison, warns her to stay out of the investigation, but when another groomer turns up dead and evidence points toward someone close to her, Maggie realizes she's the only one who can uncover the truth. Each clue reveals another layer of deception, from forged pedigrees to stolen championship titles, painting a picture of an industry built on lies and obsession.

With the annual Dog Parade just hours away and the killer still on the loose, Maggie races against time to expose the murderer before they strike again. But when she discovers that Viktor's death is connected to a decades-old disappearance and a fortune hidden somewhere in Seaside Cove, she realizes that solving this case might cost her everything she holds dear. Can Maggie unravel the tangled web of betrayal before the final whistle blows, or will she become the next victim of the coastal dog world's deadly games?