Shopping Can Be Deadly (A Discount Detective Mystery)

A shooter shatters the suburban calm in a mall . . . Single mom, Cameron Chandler, an investigator with Penny-wise Investigations, a discount detective agency conveniently located in a suburban mall, is approaching her office when gunshots echo off the mall walls, and she sees a young man collapse just a few feet away. Chaos breaks out in the packed mall as people try to escape. Cameron kneels beside the gunshot victim and is grabbed from behind by a man she fears is the shooter. As he forcibly drags her toward the mall exit, she suddenly realizes who he is--Gary, a man who once saved her life. Once outside, Gary admits that he was the shooter's target. He and three associates had engaged in what they thought was a legitimate but secret operation only to find themselves caught in a quagmire of government intrigue and covert manipulation. She agrees to help by taking care of his dog while he investigates why someone is trying to eliminate them. After Cameron agrees to foster Gary's large dog Bandit, someone shows up at Penny-wise with a description of Bandit, claiming that he wants them to locate "his" dog and Cameron realizes that she and her family could be in danger. Next, a woman claiming to be with the FBI wants to talk with Cameron about Gary, but her boss at Penny-Wise decides it's time the agency steps in to investigate what's going on.