The Dog Thief

Broken-hearted Maddie Whitney, aka Mad Girl, is a dog trainer whose significant behavioral issues make her an outcast in the small rural California town of Coyote Run. When Maddie discovers a murdered woman in a field, she impulsively claims that she's an animal psychic to promote her canine rehabilitation center and save the family ranch.

Now the girl who can't make eye contact is the focus of the wrong kind of attention.

Maddie's forced to start a Search and Rescue team with her ex-girlfriend's twin brother, Oliver, a hostile sheriff, or risk losing her beloved former military dog. As she trains Oliver to be a dog handler, their relationship evolves from animosity to respect and more.

Meanwhile, Maddie's younger sister, Kenzie, who has always cared for Maddie, yearns for a life of her own, and the unknown murderer believes the animal psychic will discover his identity.

Difficult and complicated Maddie makes new friends, faces life-threatening dangers, and tests her ability to function without the protective walls she's built around her.

"Amazing A gripping read that will have your heart racing from start to finish." --James Sinclair, Autistic & Unapologetic

"Acosta's talent is staggering. In each of her Casa Dracula books, she shows readers all over again just how funny, ridiculous, and thoroughly gifted she is at plotting." --Romantic Times

"A breath of fresh air in a genre marked by creaky gender relations and unchallenged class stratification." --Kirkus Reviews

"Her well-drawn characters shine... Acosta's story is an impressive contender in the crowded YA field." --Publishers Weekly