Finnegan May has had an eventful time in Manhattan since she first moved to New York City. Her unique profession and quirky, bubbly personality endear her to everyone who meets her.Like a magnet for trouble, Finnegan finds herself embroiled in a string of robberies that has spanned decades, while she tries to rescue a stray golden retriever who dropped a bag of money at her feet.It is up to … Detective Jane McLeary to solve the famous Broadway Cat thefts before Finnegan finds herself knee deep in things yet again.
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Audiobook fans are treated to another wonderful installment of the Unleashed series narrated by the splendid Claire Buchignan and written by talented Erik Schubach. Finnegan Temperance May, dog walker extraordinaire of Manhattan, finds herself involved in yet another mystery. Finn responds to a ‘Broken Leash’ alert for a loose and running chihuahua who she intercepts trying to make her way to Central Park. After handing the dog off to her walker, she encounters an older Golden Retriever that appears friendly enough towards her and her Bordie Collie Calvin. He seems reluctant to follow her home. Before she and Calvin could exit the park, the golden returns to hand her a black plastic bag full of cash. She turns the cash in at the police station and she is in the soup yet again as serial numbers confirm it was money reported stolen in a robbery eight years earlier that was the last job from a series of unsolved thefts dubbed the Broadway Cat burglaries. The police plan to comb Central Park in search of any other stolen property.
Finn is understandably concerned about the golden retriever who will be captured by an animal control worker and taken to the municipal dog pound. It is her hope that the dog can be sent to Central Park Tails, the dog rescue shelter Finn funded with money she was awarded as Calvin’s caregiver. As it happens the golden retriever belongs to the now elderly man responsible for the Broadway Cat burglaries. He was hospitalized for a time, which made it possible for the dog to get loose. Being used to bury the stolen money, the dog went for what he remembered possibly as a payment for Finn’s treats as he was unkempt and definitely hungry. The burglar tells Finn a story about why he engaged in the thefts and why the stolen goods were buried unused. Because of several mitigating factors, the elderly man is given probation and community service working at Finn’s Central Park Tails dog rescue shelter.
There is character development throughout the book as well as the series among the primary and secondary players. Finn grows more comfortable with her sexuality, in the form of her interest in Detective Jane McLeary. Her relationship with her cop roommate continues to grow with the women confessing their love for each other at various times in the story. Finn reconnects with a childhood girlfriend who grows into a relationship with Jane’s ex Jessie. Finn’s lawyer cousin starts to date her ex-boyfriend Raphael in book 2 and they are doing well. Finn’s brother and sister-in-law move to Manhattan in book 1 and are expecting a baby girl.
In this previously mentioned manner, the writer builds the Unleashed world Finn and the others share in the foreground of Manhattan, New York City. That such an optimistic, charming personality as Finn can blossom in the Big Apple is delightful as we are given a bright spot in a city known for harsh reality. The rate at which the writer introduces key elements in the book is perfect and the distribution of varying types of elements in the narrative is optimal. Both result in a narrative that is exciting from start to finish, serving to keep readers fully engaged and craving more.