In Karma’s a Killer, yoga instructor, Katie Davidson, agrees to teach “doga” or yoga for dogs at a local animal rescue’s fundraiser, and chaos ensues. First, the doga class goes very wrong when someone insists on bringing Alfalfa the rabbit into the class filled with dogs. Then, animal activists stage a violent protest at the event. While Katie struggles to maintain her sense of inner peace, one of the activists is found dead, and a woman named Dharma, who claims to be Katie’s long-lost mother, is arrested for the murder. With her high-strung German Shepard companion, Bella, Katie sets out to discover the truth.

Tracy Weber provides a host entertaining characters. Katie is all too human and humorous in her struggle toward enlightenment in the midst of her investigations. Even Weber’s secondary characters are memorable. For example, Dale is a former high-powered lawyer who now hides behind the persona of a goat-farmer with a southern accent. Furthermore, Weber has a refreshing eye for humorous detail from the unusually appropriate mugs doled out by the local barista to Bandit, the terrier, toilet-paper terrorist. This second installment in the Downward Dog cozy mystery series is simply fun at its best.

(Reviewed in exchange for a copy of the book in Manhattan Book Review.)