Derek and Megan, a married couple with a knack for solving mysteries are on the case again. In A Civil Murder , Derek, a former homicide detective, starts a new career as a first year law student. At orientation, he meets a professor who is also a neighbor. The elderly man and his wife go missing, unintentionally leaving their little Snickerdoodle dog with Megan and Derek. Derek has only a few days before classes begin, and Megan has an upcoming journalism assignment to go overseas. Thus, they have limited time to find the missing couple who may be in danger in another state. A road trip with their new guest dog, Totsy, is in order. And Totsy? She's happy to go along. The food is good, and she finds the scenery interesting as she rides in her new car.