Jove, a charming male black Labrador, has found a special place in John Cunningham’s heart while in quarantine at Three Oaks Kennels.
So when Jove’s owner Noel Cochrane, a specialist in rabies vaccinations, turns up unexpectedly to take Jove to America, John cannot help feeling a little sad. As Jove is being loaded into John’s car for transport to the airport, they retire to the office to complete the necessary paperwork. On their return outside they find to their horror that John’s car has vanished, along with Jove, Noel’s briefcase and John’s shotgun . . .
In trouble with the authorities for losing both a dog in quarantine and a shotgun, John Cunningham finds himself embroiled in the police enquiries into the theft. Enquiries that quickly become a murder case when a woman’s battered body is found near a burnt-out car.