Grace is thirteen.  She’s become withdrawn since her Dad, a policeman, was killed in a drive-by shooting about a year ago.  Her sister, Regan, decides she needs Grace’s help with a project.  Regan wants early admission to what she considers the best college, and with their Mother’s approval  she drafts Grace to "help" her.  The scheme?   Adopt a shelter puppy and train it to become a service dog.  The last thing Grace wants to do is help Regan with anything.  She sees Regan adjusting to life without their father and Grace resents her. She feels that Regan is being disloyal to their Dad’s memory.

But here they are at the animal shelter looking at dogs in a totally chaotic setting, Grace can barely stand the noise, all the barking and scratching, when something strange happens – a dog talks to her!  Not a very cute dog, actually a gray-and-brown-mutt, an "…unkempt, prickly coated mutt…" (page 5).  Grace convinces Regan that Rex is the dog for them.  Sure he’s no longer a puppy, but he tells Grace that he’s smart and trainable and cheap!  As they leave the shelter with Rex she starts to think:  "My mom and sister thought my coming here would help me get back to normal.  Instead, I heard a dog talk.  I think that’s either irony or payback."  (page 9)

Is Grace really hearing Rex talk?  Together can they solve the mystery of her Dad’s shooting before Rex leaves Grace to become a companion to a needy little girl?  Can Rex help Grace to re-connect with her friends and get back to her “normal” life?

Randi Reisfeld and HB Gilmour are the co-authors of several books including the T*Witches series.    The two began work on What the Dog Said several months before HB Gilmour died.  Ms. Reisfeld completed this book in her honor.