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Prologue from the Book

The old woman tried to climb out of bed, but she was old, so dreadfully old.

She should’ve died long ago, like the rest of her family, but the memory of her husband, Henri, nourished her, giving her life. And there was something else—the pink poodle. She had to find it! It was the key to the whole story.

Could she get herself up? Could she find it? She had to try.

«Help me,» she wailed. «Oh, please, can’t someone help me find my pink poodle?»

From Dawn Pisturino’s Blog

Today, I want to introduce you to a very special girl. Her name is Alina Doherty, and she’s the protagonist in my middle-grade children’s mystery novel, The Mystery of the Pink Poodle. What makes Alina special is her determination to solve a decades-old mystery that will bring relief to an elderly woman’s suffering. Her compassion is a defining feature of her character.

Alina’s not perfect. At twelve years old, she’s a heartbroken girl who comes from a dysfunctional family. She loves the color pink and bolsters her self-esteem by wearing pink, coloring her hair pink, and dying her poodle’s curls pink. But underneath all the pink, she’s a miserable girl whose best friend is her poodle, Muffy.

In her quest to solve the mystery, Alina meets an assortment of women and girls from four generations who squabble, make peace, and interact with each other to help her.

Although this was written as a mystery novel, the story involves so much more. The larger themes center around friendship, the meaning of family, and intergenerational relationships. The book, above all else, is about people and our care and concern for them, no matter who they might be.

Amazon Blurb

“Alina has a big problem. Her father is a popular mystery writer. Her mother is a glamorous movie star. Left in the care of the housekeeper, Alina feels neglected and unloved. But a summer trip to a living ghost town in Arizona turns a hot, boring summer into an exciting, intriguing mystery.

“Who’s the crazy old lady upstairs? Why is she always crying about a missing pink poodle? Why is she a prisoner in her own home? And why won’t anybody help her?

“When Hollywood meets the Wild, Wild West, a mystery unfolds that will change Alina’s life forever. With the aid of two wannabe cowgirls, Alina follows the trail of an ancient puzzle to discover the answer to the mystery of the pink poodle.”

Order Information

The Mystery of the Pink Poodle is for middle-grade readers aged 9 to 12 (but older kids and adults would also enjoy this book). The book launched on September 1, 2025.

It’s available in Kindle and paperback formats.

Dawn Pisturino is a retired registered nurse in Arizona whose international publishing credits include poems, short stories, and articles. She has published five poetry collections, including her most recent release, Ancient Voices: Poems About Ancient Egypt, which achieved #1 Amazon New Release status in African Poetry, History of Egypt, History of Africa, and History of North Africa. She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America and the Arizona Authors Association.