Though Not Dead by Dana Stabenow

This one picks up almost literally the day after the end of the previous book in the series. That one ended with Old Sam quietly dead on his dock at his annual moose roast blow-out. This one begins as Kate, his principal heir and executor, is going through his belongings at his house. We learn that he picked up the nickname during the war because - in the manner of nicknames - he was so painfully young.

We actually have two stories running parallel here. Kate is tracking the mysteries of Old Sam's life without Jim by her side. Jim is back in California because his father died and left a mystery for him to track down as well.

So, they each pursue their own family issues; Jim with fewer contusions, it wouldn't do to mess up all that gorgeousness. I believe from the point in chapter one where someone enters Old Sam's cabin, knocks Kate in the head with a chunk of firewood, and steals the book she was reading she has black eyes for the entire duration of the story.

Mutt only gets a small piece of one of the bads, but she does get to do quite a lot of sanctioned intimidating. At least one major bad guy resurfaces in this one and several formerly merely minor annoyances aspire to badness, with varying degrees of success.

Here again, Stabenow runs a historical yarn alongside Kate's adventure, this time the saga of Old Sam. We also get considerable back story on the Aunties - and about time.