Welcome to the Salon. Don't Mind the Shadows.

The Story Behind the Scissors

Most people think a grooming salon is just about shampoo, conditioner, water, and a tidy clip. They see the surface. They hear the bark. But they aren’t really listening.

I’m Anjie Coates, and I’ve spent my life behind the grooming table. I know that a perfect result depends on precision and maintenance; that’s why my clipper blade drives were replaced monthly, without exception. In this trade, if the "hum" is off, something is wrong. But more importantly, I’ve learned that if you’re willing to stand in the silence with a dog, they’ll eventually tell you everything.

My debut mystery, The Grooming Witch, was born from that silence. It’s a story about Evanjeline, a groomer who doesn’t just guess what dogs are thinking; she hears their exact words.

In the town of Hillsdale, everyone has something to hide. While Senior Officer Jed McNally and the local police department work the visible leads and follow the evidence by the book, there are layers to this mystery that even the most seasoned investigator can’t reach.

While the humans focus on what can be proven, the dogs watch from the shadows. They see what people think they've hidden. And in the quiet of the grooming salon, they’ve chosen Evanjeline to be their voice.

What You’ll Find Here

This site is the headquarters for the Grooming Witch Team. To the rest of the world, the wise G and the soulful Cricket are gone, memories of companions who have passed on. But here, their voices are still as vital as the day they were beside me.

AnjieCoates.com is where the truth comes out, usually one paw print at a time.

The Investigation Begins February 2026

The first part of Evanjeline’s journey arrives in Hardcover. Paperback, Kindle, and Audible this February. Stay tuned as we reveal the dossiers on the pack and the secrets that Hillsdale has tried so hard to bury.

Watch the shadows. Listen to the pack. The truth is closer than you think.

In the heart of the Iron Ledge, silence isn’t the absence of sound; it’s a vibration you feel in your bones.

Evanjeline “Anj” Cooper has spent her life navigating a world of muffled rhythms. Living with profound hearing loss, she has learned to listen not through her ears but through the pulse of the earth and the heartbeat of the animals she grooms. In the rugged, iron-rich hills of New England, she has finally built a sanctuary where her intuition is her greatest strength.

But the harmony of the Ledge is beginning to fracture.

When a tragic accident shakes the local community, Anj feels a shift in the town’s frequency, a low-humming dread that suggests some secrets are never truly buried. In the heavy silences of the forest and the cold corners of her mind, an uninvited presence begins to emerge. It is a shadow that shouldn’t be there, a cold resonance from her past that she can feel in her very marrow, stalking the periphery of her life.

As the atmosphere grows heavy and the shadows begin to close in, Anj must rely on her unique connection to the world around her—and the instincts honed in her former life—to survive a threat she cannot hear. In a place where the ground holds memories and the air is thick with unspoken history, she’ll have to decide whether the vibrations she feels are a warning to stay or a desperate plea to run.

In this gripping supernatural thriller, the most dangerous predator is the one you never hear coming, and the truth is hidden in the frequencies only the quiet can feel.

Cast of Characters

A woman grooming a brown poodle on a grooming table at a pet grooming salon.

—Evanjeline Cooper

Evanjeline is a study in quiet resilience. Former law enforcement, pet groomer, and a witch with the gift of speaking to animals. Dark and insidious shadows from her past chase her in her dreams. The question is, can she outrun them long enough to help solve a murder?

A dog getting a bath at a grooming salon, with a person washing it in a blue tub.

—Evangeline Chase

Manager, Emotional Support Human for dogs, cats, and bunnies. In a world of shifting frequencies, Angie is a master of the surface. Polished and perceptive, she moves with a practiced grace. She is a woman of hidden depths and unending loyalty.

A person preparing to give a brown, fluffy puppy a haircut or grooming, holding its face with one hand and a grooming tool in the other. Various grooming supplies are on a black mat in front of the puppy.

— Maeve Durnin

Maeve is a force of nature, blending raw vulnerability with a fierce, protective streak. She is deeply attuned to the emotional undercurrents of her world, often acting as a bridge between the practical and the intuitive. Loyal to a fault, Maeve navigates life with a gritty determination and a heart that feels everything.

A girl with long hair in a light-colored dress standing in a grassy field with arms outstretched, surrounded by colorful light effects and lush green trees.

— Madeline Marlow

Madeline is a haunting echo in the lives of those she left behind. A radiant, free-spirited soul whose presence was as bright as it was fleeting, she remains a defining memory. Her legacy is the gravity that pulls at everyone she loved, leaving a void that feels both beautiful and devastating.

Back of a police officer sitting inside a vehicle, facing away from the camera.

— Tyler Griffin

Police officer, and Evanjeline’s former partner, Tyler, is a presence defined by charm and a sharp, observant nature. He carries an easy confidence that draws people in, yet he remains difficult to pin down truly. Beneath his approachable surface lies a focused mind and a hint of mystery, making him a character who watches as much as he is watched..

A police officer in a bulletproof vest writes in a notebook next to a police car with a red and blue light bar.

— Jed McNally

Jed is a police officer who is as rugged and unyielding as the landscape around him. Hardworking and deeply private, he prefers to communicate through action rather than words. By nature, he is a protector, embodying a quiet strength that suggests he has witnessed both the best and the worst that these hills have to offer.

Guardians of the Ledge

A small puppy holding a toy hammer in its mouth, standing on a forest floor with a blue and green camping tent behind it, and a blue nature-themed backdrop with trees and stars.

Jazzy is a whirlwind of pure, unfiltered joy. A tiny Pug puppy with boundless curiosity, she meets every mystery of the Ledge with a wagging tail and a playful tilt of the head. She is the light in the shadows, bringing a much-needed sense of mischief and hope to the family.

Jazzy

A dog dressed as a farmer, sitting on a plush cow toy, with a farm background and surrounding toys on a green surface.

PJ is the steady, soulful anchor of the pack. A sturdy Pug with a heart of gold, he offers a grounding presence that balances the more restless spirits around him. With his expressive face and unwavering loyalty, he is a constant reminder of warmth and comfort in a world of uncertainty.

PJ

A French Bulldog sitting on a forest trail surrounded by green foliage and trees.

G is the silent, ethereal heartbeat of the home. A bossy ghost Pug, she remains a loyal, watchful companion even in the afterlife. With a tilted head and a spectral presence, she offers a sense of comfort and continuity, proving that some bonds are simply too strong to be broken.

G

A small Chihuahua dog lying on a blue couch next to a white pillow.

Cricket is a bundle of wiry, kinetic energy that refuses to be ignored. With a sharp bark and a restless spirit, he is the first to sense a shift in the wind or a change in the frequency. Brave, loyal, and constantly alert, he serves as a fierce little guardian against the encroaching silence.

Cricket