Barking Mad

A Poppy Mystery Tale #2

by Leigh Russell

The second Poppy Mystery, a brand new British cozy crime series perfect for fans of Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club and SJ Bennett's The Queen Investigates series

Emily has settled in the picturesque village of Ashton Mead, where she lives with her puppy, Poppy. Life is finally going well for Emily. She has a cottage of her own, a job she likes and friends. Then she stumbles on the body of a woman who apparently drowned in the river. The other villagers suspect foul play and are quick to blame Richard, Emily's next-door neighbor and a newcomer to the village. Emily finds it hard to believe her friendly neighbor could be a cold-hearted murderer. When she meets his attractive son, Adam, her feelings become more complicated. Determined to find out the truth behind the death in the village, Emily travels to London to track down the man with whom Richard's wife was having an affair. Unfortunately for Emily, her visit does not go as planned. Instead of helping clear Richard's name, she finds her own life is in danger...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

Published November 28, 2023

About the author

Leigh Russell has sold over a million books in her Geraldine Steel series of crime novels. Published in English and in translation throughout Europe and in China, the Geraldine Steel titles have appeared on many bestseller lists, including #1 on kindle. Leigh's work has been nominated for several major awards, including the CWA New Blood Dagger and CWA Dagger in the Library.
Leigh has also written a trilogy featuring Lucy Hall, set in the Seychelles, Paris and Rome, and two standalone psychological thrillers.
Leigh serves on the board of the Crime Writers Association and chairs the judges for the prestigious CWA Debut Dagger Award.
She is represented by Bill Goodall.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought I would give this a go even though I wasn’t particularly impressed with the first book in the series. This book was worse. The plot was non-existent and the characters, particularly the main character, had no likeable or relatable qualities. Her thought processes, actions, reasonings were all completely devoid of any common sense. Add to this numerous printing errors in the book, along with a completely massive error of talking about a pendant/necklace being found near the body, and then a few pages later referring to it as a ring, then switching back to it being a necklace.

Really didn’t enjoy it, but as a result read it in record time as I just wanted it to be over.

[ghostly_bookish · Rating 3 out of 5]

CAWPILE 6.14 3.5 STARS

Battleathon Sep 2023- Continue a series prompt
Second in the Poppy Mystery Tale series.
I somehow got my hands on this one months before it's actual release!
Very, very quick read- I did enjoy the first one but wasn't sure whether I'd continue the series and then spotted this one in the 3 for £6 offer at The Works and thought I'd give it ago.
I liked this one better than the first, the story was more compelling and I didn't see the twist- I'd be interested to see if the third in the series fills in details as this book ends with certain things unresolved.

[Tammie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book but was left rather disappointed.
There were so many holes in the plot and I felt like I had read 200 pages of constant back and forth and then 52 pages of some kind of twist which left me asking “is this really the twist”

[Jules Woodcock · Rating 2 out of 5]

Utter tosh

[Mia Steinert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple and easy-going read

[Lizzie Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second in the charming cosy mystery series, written by Russell, an established and strong crime author with over twenty top-selling books already under her belt.

This series features a woman, Emily, who inherits a house and moves to the country where, as part of her Auntie’s inheritance deal, she also has to take on her Auntie’s dog. Meet Poppy, a charming tiny terrier with a brain as sharp as Sherlock Holmes.

In the first book, Emily had a problem with her neighbour. Now, in this one, time has moved on and she has a new neighbour, Richard, an older man whose wife is nowhere to be seen.

When, out on a walk with Poppy, Emily and Poppy discover a woman, fitting the description of the missing wife, dead,face down in a pond, in the nearby woods.

All the villagers suspect Richard for his wife’s death, but Emily seems to think differently. If Poppy has taken to this man, which she has, then Emily believes he is not a murderer.

Then, enter the charming and attractive son of Richard, Adam. Hannah, Emma’s best friend and the owner of the café that Emily works in, has fallen for Adam. Adam seemingly uses her and then disappears back to London. Emily is determined to get to the bottom of why Adam has hurt her friend, so she and Poppy set out on a mission to London to find out more about this family. This puts Emily in mortal danger. Poppy escapes and is now lost in London. So, will Emily solve the mystery? find the killer, and more important find her dog?

This an extremely well- crafted cosy mystery. Russell has had massive success with her twenty previous strong crime novels, so knows how to keep a reader turning those pages. It is beautifully written and will keep you guessing. And, even if you are not a dog lover, I would say don’t miss out on this series because it offers a great mystery to keep you guessing, a perfect location that pulls you in, and even romance, and I could almost smell those newly baked scones in the café that Emily works in. An excellent all round great read. Five stars, and a biscuit for Poppy. ------
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Reviewer: Linda Regan
For Lizzie Sirett (Mystery People Group)

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poppy, a charming blend of Jack Russell and Shih Tzu, returns to star in Barking Mad, second in this delightful mystery series by award winning author Leigh Russell. With him, he brings his owner Emily Wilson and the other residents of the small village of Ashton Mead. After a near deadly run in with her neighbor in Laurel Cottage next door, she’s happy to see that someone new is moving in. Richard is an older man and somewhat mysteriously single. And after Emily discovers a woman’s body in the nearby river, the suspicious villagers decide that it is Richard’s wife and he had killed her. What follows is half mystery and half comedy of errors with a touch of romance thrown in.

Fans of the cozy mystery genre will love Barking Mad. It has an entertaining cast of characters, especially Emily, Hannah, Maud and Toby, who will definitely appear in the next of the series. Ashton Mead is well described - you can smell the garden flowers, see the baked goods in Hannah’s Tea Shoppe and listen to the suspicious whispers in the pub. And Poppy? Poppy is just the best dog hero since Lassie. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Oldcastle Books and Leigh Russell for this ARC.

[Miriam Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fell in love with this charming cozy mystery featuring Emily Wilton and her intrepid puppy Poppy. First Poppy finds a dead woman floating in the river, then they befriend their new neighbor, Richard, who might not be so friendly. Adventures abound as Emily and Poppy follow clues, untangle false information, and try to make sense of the murder, the new residents of Ashton Mead, and all the deception.

No, Poppy the puppy doesn’t talk, but she does bark. She’s Emily’s constant companion and has a good sense of who is a loveable character and who is not.

After listening to Poppy’s second adventure / investigation, I’m ready for book 1. And more mysteries by the author.

For a review of the performance, see AudioFile Magazine http://www.audiofilemagazine.com

[Laurie K. · Rating 2 out of 5]

When the body of a woman is found in the river flowing through the village of Ashton Mead, suspicion soon falls on the woman’s husband Richard. His neighbor Emily can’t believe that someone so friendly, and who is so well liked by her dog Poppy, could possibly be a murderer. Determined to find out the truth, Emily sets out to investigate, only to find herself in danger.

This is a book that just was not for me. I was unable to remain engaged in the story for any length of time and found myself putting it aside over and over.

Unfortunately, this is not one that I personally can recommend.

[Hannah Symonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Poppy Mystery Tale Series, it can be read as a standalone but I would recommend reading the first one as it is a really great read. Emily has settled into a lovely little village now with her dog Poppy, she is loving her life until she finds a dead body. So she decides with the help of Poppy to investigate further but will it be plain sailing? It was a good cosy crime story that will keep you entertained. I loved the idea of having Poppy by her side, she is such a sweet little dog. I loved the way the story builds and as the reader trying to work out what had happened. I enjoyed this story and look forward to the next instalment.

[Bibliophileverse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barking Mad by Leigh Russell is a nice mystery thriller set in a small village. The plot is a little bit slow and does not arouse much interest and weaves its way. At some points there are some good points to read further. but, I felt that the plot was going haywire and things were really not into place. The characters were also a bit off. It was only in the later half that the things were a little bit interesting. I loved the author's earlier work and I was totally not expecting this time. May be the book was not for me. I could give it only 3 stars for its later half.

Read more on https://bibliophileverse.blogspot.com...

[Claire Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

A really annoying book:

- 11 year olds who ‘make stink bombs at school’(! Visit a school in 2024 if you’re going to write about one)
- an amateur ‘super sleuth’…who is so stupid she can’t see what’s being rammed up her nose AND only ever rescued thanks to other people being a lot cleverer than she is
- ‘avenging’ the non-existent ‘murder’ of her dog
Etc etc. what a load of rubbish.

Honestly, it just wound me up; not a clever plot, not even remotely realistic, badly manipulating the story to engineer the outcome…absolute twaddle.

[Ruth Matheson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's not to love about Poppy. She is the adorable heroine in a cosy mystery where her owner once again finds herself inadvertently caught up in a murder. And if you read book 1, it's a bit close to home again. The tale has a lovely bucolic setting and Poppy's antics are so well described, they will leave you with a smile on your face. Roll on the next tale.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

[Angeline · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not finish.
I started the audiobook looking for something easy to listen
I wasn't really enjoying it much but was powering through until I got to the point of Emily going out for dinner with a guy she's not interested in to try and get information about the case but she feels bad about it so that's ok.
Then, she finds out that her new neighbour's wife left him even though he is such a nice guy and that was it for me

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is becoming one my favorite cozy series as I love Emily and Polly, the quaint village and the quirky characters
It's a light and entertaining story, a solid mystery that kept me guessing and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Well plotted and entertaining
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Jules · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this might be better than the first. I only read the second one because I got it with the first (the first in the series was not good).
If there are any additional book in this series, I won't be reading them.
Again, the story lacked depth, and Emily, the main character, was still just as annoying with little to like.

[Ivelina Raykova · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slightly better than the first book but I still couldn’t get into it. As if I was constantly aware that I was reading a book and not getting into the story. I found the characters not believable, the story unsurprising with a weak attempt for a twist and the writing flat. Not much cup of tea. I love a good cosy murder story but this one didn’t grab me.

[Rhiannon Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

The definition of fine - a cute little tale to enjoy on a rainy afternoon with a very large mug of tea, but the pacing is a bit odd and not the most satisfying thing ever. Very sweet, occasionally saccharine.

[Alison Goss · Rating 2 out of 5]

While. Enjoyed the first in the Poppy Mystery series, this one felt a little too much like rinse and repeat.
There was enough to enjoy in the quaint village, cosy mystery that I’ll try the third in the series. Hoping it stands on its own.

[Naomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Linea, dull.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - a simple cosy mystery, the ending was somewhat far fetched but enjoyable.

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loveeed this so much, such an easy read

[Sam Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

Took a long while to get going .Seemed to repeat itself alot the best bit was in the last couple of chapters

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty wholesome for a book about murder

[Saara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Similar feelings as the first. I still want more from the village characters. This might have to do with the fact that I listened to this, and was easily distracted.

[Jocelyn Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good 👍

[Sel Rou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read mystery with a cute & clever dog that has a nose for crime

[Rhiannon Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this was better than the first one, thoroughly enjoyable.

[Kath Wilusz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't really care for this very much...

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars