Sit, Stay, Murder!

The Tamsin Kernick Cozy English Mysteries #1

by Lucy Emblem

She’s happy with her furry friends, friendly coffee shop, and peaceful town. When she stumbles upon a suspicious death, can she expose the truth? Malvern Hills, in the heart of England. Tamsin Kernick loves life with her four-legged pals. Warm and kind, all the passionate dog trainer wants is to make her school a barking success. But she panics that her dream career is about to come crashing down when one of her human students is found after class in the car park stone-cold dead. Frustrated when the police prove less than helpful, she takes home the victim’s poor pet while worrying that cooling corpses could be bad for business. And teaming up with her yogi housemate and a handsome reporter to investigate, Tamsin fears an attack on yet another client means the villain is intent on continuing their diabolical deeds… Can Tamsin and her tail-wagging faithfuls pull all their tricks out of the bag to collar a killer? Sit, Stay, Murder! is the charming first book in the Tamsin Kernick English Cozy Mystery series. If you like good-hearted heroines, cute canines, and frisky fun, then you’ll adore Lucy Emblem’s delightful doggie-themed treat. Buy Sit, Stay, Murder! to sniff out clues today!

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 16, 2023

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, this was slightly boring. It felt plodding because the main character goes to the homes of each of her suspects to interview them, nearly literally going down a line (since the town is one street). What made this a worthwhile read was that it's one of the only fiction books that I've read in which the dog training was actually aligned with modern positive reinforcement, as well as the descriptions of the English countryside.

P.S. Unfortunately this book has the obligatory (wish it weren't) comments about the main character trying to lose weight/not gain weight (by eating too much cake).

[Linden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tamsin is a dog trainer in a small English town, and after her class one evening a participant is murdered in the parking lot. The deceased was not well liked, and Tamsin fears that she will be blamed, so she and her friends in the village decide to investigate. There's kind of a Midsomer Murders vibe, except the police department takes a back seat to the amateurs in this village.

[Eirlys · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining read

An amusing and cosy mystery, with lots of dogs, each with their own personalities. I liked the way that each dog melded into it's owners lifestyle, and nature. A well thought out plot, with a few red herrings too.

[Cornel Diaconu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice, cozy story, about Tamsin (short from Thomasina, as it seems :-) ) and her school for dogs + their accompanying humans -- finding one of her humans dead in the parking, when the lesson was finished and they were on rout home is not was she expected to face for her future in the small town.
The one responsible for the bad deed was, alas, unexpected, but I feel it was exposed a bit too early - there were like 3 more chapters after the reveal :-)
Seems that Tamsin's future adventures are worth looking for, in the next episodes of the series.

[Celest · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Very Entertaining Mystery

A new author for me and a wonderful adventure. The characters are very likable and realistic and the dogs are amazing with their own unique personalities. Solving the murder mystery was intriguing and fascinating. I loved this story and look forward to reading more from this author.

[Debra Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paws aware and in action! woof woof

Quality reading. Good character interactions and community feel. Emphasis on canine warmth and pet parenting reward apparent. Only wish Lucy explained how to truly live in a house with 2 plus dogs and keep it clean!

[Lynn Hayward-Bisbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love cozy mysteries and I love when they're set anywhere in the UK. So, this is my first of Lucy Emblem's cozy mysteries and it was delightful! It's full of interesting characters that will be fun to watch as they progress through the series and the setting and descriptions thereof take one right beside the characters. Best of all are the many and varied dogs, each with his or her own personality.

If you love dogs, you'll love this and probably find a dog with which to relate. The author's love and knowledge of dogs come through and helps one to see each one individually. In this book, I knew Luke was a Great Pyrenees from Ms. Emblem's description even before it was stated. Being a Pyr parent myself, she had me at Luke. LOL!

Seriously, though, no one expects a cozy mystery to be some totally deep mystery. I read a cozy mystery so I can read it in an hour or two while sitting in an Adirondack chair by the pasture or with a cat curled up on my lap in front of a roaring fire. I expect to like the characters and find some of them amusing, to enjoy the story, be entertained with no graphic violence and to want to solve the whodunit along with the characters. This book does all of that and I am anxious to read the rest in the series.

[Katy Cameron · Rating 3 out of 5]

A straightforward start to the Tamsin Kernick series.

I have to admit I found it hard to pinpoint the age of Tamsin and Emerald - I was sure I read near the start something about them being in their 30s, but they talked like people in their 70s-80s. I haven't heard the term 'You're a brick' since reading the various boarding school series from the 1950s when I was a kid (in the 1980s).

I think there was a bit of cheating by the author, as the reason for the murder was entirely made up by Tamsin as a theory, with no evidence to prove it at any point. Still, there were lots of dogs to perk things up.

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dogs and murder

Tamsin has a dog training business and gives lessons. At a new session, with all new owners with their dogs, one of the clients, a crotchety old man everyone dislikes p in the entire town, is murdered in the parking lot. Tamsin sets out to make sure her business won’t suffer, holding a couple of huge park walks and helps solve the murder.
The story is fun and interesting, with tips on training your dog. The murderer is a bit of a surprise. Looking forward to the next in the series,

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Positive Outlook

Life with a dog trainer is full of kindness and fresh air. Healthy dog walks and fun training that bring positive results to all who engage with Tamsin's training program: all except the murderers, attackers and thieves. The text is light, easy to read, and smooth. Characters are introduced at a good pace and bring interest to the plot, making for a satisfying read. There are more in the series, worth reading if Emblem develops plot and characters as done here.

[Michelle Verplak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, the first in the series. For struggling Tasmin trying to get her Dog Training business that last thing she needs is a murder - really bad for business. The police seem to be taking their time trying to solve this murder and she is one of their suspects. She needs to clear her name, find the killer and not eat too much cake - not good for her waistline.

As a dog lover and owner of two dogs, I really enjoyed reading this book with a goodhearted heroine, canine heroes and lots of fun along the way. Look forward to reading the second in the series.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Totally my own opinion

I do not want to discourage anyone from reading this who enjoys cozy mysteries where the average person solves the murder before the police. I also found this hard to read because of the European terminology. It just wasn't for me, and I won't be reading more, although I did like the dogs and training. If this sounds like something you would enjoy, don't let my 3 star review discourage you.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great cozy murder read with interesting, believable characters, along with Tamsin's small pack of sensational dogs. Unfortunately, on the first night of a new dog training class Tamsin has started, there is a murder in the car park of the hall where the class is being held. Wanting to clear her name and the (bad) publicity the murder has brought to her training business, Tamsin starts on the road to trying to solve the crime. There are some interesting twists and turns in the murder investigation and twists and turns as we explore the Malvern area on dog walks. As a dog trainer, Tamsin also imparts a wealth of dog training advice which is real and useful. A lovely, enjoyable book to read on a cloudy day.

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Puppy cozy

I really liked this cozy. I'm a cat person, but this dog mystery was fun. And there is a token cat. Tamsin is a dog trainer who gets tangled in a murder, an assault and a break in. Tamsin has to solve the mysteries before her training business gets drug through the mud. Quick read.

[Cheryl]

This is the first book in the series. The main character is Tamsin who trains people how to deal with dog and how to take care of them. She tries her first class and ends up with a dead body after everyone goes home. She is trying to save her business and figure out who did what. She is finding a lot of answers but are they enough and can she figure it out before it's too late?

[Linda E. Snook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good dogs!

I love reading about dogs I have four and a half of my own. The half is my Chiweenie, Charley, my only boy. The rest are girls. TBE last INE us 9 months old, she's lab, mostly black. Her name is Penny. She needs to be spayed still. She was a stray. The rest I got at the shelter.

[ReadaBook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dogs and solving a murder

A soft cozy mystery, meaning it contains basically good people, a charming village, and dogs! The dog number is growing and author Lucy Emblem smartly scatters some good dog training tips throughout the book.

[mrs epeach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

I really enjoyed this book. Lots of excitement and mystery all in one. I would definitely recommend the book to anyone who loves mystery and doggy antics mixed together. Looking forward to the next book.

[Rachella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

I loved everything about this book- especially the setting, the different methods of investigating, and Tamsin as a strong lead character. I wanted to read a great whodunnit that kept me guessing and had lovable dogs in it and found both here.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who killed Phil and why??? Blackmail??? I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.

[Alayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable story featuring lots of dogs, murder, and friendships. Highly entertaining.

[Linda Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great find is this cozy murder mystery series. Great characters & delightful dogs. Very enjoyable

[Karen L Sears · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story.

I like a book that holds your interest and the story is good. This was a nice story and a great cozy mystery.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

The book is well written, but has so many characters that is hard to keep them all straight in the beginning. Too many dogs and people!

[Lennie McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery and dog fanciers will enjoy this one.

A likeable read about a small village and Tamsin a local dog trainer.
There is a murder to solve and it opens up lots of old secrets.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful reading!

I thoroughly enjoyed both the people and their dogs in this original mystery. The dog training was a plus along with how each person related to their dog.

[D. Allwright · Rating 5 out of 5]

lovely cozy mystery

Follow Tamsin the dog trainer for a funny, and very enjoyable cozy mystery in the heart of the Malverns and all her lovely dogs, thoroughly enjoyed this book

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming cosy mystery read. Great characters.

[Marseydoats · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this, and looking forward to the next one!

[Kathy L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dogs and murder

Greatly entertaining story of a dog trainer who has a student die at one of her classes. Along with her dogs and friends a killer is brought to justice