Game, Set, and Catch!: A Tamsin Kernick English Cozy Mystery

The Tamsin Kernick Cozy English Mysteries #8

by Lucy Emblem

Charming English villages, loyal dogs, and a determined amateur sleuth with a nose for murder.

Tamsin Kernick joins a quaint rural tennis club in sight of the Malvern Hills, only to discover that the drama on the court is nothing compared to the trouble brewing off it.

When a member is found dead, Tamsin and her trusty canine companions must serve up some justice before someone else wins the match. As her friends from her favourite café rally to uncover the truth, Tamsin finds herself tangled in a net of secrets, lies, and deadly rivalries. Can she ace this mystery before it's too late?

Tamsin’s super dogs are at the forefront of serving this criminal their just deserts (but not the luscious desserts from the café!). No ne’er-do-well is a match for these three dogs and their amazing tricks!

For lovers of Agatha Christie and James Herriot, dogs, and the English countryside.

Perfect for fans

• Dog cozy mysteries set in English villages

• Smart female sleuths and their clever canines

• British-humour cozy mysteries with tea and cake

• Warm-hearted whodunits with a touch of danger


Large Print edition available at

160 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 16, 2025

Reviews

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Game, Set and Catch! Is Book 8 in The Tamsin Kernick Cozy English Mysteries by Lucy Emblem. I believe the characters (both people and animals) are so enjoyable. When Tamsin decides to play tennis, she was not expecting murder to be served. Along with her dogs and cafe friends, Tamsin is determined to solve the crime. I believe that by book 8, the characters have become so familiar that they are almost book friends. Game, set, match! I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Lavender Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing, fun-packed mystery for Tamsin and her friends. The story is well written, and I love the cozy atmosphere, the delightful characters, and the adorable dogs. This time Quiz is the undisputed heroine!

A review copy of this book was sent to me by the author. All of the above opinions are my own.

[Linda Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tamsin decides to join the tennis club to get fit, learn something new and meet some different people. The regular characters are so well known to us now. It was fun seeing Tamsin’s assessment of her fellow tennis players. But she was not expecting someone from the club serving up a murder, intentional or not! Tamsin, Feargal, Emerald and Charity meet up at the Café to plan the investigation. A gentle cozy mystery.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the author.
I am writing an honest, voluntary review.

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

This is the latest installment of Tamsin Kernick, our favorite dog trainer who goes to join a small tennis club in order to get herself in shape and learn something new. But, of course, as always, she gets a little more than she bargained for there.

Tamsin's character has continued to be developed by the author as well as the other characters which have been part of her sleuthing and friendship circle. New characters at the tennis club have been added as well. I'm not a fan of tennis, but one doesn't have to be to appreciate the mystery and charm of the story. I always love the descriptions of the surrounding hills, the quaint village and shops and even the descriptions of the interior of people's houses. All those vivid descriptions make it easy for the reader to be right in the scene.

Lucy Emblem continues to write cozy mysteries that are perfect for those who love dogs and animals, cozy British village backgrounds and characters that continue to develop. They're perfect light mysteries to be read with a dog at one's feet and a warm cat on one's lap in front of the pellet stove on a cold winter's day. I think this is another winner!

[Sharmani Jayaram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tasmin Kernick wanting a  change joins Tom's tennis club. Feargal her reporter friend comes with the news that the treasurer of the club Lesley had been murdered.  Tasmin, Emerald her bestie and Feargal are determined to find the truth as there was a lot going on than meets the eye. Great characters in this intriguing read. I received this ARC copy and recommend this book to other readers .

[Geraldine Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really enjoyable read with a definite 'feel good' factor to it.

It was a baffling whodunit with a satisfying amount of suspects, some lovely animals, including a heroic dog and of course, amateur detective Tamsin.

I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable and interesting read

I liked Tamsin's character. She's feisty, resourceful, intelligent, and up for a challenge. She trains dogs and does some ameture sleuthing too. Tamsin recently joined a tennis club to learn a new sport to stay active and get a bit of exercise. When a club member turns up dead, Tamsin and her

dog go about sleuthing. I liked how protective of her dogs she was. She also has loyal friends, if she needs help they are there too. Find out how Tamsin's sleuthing goes. Quite an adventure for Tamsin . I voluntarily read a free copy of this book provided by book sirens and am giving an honest opinion.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Way too slow of a start

The mystery itself isn’t bad. It has a beautiful setting in the English countryside. The characters are varied and amiable. My issue is more that it took almost half the book to get to the actual murder and then the sleuthing. The pace is just slow, slow, slow and then boom everything happens all at once. Don’t get me wrong I’m a pet lover and dogs are adorable and it was sweet to read about the various training sessions especially with puppies. And friendly gatherings at the farmers market and teas and cake are great but I got the book to read a mystery and it took forever to get there. While cleverly done once it happened it still took too long.
I received an advance review copy from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sue Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy emblem. Game set catch.

Another in the series but also a great stand alone book.

This time we follow Tamsin as she takes up tennis at a local club. We meet interesting characters, some lovely, some not so lovely and we also have our usual favourites. Intertwined with the story is lots of dog training tips and good advice.

The mystery begins with some missing money and then a body is found. Tamsin, her dogs and her lovely friends start to investigate and unravel the mystery.

Beautifully written, lovely storyline and characters. Another delightful book from this talented author

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great series! I love that the dogs are the main focus even though there's always a mystery to figure out. Tamsin seems to be more on her own during this mystery as per compared to previous mysteries. The gang is all there, but they're kind of on the sidelines, in a way. Although, Jonathan is a life saver in this one, which I really liked. I really want to see Jonathan and Tamsin get together. Good read, I read it in a couple of hours. Definitely didn't want to put it down.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tamsin, dog trainer, and her housemate and friend Emerald, yoga instructor?

Tamsin decides she wants to get more exercise so looks into somewhere she can play tennis. Most people at tennis club are nice. However not long after joining the sectetary of the club is murdered Tamsin and her reporter friend, Feargal, start investigating. This is a very good book and easy to read.

I received an advance review copy, ARC, for free and I am leaving an honest opinion and voluntary review.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This latest adventure finds Tamsin taking up tennis and ending up investigating a death related to the tennis club. As always, the dogs are front and center and I love reading about the home visits and her clients issues through the story. Tamsin and her dogs are always entertaining and I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a clean cozy with fun animals. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Martine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tamsin wants to exercise more and decides to join a tennis club. And then a new adventure starts: a member gets killed. I'm always looking forward to a new release and I think this is the best book so far. Easy to read, nice characters, suspense. I love it and I recommend the entire series.
I received an advance review copy and I'm leaving a voluntary and honest review.

[Eliz Marino · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC and this is my voluntary review. A great cozy that keeps getting better. A binge worthy book that has Tamsin, dogs and friends solving another mystery. The dogs are wonderful with their unique skills. A wonderful series that is hard to put down. I am looking forward to the next one

[Joyce Stratton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great characters and suspense

This is such a fun read. I enjoyed it immensely. Good suspense, great characters, dogs, cats, horses and hedgehogs. What could be better? There’s murder and romance to round things out.

[Julie Burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story, I didn't catch on to the killer which is always good. I'll go back and read some of the previous books now.

[Alayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent cosy mystery from Lucy Emblem. The dogs, and in this case, Quiz, are wonderful characters, and I love the way the author writes the banter between the friends. Highly recommended.

[Marseydoats · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved that the Furies made a cake with Quiz as the decoration!

[Sheryl OConnor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Game. Set, Catch was the ideal read for our recent snowstorm. It was just right for curling up with a blanket and a cup of tea while the wind howled and snow grew deep. I enjoyed getting to know Tamsin and her circle of friends who live near the Malvern Hills, especially Quiz, Moonbeam and Banjo. As a dog lover, I appreciated the bits about the dogs Tamsin trains and her techniques.

[Jane Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow very good book. I know who did the killing until the last of the book.
I can’t wait to read the rest of the early books.