What do you think?
Rate this book
Murder on the Morning Route: The Dog-Walking Detective Series
Six months ago, Megan traded corporate burnout for serenity, building a simple life walking dogs in this picturesque seaside town. She knows everyone's routines, their secrets, and which dogs will do anything for treats.
What she didn't expect? To stumble upon the murdered body of controversial real estate developer Marcus Sterling near the historic lighthouse.
As the town's gossip reveals that nearly everyone had a motive to want Sterling gone, Megan's marketing background gives her an unexpected edge—she notices patterns others miss. But when someone starts leaving mysterious warnings along her walking routes, it becomes clear that asking questions in a small town can be dangerous.
With her loyal beagle-corgi Biscuit at her side and reluctant guidance from Detective Hayes, Megan must untangle decades of secrets before the killer decides this curious dog walker knows too much.
Can Megan sniff out a killer before she becomes the next victim?
Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries with amateur sleuths, loyal dog companions, and small-town secrets with a touch of coastal charm.
What she didn't expect? To stumble upon the murdered body of controversial real estate developer Marcus Sterling near the historic lighthouse.
As the town's gossip reveals that nearly everyone had a motive to want Sterling gone, Megan's marketing background gives her an unexpected edge—she notices patterns others miss. But when someone starts leaving mysterious warnings along her walking routes, it becomes clear that asking questions in a small town can be dangerous.
With her loyal beagle-corgi Biscuit at her side and reluctant guidance from Detective Hayes, Megan must untangle decades of secrets before the killer decides this curious dog walker knows too much.
Can Megan sniff out a killer before she becomes the next victim?
Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries with amateur sleuths, loyal dog companions, and small-town secrets with a touch of coastal charm.
- GenresCozy Mystery
104 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 24, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 13, 2026
I received a free digital copy of this book for signing up for the author's newsletter. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not affected by the giveaway.
After leaving her corporate job, Megan moved to a seaside town in New England where she enjoys the slower pace of life working as a professional dog walker. She has her own dog, Biscuit, and a group of regular clients she walks every morning. One morning, Biscuit, normally a good listener, tugs Meg off the path towards the historic lighthouse where he discovers a dead body. Megan learns the man was Marcus Sterling, a developer everyone in town was mad at. The police have a hard time figuring out which one was mad enough to kill. Meg's analytical mind can't be turned off and when she discovers what she thinks are clues, she tries to share them with the police but they don't seem to want to listen. When one of her clients disappears, she suspects a connection to murder. This is personal and someone wants her to stop investigating. Well, she can't just shut off her brain so she might as well help the police solve this crime. Now it's personal and she has to defend Biscuit and her clients and keep them safe.
The writing is fine. The story is pretty standard cozy mystery. I like the setting, it feels authentic to New England. I knew it was New England even without being told. The plot was fine. I didn't guess whodunit. It wasn't who I expected. The story is just not that memorable.
Meg is kind of boring. She's no longer miserable chained to a desk working a corporate job. She's relaxed more carefree running her own business and spending all her time with dogs. Who wouldn't be more calm after spending all day with dogs? um maybe not at 5 am ...
Marcus Sterling was an evil developer who only cared about money. He wanted to tear down the historic lighthouse and build luxury condos. He also enjoyed blackmail and seems to have a shady family history. He is largely a cookie cutter character but then we meet someone who actually cared about him and seems genuinely upset at his death. So maybe Marcus had some good qualities.
Apparently the lighthouse is not a protected landmark so he can tear it down if he gets approval from the town council. The land no longer belongs to the original lighthouse keepers who sold it long ago - or did they?
The dogs are cute. They're dogs but they have personalities. Biscuit is a Beagle with a nose for clues. He listens well and is devoted to Megan. They have a nice bond and their relationship is very sweet. Duchess, being a toy breed, thinks she's royalty and her human, Mrs. Mallory, treats Duchess like a baby. Duchess is her whole world and Mrs. Mallory loves Duchess more than she loves anyone else. Mrs. Mallory is a nice old lady. She's lonely and likes to gossip. I like her but she has a strong motive to want Marcus gone. I don't think she's strong enough to kill a man but she had a motive and perhaps she has a friend or relative who did the deed for her? Chaos, a rescue mutt, belongs to the Martinez family. The kids, Sofia and Luis are eager to share a clue with Megan but they're just kids. They seem too interested in the murder investigation and somehow think Megan is investigating. I'm not sure they're reliable witnesses.
Sunny, the energetic Golden Retriever, is nice but active. His human is harried Dr. Rashid, a single man who works a lot. He's always on his phone and doesn't have time to chat with Megan or take Sunny for a walk to the dog park. He has colleagues in the lighthouse district and thinks Marcus Sterling has more money than sense. But as clues are discovered, Dr. Rashid emerges as a prime suspect. He had the strongest motive but he seems so nice. I don't think a doctor would murder someone. His ex-wife was involved somehow... she seems nice enough even if her taste in men is questionable. She reveals a different side of Marcus no one knew or she's a really good actress lying through her tears.
Vivian Hargrove is a newcomer in town and mysterious. She wanted Meagan to walk her dog away from the lighthouse path and avoid it. Why was that? Did she know about the body? She even changes the time of the walk after the investigation begins. She's very quiet and keeps to herself. Elderly Corgis, Salt and Pepper, lead Meagan to gossip with their humans, elderly sisters who know all about the town's history and all the gossip. Do they know something from the past connected to the murder? Maybe they know something without knowing it. Marcus was unkind to them and tried to buy their land and shove them into a retirement home.
The strongest candidate for murderer is Jake Thompson of the local coffee shop. Not only is he not sorry Marcus was dead, he doesn't have an alibi. The shop is is livelihood and his passion. Certainly he wouldn't let Marcus take it away? He seems like an angry guy.
Detective Sarah Hayes seems friendly and likable. She's confident and capable but misses the clues Meagan sees because it's literally her job to notice these things.
This is a short, simple mystery. I didn't like how it leads into another mystery though. I don't really care to read more of this series unless I have some free books and free time to read them. It's not different enough or interesting enough for me right now.
After leaving her corporate job, Megan moved to a seaside town in New England where she enjoys the slower pace of life working as a professional dog walker. She has her own dog, Biscuit, and a group of regular clients she walks every morning. One morning, Biscuit, normally a good listener, tugs Meg off the path towards the historic lighthouse where he discovers a dead body. Megan learns the man was Marcus Sterling, a developer everyone in town was mad at. The police have a hard time figuring out which one was mad enough to kill. Meg's analytical mind can't be turned off and when she discovers what she thinks are clues, she tries to share them with the police but they don't seem to want to listen. When one of her clients disappears, she suspects a connection to murder. This is personal and someone wants her to stop investigating. Well, she can't just shut off her brain so she might as well help the police solve this crime. Now it's personal and she has to defend Biscuit and her clients and keep them safe.
The writing is fine. The story is pretty standard cozy mystery. I like the setting, it feels authentic to New England. I knew it was New England even without being told. The plot was fine. I didn't guess whodunit. It wasn't who I expected. The story is just not that memorable.
Meg is kind of boring. She's no longer miserable chained to a desk working a corporate job. She's relaxed more carefree running her own business and spending all her time with dogs. Who wouldn't be more calm after spending all day with dogs? um maybe not at 5 am ...
Marcus Sterling was an evil developer who only cared about money. He wanted to tear down the historic lighthouse and build luxury condos. He also enjoyed blackmail and seems to have a shady family history. He is largely a cookie cutter character but then we meet someone who actually cared about him and seems genuinely upset at his death. So maybe Marcus had some good qualities.
Apparently the lighthouse is not a protected landmark so he can tear it down if he gets approval from the town council. The land no longer belongs to the original lighthouse keepers who sold it long ago - or did they?
The dogs are cute. They're dogs but they have personalities. Biscuit is a Beagle with a nose for clues. He listens well and is devoted to Megan. They have a nice bond and their relationship is very sweet. Duchess, being a toy breed, thinks she's royalty and her human, Mrs. Mallory, treats Duchess like a baby. Duchess is her whole world and Mrs. Mallory loves Duchess more than she loves anyone else. Mrs. Mallory is a nice old lady. She's lonely and likes to gossip. I like her but she has a strong motive to want Marcus gone. I don't think she's strong enough to kill a man but she had a motive and perhaps she has a friend or relative who did the deed for her? Chaos, a rescue mutt, belongs to the Martinez family. The kids, Sofia and Luis are eager to share a clue with Megan but they're just kids. They seem too interested in the murder investigation and somehow think Megan is investigating. I'm not sure they're reliable witnesses.
Sunny, the energetic Golden Retriever, is nice but active. His human is harried Dr. Rashid, a single man who works a lot. He's always on his phone and doesn't have time to chat with Megan or take Sunny for a walk to the dog park. He has colleagues in the lighthouse district and thinks Marcus Sterling has more money than sense. But as clues are discovered, Dr. Rashid emerges as a prime suspect. He had the strongest motive but he seems so nice. I don't think a doctor would murder someone. His ex-wife was involved somehow... she seems nice enough even if her taste in men is questionable. She reveals a different side of Marcus no one knew or she's a really good actress lying through her tears.
Vivian Hargrove is a newcomer in town and mysterious. She wanted Meagan to walk her dog away from the lighthouse path and avoid it. Why was that? Did she know about the body? She even changes the time of the walk after the investigation begins. She's very quiet and keeps to herself. Elderly Corgis, Salt and Pepper, lead Meagan to gossip with their humans, elderly sisters who know all about the town's history and all the gossip. Do they know something from the past connected to the murder? Maybe they know something without knowing it. Marcus was unkind to them and tried to buy their land and shove them into a retirement home.
The strongest candidate for murderer is Jake Thompson of the local coffee shop. Not only is he not sorry Marcus was dead, he doesn't have an alibi. The shop is is livelihood and his passion. Certainly he wouldn't let Marcus take it away? He seems like an angry guy.
Detective Sarah Hayes seems friendly and likable. She's confident and capable but misses the clues Meagan sees because it's literally her job to notice these things.
This is a short, simple mystery. I didn't like how it leads into another mystery though. I don't really care to read more of this series unless I have some free books and free time to read them. It's not different enough or interesting enough for me right now.
October 13, 2026
A quick mystery story I enjoyed reading as my bedtime novel. Easy to read and tough to put down, but sleep becomes me and making it take longer than it should have, to read the book. 😃
August 18, 2026
This book was what I guess is called a cozy mystery. It wasn't too long and was easy to read. The storyline was about a man who came to town to build a complex of some kind that was going to mean some people would lose their property or their livelihood because of this project. This man is found dead by a dog-walker (and her dog, Biscuit). The story takes place in a small town where everyone knows everyone else. They also know that Megan, the dog-walker, loves to solve mysteries. The police chief tells her to stay out of it and she truly tries to, but everyone keeps talking to her and giving her their alibis, etc. What really impressed me about this book was the detail the author, and thus, Megan, went into to solve this case. It was a very enjoyable book.
March 29, 2026
Murder on the Morning Route by Daisy Stone is a cozy mystery that will keep you guessing whodunit until the very end. This is the first book in the series. It is well written. The plot and characters are well defined. This book will keep you reading well into the night. There is an amateur sleuth and a cute dog. Megan moved to this small town to get away from the high pressure of her job. She is now a "dog walker" with an analytical mind that cannot resist trying to solve the murder.
I received a copy of this book from the author and I always review every book that I read. I enjoyed this one and I thing you will too.
I received a copy of this book from the author and I always review every book that I read. I enjoyed this one and I thing you will too.
April 5, 2026
Super cute cozy mystery
Megan, the dog walker, and her awesome sidekick Biscuit work together to solve the murder of Marcus Sterling. Amateur slueth Megan picks up clues that are overlooked by Detective Hayes, and Biscuit finds hidden clues. Together, they make a great team and solve the mystery. So many suspects and many reasons why Marcus was not liked. However, it takes Megan's brilliance and Biscuit's support and cuteness to put all the puzzles together and discover who dunnit.
This was such a good book and the first I've read from Daisy Stone. It is enlightening, curious, full of adorable doggies, and great characters. The covers of berserker are also adorable!!
Megan, the dog walker, and her awesome sidekick Biscuit work together to solve the murder of Marcus Sterling. Amateur slueth Megan picks up clues that are overlooked by Detective Hayes, and Biscuit finds hidden clues. Together, they make a great team and solve the mystery. So many suspects and many reasons why Marcus was not liked. However, it takes Megan's brilliance and Biscuit's support and cuteness to put all the puzzles together and discover who dunnit.
This was such a good book and the first I've read from Daisy Stone. It is enlightening, curious, full of adorable doggies, and great characters. The covers of berserker are also adorable!!
September 27, 2026
easy reading
Megan moved to a small town to escape corporate America and set herself up in business as a dog walker. When she discovers a body, life takes a turn. The peaceful, small town with its beautiful view may not be as peaceful as it seems.
This is a good story. I have no complaints about it. I didn’t find a massive number of mistakes that books often have. As I said, it is
easy to read, just not fantastic
Megan moved to a small town to escape corporate America and set herself up in business as a dog walker. When she discovers a body, life takes a turn. The peaceful, small town with its beautiful view may not be as peaceful as it seems.
This is a good story. I have no complaints about it. I didn’t find a massive number of mistakes that books often have. As I said, it is
easy to read, just not fantastic
April 4, 2026
A Solid Cozy Mystery
The villain died. The dog walker and her Beagle/Corgi dog are on the case, asking questions, finding evidence, doing what all detectives do...following the money. Small town vibes. Neighborly characters. Some glaring continuity problems, names of suspects mysteriously changing, but overall a satisfying read.
The villain died. The dog walker and her Beagle/Corgi dog are on the case, asking questions, finding evidence, doing what all detectives do...following the money. Small town vibes. Neighborly characters. Some glaring continuity problems, names of suspects mysteriously changing, but overall a satisfying read.
May 25, 2026
Enjoyable, easy read with lots of dogs and interesting characters. Twisty plot that keeps readers guessing to the end. I struggled slightly with a combination of names at some points but otherwise it was good.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Action-packedOriginalPage-turnerRealisticTwistedUnpredictableWittyWonderful characters
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Action-packedOriginalPage-turnerRealisticTwistedUnpredictableWittyWonderful characters
August 29, 2026
Murder on the Morning Route
Dog walking, sounds easy but with it comes responsibility. Finding a body near a lighthouse on one of these walks begins a complicated adventure. The loyalty of a good dog, paying attention, and using your brain could save a dog walkers life. Short but well written story.
Dog walking, sounds easy but with it comes responsibility. Finding a body near a lighthouse on one of these walks begins a complicated adventure. The loyalty of a good dog, paying attention, and using your brain could save a dog walkers life. Short but well written story.
September 14, 2026
Too many suspects.
Megan is a dog walker. When she and her dog Biscuit are out for a walk near the lighthouse her pulls her off the path. They find the body of Marcus Stirling, a man who has ruffled the feelings of many of the town's residents. Who was aggravated enough to kill him?
Apparently, it seems, quite a few folks.
Megan is a dog walker. When she and her dog Biscuit are out for a walk near the lighthouse her pulls her off the path. They find the body of Marcus Stirling, a man who has ruffled the feelings of many of the town's residents. Who was aggravated enough to kill him?
Apparently, it seems, quite a few folks.
April 6, 2026
Great short story.
Great story about changing your lifestyle and ending with more intriguing days along with the new job of walking dogs. Small communities is where everyone knows everyone and things do happen because of greed. Very good short story.
Great story about changing your lifestyle and ending with more intriguing days along with the new job of walking dogs. Small communities is where everyone knows everyone and things do happen because of greed. Very good short story.
June 4, 2026
Cute murder mystery
Very well written and the mystery keeps you on your toes until the very end. Biscuit was my favorite part. Gotta love a cute heroic puppy. Definitely recommend giving it a chance.
Very well written and the mystery keeps you on your toes until the very end. Biscuit was my favorite part. Gotta love a cute heroic puppy. Definitely recommend giving it a chance.
March 18, 2026
Not who I expected. I wouldn't read it again, but I would read the next book.
March 19, 2026
Good story to read, love cozy mystery
April 21, 2026
Great mystery, great writing, keeps you interested. I can't wait to start reading the next one.
Read
May 8, 2026Enjoyable Book. Loved every bit of it.
June 16, 2026
Good light mystery
Great editing (poor editing distracts me from the story) and a plot that keeps you wondering. The ending was unexpected. Great vacation read.
Great editing (poor editing distracts me from the story) and a plot that keeps you wondering. The ending was unexpected. Great vacation read.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews