Murder Always Barks Twice

A Chatty Corgi Mystery #2

by Jennifer Hawkins

A charming tea room owner and her excitable talking corgi will need to work together to bring a killer to heel in this delightful cozy mystery. 

For ex-accountant Emma Reed and her beloved corgi, Oliver, opening Reed’s Classic Tea & Cakes in the idyllic village of Trevena in Cornwall has been the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.  Her cakes are popular, she has a host of wonderful new friends, and even a potential new romance.  There’s even time left over for plenty of long country walks with Oliver, who is not only the cutest corgi on record (at least to Emma), he happens to talk (at least to Emma).  What could be better?   

How about being asked to help cater the local Daphne DuMaurier literary festival?   

But when the festival organizer is found dead and foul play is suspected, Emma, Oliver and their friends are plunged deep into a poisonous mix of village jealousy, family tension, money troubles, and secret love affairs.  Emma quickly realizes it’s up to her and her intrepid corgi to discover a canny killer whose bite is worse than their bark.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Audiobook, Crime, Dogs

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published August 3, 2021

About the author

Jennifer Hawkins is a Michigan-based author of cozy mysteries. She’s also a mom, binge reader, corgi enthusiast, and a lover of All Things British. For tea, she prefers a second flush Darjeeling with milk. She also makes a killer (so to speak) lemon curd.

Also see Darcie Wilde
source: publisher

Reviews

[Linda Langford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book one was much better. This story was too long—over 300 pages, and I lost interest.

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lover's of Jennifer Hawkin's To Fetch A Felon, the first book in the Chatty Corgi series will be excited to see the second installment in the series, Murder Always Barks Twice.
A quaint British Village is the setting for this book with Emma Reed and her charming Corgi, Oliver opening Reed’s Classic Tea & Cakes. Putting her accountant job behind her Emma is excited about the fresh start she and Oliver are making especially when business is so brisk,friends are aplenty and it looks like a new romance may be in the cards.
Things are going peachy and Emma and Oliver, who just happens to be a talking Corgi, at least with her, settle in nicely.
Trouble soon starts brewing though after a festival organizer is found dead at an event Emma is helping to cater.
Well paced engaging cozy mystery.

Pub Date: 03 Aug 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

[Kav · Rating 5 out of 5]

True confession: I'm besotted over a certain noble corgi canine warrior! Oliver is soooooooo much fun and I especially love that we occasionally get his point of view. The author does an amazing job of channeling her own inner corgi (or maybe she has a doggy ghost writer for those bits?) Whatever the case, it's sheer brilliance!!!!

And Oliver's human, Emma, is such a relatable heroine. She's personable, verging on nosy (always a plus when you star in a cozy mystery) and she can understand corgi! Well, only one corgi, but the fact that she can communicate with Oliver raises the mystery aspects to a whole other level for me. Yes it's quirky, but not as zany as it might sound. And so much fun!!! Because dogs don't think in the same way humans do so interpreting Oliver's observations isn't as easy as you might think. :-)

A compelling mystery, with loads of possible suspects and Emma's posse of friends make this Cornish cozy unputdownable...or, in my case, a compulsive listen since I chose the audible route. Henrietta Meire does an amazing job -- especially with Oliver's Welsh corgi accent. She's brilliant. The story is brilliant. It's all brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!

[Cozybooklady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute cozy mystery that is easy to read. While I enjoyed meeting Emma, I felt this wasn't my style of story.
This is no fault of the authors, just my own personal opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
#MurderAlwaysBarksTwice #NetGalley

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is just so delightful, review to come!

[OpenBookSociety.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://openbooksociety.com/article/m...

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

Emma and her Welsh Pembroke Corgi Oliver are back for a second adventure in Murder Always Barks Twice, the wonderful sophomore entry in the Chatty Corgi Mystery series. The story gives a big nod to Rebecca and has loads of English village charm, appealing characters, and an engaging mystery that keeps readers guessing.

When Emma agrees to do a last minute catering job for the annual Daphne DuMaurier Literary Festival, she does not expect to find bickering board members or the death of one of its members. Marcie Chocrane, a superfan of DuMaurier, is the treasurer of the literary society, and the annual festival takes place at her ancestral estate. When Emma and her friend Genny arrive at Truscott Grange, they find Marcie’s crumpled body on the drive below an open window. Is her death an accident, suicide, or something more sinister? Emma agrees to look into things at the behest of Marcie’s niece Daphne. With the help of her noble warrior corgi (his words) Oliver, Emma quickly finds herself in a cesspool of money hungry, power seeking, jealous siblings and Marcie’s money troubles, stress, and secret plans. Oh, and the literary festival must go on, too.

How can you go wrong with a talking corgi sleuth? As a self-proclaimed corgi nut, I think Oliver, who communicates with Emma through full sentences and a Welsh accent, is just about the greatest thing since sliced bread. He might not be every reader’s cup of tea since one must suspend reality a bit, but I love him and think that author Jennifer Hawkins does a fantastic job making this unusual sleuthing pair believable. I like Emma a great deal and find her relatable (she and I are about the same age) and a thorough, intelligent amateur sleuth. Her coworkers/friends Angelique and Genny are also especially enjoyable, and I love the relationships they are forging.

Marcie dies fairly early in the story, but we get to know her well through what the other characters have to say about her. Her situation was terrible, and I felt a great need for Emma to find justice for her. The suspects are comprised mostly of immediate family and one board member, and the more Emma investigates, the more ugliness and motives for murder she finds. Hawkins takes readers through a twisty, emotional puzzle that sometimes involves danger for Emma. It is compelling from start to finish.

Murder Always Barks Twice is delightful cozy mystery reading. Highly recommended…especially to fans of pet themed mysteries.

[Daniele · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
I really love this corgi-centric series. An English village setting, talk of tea goodies, a mature amateur sleuth, and talking corgi Oliver provide the perfect backdrop to a murder mystery. Author Hawkins weaves a complex tale of money, power, and jealousy that is engaging from beginning to end. Highly recommended!

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not usually a fan of talking animals (I love animals but it's too much for me) but the narrator does such a great job with how Oliver the Corgi speaks that I've fallen in love with him. The mystery was well done and kept me interested throughout enough that I will continue with the series as long as it's available on audio.

[Erin Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Star review Murder Always Barks Twice by Jennifer Hawkins

Jennifer Hawkins is a new author to me. Murder Always Barks Twice was an entertaining cozy mystery that ticked a lot of the boxes for me. I have to say I was intrigued when I learnt that the heroine's sidekick is her corgi Oliver, who talks to her.

Emma Reed has opened Reed's Classic Tea & Cakes in the village of Trevena in Cornwall , fulfilling a long planned dream. Trying to get the business established and running successfully , she has made friends and is excited when she is asked to assist in the catering for the Daphne DuMaurier literary festival. Excitement turns to horror when a suspicious death occurs and Emma is asked to do some investigating along with her friends and Oliver by her side.

There were numerous twists and turns within the story and I found Emma easy to relate to and I liked her. This is a quirky mystery with characters who were engaging that kept me invested in the story.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery and am looking forward to reading more from Ms. Hawkins. I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.

[Emmalynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good mystery that could have been solved 100 pages sooner. It was just to wordy. I do like that Emma and DI Constance Brent have a good working relationship instead of a contentious one. Emma’ tea shop is a success and she’s working with her new friends to cater festival. One of the organizers is found dead by Emma and Genny at her home and the mystery begins. In the process. Family secrets, betrayals, and money woes are all revealed, leading Emma and, Oliver, new canine friend Dash, and the others to wade through several suspects before the killer is revealed. Unfortunately, it’s not before another murder occurs.

Emma is a heroine in her mid 40’s with a flirtation going on with Brian. She’s pretty sensible, got to make use of her accountant skills to help her solve the mystery. She loves her talking Corgi and her new simpler life.

[Tracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Likeable Emma Reed has moved from London, England to Cornwall and has started a fledgling bakery/tea business in her new friend Angelique's B & B. After helping to solve a murder with the help of her trusty, noble corgi Oliver, and her first local friend Genny, she is ready to concentrate on her business. Then Emma and Angelique are engaged to cater a Daphne du Maurier Literary Festival and Emma and Genny find the body of the treasurer of the committee Marcia, outside her home where the event was to take place. Marcia's niece asks Emma to do a little investigating because she has questions of whether Marcia committed suicide or was she murdered by another family member or committee member. Oliver who can "talk" to Emma makes this a whimsical mystery, but there are thoughtful explorations of family relationships. I look forward to Emma and Oliver's next investigation. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best cozy series I've read in a while. The narrator for the series is also great. Highly recommend to cozy fans.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

When Emma Reed took a chance and came to Cornwall to open a tea shop and accidentally solved a murder, she and her Corgi Oliver feared they wouldn't fit in. Emma need not worry for Reed's Classic Tea & Cakes is a huge success, she has some great new friends and she is happily flirting with taxi driver/mechanic Brian. When the Daphne du Maurier Literary Society asks Emma and Angelique to cater their big event at the last minute, the friends jump at the chance. However, there seems to be some tension among the board members and Emma's financial senses are tinged when she learns the the reason the original caterer dropped out. Her suspicions are aroused even further late one dark and stormy night when the society treasurer, Marcie Cochrane turns up on the doorstep with a personal check. Emma declines and promises the testing will go on the next day as scheduled. When Emma and her friend Genny, plus stowaway Oliver, arrive at Truscott Grange the next morning, they stumble across Marcie's dead body! Marcie's brother, Bert, pushes through a verdict of suicide while others suspect it was a tragic accident. Oliver and his new friend Dash think there's something wrong at Truscott Grange and Marcie's death was no accident. Her niece, Daphne, a friend of Pearl's from university, suspects her aunt was murdered and wants Emma to look into it. Emma tries to back off but when Inspector Brent asks Emma to unofficially ask questions, she's dragged into the investigation. She and Oliver uncover family drama, personal grudges and possibly long-held secrets. Emma does not like what she learns and struggles with doing the right thing. When Oliver discovers a huge clue, she has no choice but to get involved. Will they figure this one out before Constance Brent gets fired and Marcie's death is swept under the rug? Will the literary festival go on as planned?

This is another very good mystery by the author known as Jennifer Hawkins or Darcie Wilde, and other pseudonyms. There's so much charm in this series. I love the Cornish village and Emma's tea room. I was drooling over her cream teas and wishing to fly off to Cornwall for one right now. The village setting is charming, in spite of the drama. Even though there are allusions to Rebecca you don't have to know that story to understand this book. It might help if you understand the way the British class system works though but I think it would be an extra exciting bonus for a fan of du Maurier to read the allusions in this novel. Rebecca is not my thing but I'm sufficiently aware of the way the class system works with old family names vs. new money that I didn't feel lost.

The mystery has a lot of twists and turns. I thought I had it figured out but just when I was about to shut off my light for the night, the story took a dramatic turn and I was hooked on the third act. I needed to stay up late to finish. I was surprised by the revelations at the end. It wasn't what I had been expecting and it was rather tragic for the families involved. The one major complaint I had with this story is that I had a hard time reading it in my head with the right accents because of the way the characters spoke. I can hear Daphne speak with a Manchester accent but everyone else sounds wrong. I would have mentioned the Conchranes spoke in clipped tones reminiscent of Downton Abbey-even if people don't talk like that in real life. If the book is marketing at Americans that's what we'd expect and not hearing someone add , yeah? to the end of their sentences. I'd like an introduction to Cornish/West Country accents through Ginny or Pearl. That's me being nitpicky. I'll try the audiobook and see what it sounds like.

Emma is a nice cozy heroine. She's older than your average heroine at age 45 and has a whole career in the City behind her. She's also not the typical nosy baker heroine either even though she DOES take off a lot leaving her friends in the kitchen. Emma's nosiness comes from her Corgi Oliver's nosiness! He can sense things she can't and she feels compelled to follow through. One thing I didn't care for was Emma's flirtation with Brian. I didn't feel chemistry between them and didn't understand they were even supposed to be flirting. It would have been nice to have more scenes with them together, especially their first date. Emma is kind and caring. She's motivated by her desire to help and to see justice done not for personal gain or because the local cops are too stupid to solve a crime. On the contrary, Emma gets along with Inspector Constance Brent, an eccentric, but excellent detective. She's a dog lover and cute with Oliver.

I especially love Oliver, the chatty Corgi. What I appreciate most about his voice is that it doesn't sound like a wise-cracking old human man or even fluently human. The closest translation would be a toddler's manner of speaking. While Emma can hear Oliver speaking Welsh-accented English, she doesn't always understand what he's saying and has to interpret his impressions. He relies more on smell rather than details like hair color, names, clothing, etc. that humans pick up on and of course Emma can not smell what Oliver smells. Noble warrior Corgi Oliver is just the cutest little pup ever! He's devoted to his human and determined to protect her. Here we see him interact with more dogs and make new friends. He's torn between his nose (going off with his new friend) and sleuthing for clues for Emma. He wants to stay by her side but he also wants to help catch a killer. Oliver is sweet and loving towards humans and other dogs as well. He's very kind to Dash who has lost his favorite human. Dash is a nice dog. He's a little slow to catch on to what happened to Marcie. He misses her and the rest of the humans are not as nice or just downright horrid to him. Oliver is a good friend to help him through. I hope Dash finds some new humans to love him because this lot is no good.

Emma's friends are fun. Angelique Delgado of the King's Rest B&B is the wise mother figure in Emma's circle. She's focused on her job and keeping her family safe. Anything else is unimportant. She's the opposite of Genny, the fish and chips shop owner. Genny is fully involved in village gossip and investigating murders is up her alley. Genny is fun, friendly and funny. She sees herself as Emma's older sister and enjoys teasing Emma about her relationship with Brian. Serious Emma and fun Genny balance each other out nicely. Angelique's daughter Pearl is young and a bit headstrong. She's 20 or 21 years old and eager to be independent. She would join in the sleuthing if she could. As it is, her best friend Daphne is involved and Pearl is a loyal friend.

Daphne Cochrane, only scion of an old and wealthy family, is fun and energetic but like her friend Pearl, a bit headstrong. Daphne doesn't think before she acts but Pearl thinks Daphne's football experience has given her a cool and level head and her friend is not overreacting to her aunt's death. Marcie was the only member of the family Daphne was even remotely close to, even her own father. Daphne's parents divorced awhile back when her mom Helen couldn't take the stuffy old family's constant sniping and belittling anymore. She decided it would be healthier to take her daughter back to Manchester where people are normal so Daphne wasn't raised as a COCHRANE (say it with meaning- THE FAMILY). She doesn't have the same sense of family prestige, whether it's her age or upbringing or both but she loves her aunt and wants to see justice done. I feel sorry for having a massively dysfunctional family.

Marcie Cochrane was the nicest member of the family and the treasurer of the literary festival board. She was a nice lady determined to do the right thing for her estate and the family that didn't deserve it. Marcie was feuding with board President Caite Hope-Johnston. Caite is a NASTY *witch with a capital B. She has it out for Marcie for some reason and is determined to see Emma and Angelique fail. Well that's just lovely. Angelique proved her business is a success at catering Society events and even though Emma is new in town, her cakes have gotten rave reviews even from fellow board members so what bug crawled up "hyphenated Caite's" butt? I'm convinced she killed Marcie. It's SOO obvious. She doesn't want the King's Rest and Reed's Cakes to cater the festival and she wants total control of the board. I bet she has secrets she holds over the other board members and that's how she got to have so much power. I can't think of any other reason why because it sure sounds like no one likes her! I expected HER to be the one who ended up dead. Ned Giddy is the only board member with a sense of humor. He seems nice and fun but could be hiding secrets. Tasha Boyd and her husband John are lovely Cornish folks who happen to love their local author. Any one of them could be harboring secrets, especially as money has gone missing from the society's account. Even though Marcie was the treasurer, I'm sure it wouldn't be hard for any of them to steal the money. Emma points out how easy it is to steal money from someone else's account. It's scarily easily actually. (Don't try it).

Moving on to the Cochrane family at Truscott Grange. Thruscross is in Yorkshire (Wuthering Heights) but the allusions are present in Cornwall. Lots of family drama and dysfunctional family dynamics. As the eldest, Marcie inherited the estate from her parents after their untimely deaths. She never married and her siblings stay with her and mooch off the estate. The eldest son Bert is insanely jealous of his sister. He wants to control the money, the estate and his siblings. He's horrid and a nasty bully. Why push through a verdict of suicide? Sure the family has a history of accidental deaths but they can be explained, even Marcie's death could have been seen as an accident if not for Oliver's discoveries. Bert emphatically does NOT want Marcie's death to be seen as anything but a suicide. While her behavior the night before did seem strange, like she was uneasy and thought she wouldn't be around much longer. I think she was afraid that beyotch Caite or her creepy brother was going to whack her. If it wasn't Caite, it surely was Bert. He's a fixer and that never ends legally. The complete opposite is Gus, the youngest. While Gus seems kind of whiny and meek (Daphne describes him as a "wet blanket") how much bossing around can he take? If he was meant to be the heir could he have taken matters into his own hands? It would be too bad because he comes across as the nicest of the three brothers even if he loves driving his Jag too fast. Then there's Frank, the middle child and Daphne's father. He would be nice away from the influence of his brothers and the Grange. It's a creepy thing that family house. It engulfs people and sucks them in. It gives the family a sense of meaning and purpose but what for? That sort of old family thing doesn't matter anymore and hasn't really in such a long time. The place is a money pit and should be turned over to the National Trust. Frank has a successful job as a day trader so he'll be all right. He wants to be together with Helen and Daphne again and the only way I see Helen relenting is if Frank can ditch his family and their ancestral home and get away from their negative influence.

Helen is tough. She was Marcie's best friend but determined not to stick around even for her friend. She wanted her husband to choose his new family over his family of origin. Normally I'd say that's not right but in this case, I think she had to in order to protect her daughter. However, do we know if she's being honest? Perhaps she was more motivated to return to the Grange and inherit it herself or for her daughter? Perhaps instead there was a bizarre plot twist in which Marcie enlisted Helen's help to fake a suicide? (Behold spoiler for Rebecca) I DID read the wikipedia summary of Rebecca so I know how the first Mrs. Winters died and that informed my suspicion. That seems far-fetched though. Modern forensics would surely be able to tell.

Other locals who appear as series regulars include Angelique's husband, Daniel, who is wise and wonderful. PC Raj Patel who has the difficult job of reporting to the scene of a crime and interviewing people who don't want to talk to him. His grandfather was from India and last I checked, India is not in SOUTHEAST Asia. That was a huge error to make. Raj could be a really interesting character but he isn't developed much. Brian, Emma's love interest, has a sense of humor and is really passionate about cars. He feels like a dud to me. Maybe because I don't know or care anything about cars? A little more character development would be nice. David and Charles, the antique shop owners, are a lot of of fun. They're such opposites in personality, it's hard to see them as a couple. I can't wait to see more of them in the third book.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting mystery and such fun with a talking corgi!

[Lori Pruitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Hannah Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another really good cozy mystery.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder Always Barks Twice
As much as I love this series it's always wild to me how these little idyllic English towns have more murders per capita than NYC, hahaha. Like how does Midsomer have three murders an episode?

4/5 stars
PG

[Olivia Blacke · Rating 5 out of 5]

MURDER ALWAYS BARKS TWICE by Jennifer Hawkins is everything a cozy mystery should be - high tea and a B&B, murder in the English countryside, and of course, Oliver the talking corgi. With enchanting vibes, clever characters, and an engaging mystery, MURDER ALWAYS BARKS TWICE is as cozy as it gets!

[Callie Stockman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery is only so-so, but dang it, I love that noble warrior corgi!

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I read this several weeks ago and am sure I've forgotten some key details by now. Regardless, I remember enough that I can say both the mystery and Oliver, the awesome talking corgi, held my interest throughout the whole book. Some time has passed since the first book, To Fetch a Felon , and Emma Reed has settled in to the Trevana village in Cornwall. She's successfully opened Reed's Tea & Cakes, has great friends, a cozy home, and loves her new life. She lands an important but rushed catering job for the Daphne du Maurier Literary Festival, Trevana's biggest annual tourist festival. She is up for the job but then it gets much more complicated when she finds the festival organizer dead. Emma provides help to the police but, of course, goes too far at times and winds up in awkward situations where she does not belong. Oliver, always faithful and energetic, does what he can to help Emma put the pieces together and to provide entertainment along the way. I love when he meets and talks with other animals and his unique way of seeing the world (such as not knowing humans' names but often referring to them by what they smell like or one of their hobbies). I look forward to following Emma and Oliver in their future mysteries!

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma Reed is settling into her new role as tea room owner. The ex-account wasn’t completely sure of herself when the tea room opened, but the business has proven successful. When a local festival loses their caterer at the last minute the committee asks Emma to take on the job.
Soon after agreeing to do so a murder occurs that could end the festival permanently.
Emma and her Corgi Oliver begin to find themselves embroiled in the drama of a family that has long known trauma and loss. They also find themselves in danger.
This is the second book in the A Chatty Corgi Mystery series. This story picks up a few months after the last book ended. It could stand alone. I enjoy the main characters and the addition of the talking Corgi is a novelty. The story is engaging, and though there was a slow spot at the beginning, it continued to the end at a steady pace. I recommend this book.

[Fawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The very first section of the story had too much description and information about tea and cakes for someone who isn't into that. Once I got past that section this became a book I wanted to finish. Emma and Oliver are cute. You would think there would have to be talk about the crazy lady who takes her dog everywhere and holds conversations with him. But this is a story where the dog can talk to his owner after all. Even with the whole trying to find a murderer aspect, this was a cute easy to read mystery.

[Gina Schaarschmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because...

1. I love dog mysteries.
2. I really needed something light to read.
3. The setting is an English village.
4. There's food involved.

This cozy mystery is cozy as cozy can be. Sadly, to the point that the characters are a bit flat. Oliver the corgi didn't even add spice to it. I was hoping for some doggy mishaps but he seems to be a perfectly behaved dog. The human characters, while not perfectly behaved, weren't developed enough to be interesting. It fit my selection criteria and satisfied my need for something light, but it was a bit too cozy for me.

[Christy Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

After being in a bit of a book slump, this was a book I fortuitously grabbed on a whim at a used bookshop based on the cover and plot line with a talking corgi. What a lovely ‘whodunnit’ mystery set in English countryside with plenty of small town gossip to really get a crowd riled. The narrator was unassuming super intelligent and she with her noble corgi have you turning the pages quick as you can! I liked how I was never fully set on any one particular character being the murderer, it kept me hooked through the very end. Just the type of novel to revive my reading joy!

[Dan Beliveau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fewer "Erm"s, but more "corgi me boy"s.

And I get this is a cozy, but the "oh, sugar" and "sugar plumb faries" is just too wholesome. Nobody actually talks like that unless they're around children, and even then. I mean, let's be honest, it is the 21st century. Even my 99 year old mother says "shit".
Okay, off my soapbox.

Oliver is still the best character and they are well crafted. Fun, too. I'm glad Emma is getting on with Brian. Book 2 is certainly early enough to have a date, since MONTHS have passed since the first novel.

#3 it's in the TBR. They are fun to read.

[Jaymie · Rating 5 out of 5]

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

5 stars = Outstanding!

Another delight from Jennifer Hawkins! Oliver and Emma make a fantastic sleuthing team. I love that Oliver gets a few POV chapters - I find the character so endearing and funny. And the mystery is fantastically paced and plotted - as well as twisty! This is one of my favorite cozy series right now.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2 of a very nice cozy mystery series. Emma can understand her corgi and her corgi can understand Emma. Together they make a wonderful crime solving team. In most mysteries with a cat detective, the cat is always superior and snarky, which is funny. Oliver is pure bouncy, loyal corgi. He gets excited at smells and describes people by the attributes that dogs would notice not necessarily their names. Very nice and fun read.

[Caitie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately I ended up skimming a lot of this one, I just didn’t feel very invested in this volume. I think the first book was so out of ordinary for me that I liked it more, but this one I got tired of the main character Emma quickly. And while I love corgis, the talking corgi got old pretty fast. It maybe was a little too cute and cozy for me. I know other people will love this series though!

[mimo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the pacing and the mystery more this time. Things develop quickly, and I actually wanted to know what happened because I liked Marcie.

I also like that Emma's accountant training comes into use, and that her dynamic with DCI Brent has shifted into something co-conspiratorial.

Unlike some reviewers, I'm neutral to positive about Emma's flirtation with Brian. It's cute and harmless; why not.

[Jessica Bellemore · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in this charming series follows up where we left off, with protagonist Emma and her precocious corgi Oliver.

The book continues to acquaint readers with the town and with its residents, even introducing a few more friends Oliver too (shout-out to Fergus, who I imagine to have a Braveheart-esque brogue).

The consistency of writing from the first book to this one is undeniable, and I for one hope that this series continues for a long time to come.