The Dog Sitter Detective

The Dog Sitter Detective #1

by Antony Johnston

*** WINNER OF THE BARKER BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION! ***

Meet Gwinny, an unlikely bloodhound, and her four-legged friends determined to dig up the truth.

Penniless Gwinny Tuffel is delighted to attend her good friend Tina's upmarket wedding. But when the big day ends with a dead body and not a happily-ever-after, Gwinny is left with a situation as crooked as a dog's hind leg.

When her friend is accused of murder, Gwinny takes it upon herself to sniff out the true culprit. With a collection of larger-than-life suspects and two pedigree salukis in tow, she is set to have a ruff time of it.

(Don’t worry, nothing bad happens to the dogs!)

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

288 pages, Hardcover

First published May 18, 2023

About the author

** Sign up for Antony's newsletter at http://ajwriter.substack.com **

Antony Johnston is a multi-award-winning author, a New York Times bestseller, and one of the most versatile writers of the modern era.

The Charlize Theron movie Atomic Blonde was based on his graphic novel. His murder mystery series The Dog Sitter Detective won the Barker Book Award. His crime puzzle novel Can You Solve the Murder? reinvented choose-your-own-story books for a mainstream audience and was a Waterstones Paperback of the Year. And his productivity guide The Organised Writer has helped authors all over the world take control of their workload.

Antony is a celebrated videogames writer, with genre-defining titles including Dead Space, Shadow of Mordor, and Resident Evil Village to his credit. His work on Silent Hill Ascension made him the only writer in the world to have contributed to all of gaming’s ‘big three’ horror franchises.

His immense body of work also includes Marvel superheroes such as Daredevil and Shang-Chi, the award-winning Alex Rider graphic novels, the post-apocalypse epic Wasteland, and more. He wrote and directed the film Crossover Point, made entirely in quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic.

An experienced podcaster and public speaker, he also frequently writes articles on the life of an author, and is a prolific musician.

Antony is a former vice chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, a member of International Thriller Writers and the Society of Authors, a Shore Scripts screenwriting judge, and sits on the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain’s videogames committee. He lives and works in England.

Reviews

[Daniel Myatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, light and offering no surprises but still a very good entry into the library of cozy crime!

I found the knowing nods to London geography a bit annoying but still the story kept me entertained.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guinevere (Gwinny) Tuffel has fallen on hard times with the family inheritance falling unexpectedly short. After abandoning her successful acting career to care for her ailing father who has now died, she finds herself property rich but cash poor. As an older lady, her long absence from the acting scene has repercussions and she is struggling to get auditions to resurrect her career and earn some money. The only bright thing on the horizon is her invitation to her best friend Tina’s latest wedding (number 5) at her amazing country house.

The happy day turns sour however when shortly before the wedding, a body is found in the library and the police make a quick arrest.

Following the shocking events, Gwinny finds herself the temporary carer of a wedding gift, two Saluki dogs Spera and Fede, and with the assistance of a new acquaintance, retired DCI Alan Birch and his Labrador Ronnie, she sets out to discover the identity of the murderer.

This is a cozy mystery with a difference and will appeal to dog lovers everywhere – the dogs undoubtedly stole the show with their antics. Gwinny is a strident and resolute 60 year old woman who doesn’t suffer fools gladly. Whilst I did like her and to be fair, at times she was way ahead of the police in their investigation, I did wince a little at her rudeness and blunt manner – calling her solicitor a chinless wonder and the investigating DCI a halfwit – even if he wasn’t the sharpest blade in the toolbox.

The Dog Sitter Detective is an entertaining read with an intriguing mystery to solve. Gwinny’s role as unofficial private investigator requires some deception, manipulation and a great deal of nerve as not everyone is all that they seem and there is no shortage of suspects and red herrings.

There is a nod to Agatha Christie here, not only in the whole country house, body in the library vibe, but also with the finale where Gwinny plays out her version of Poirot in the dramatic reveal. There is another book to follow next year featuring Gwinny’s adventures, Death in Little Venice and having enjoyed this one, I’m in for the next.

[Alex Sarll]

The modern cosy murder is something of a closed book to me, even in its blockbusting Richard Osman iteration; I do read some stuff that gets filed under that heading simply by being old, but that's a different matter. So this is another case where I'm venturing out of my comfort zone because it's by a mate, and in this instance one operating somewhat outside his own comfort zone too, what with being better known for the likes of Atomic Blonde and that Resident Evil with the big vampire lady the Internet likes. Meaning I haven't the first idea how it would come across to a fan of the genre, though simply from having seen the titles I presume they're more habituated to the slightly daft names like solicitors Sprocksmith & Sprocksmith, faded pop star Lars Vulkan, and short but handsome Mediterranean groom Remington de Lucia. Not forgetting protagonist Gwinny Tuffel, of course. I wasn't expecting her to be detecting from the opening page, of course (I have at least that much familiarity with the subgenre), but I was a little surprised that she wasn't already dog-sitting. Rather, we open on her having recently lost the father whose carer she'd been for some years, learning that the family finances are not what she'd supposed, and wondering if she's left it too late to restart her acting career. There is an early canine encounter to establish she has the knack, but it's some chapters before she gets left in charge of two magnificent Salukis, barely before her best friend's wedding is derailed by...well, we've established what genre this is, I'm sure I don't need to spell it out. Obviously the fine hounds steal every scene they're in, as tends to happen with Salukis in real life too, but for saying he's only about as old as I am, Antony is also worryingly good at catching the way age shifts the calculus for everything from visibility to likely motives: "Only one of Tina's marriages had lasted more than five years anyway, so why not just wait for the inevitable divorce? Then again, none of us was getting any younger. Could a jealous admirer have felt this was their last chance to bag her?" I don't think I'm suddenly going to start binging Agatha Raisins or anything, but I enjoyed this, and not just because Antony writes good dog (though clearly that helps).

(Netgalley ARC)

[Recensioniconcise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Banale!

Mi aspettavo un racconto divertente e leggero, invece l'ho trovato noioso, banale, poco credibile e pieno di stereotipi anche sulla polizia italiana.

Troppo banale come libro.

[Thomas Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a light hearted cosy murder mystery that is perfect fro a sunny Sunday afternoon.

I liked the lead female character she’s a little bossy and opinionated but is likeable and she loves dogs.

This is a great murder mystery with lots of red herrings and a few twists.

I enjoyed the start of this series and i will look forward to each new murder mystery and hopefully different dogs along the way with their own wonderful personalities.

I feel if this series continues it will be an ideal series to Turn into a wonderful tv series and what a great cast of dogs it would have.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a free copy for an honest review

[Leila BENHAMIDA · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Gwinny loses her father, she has to make some order in her family affairs. Soon after she attends her best friend Tina fifth wedding and the groom was found dead. After Tina was arrested Gwinny is searching for the true.

What a fantastic story. Love the big reveal. It was a pleasure to discover a new author and absolutely loved the writing. Gwinny is my favourite character, which developed nicely in the book.

Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for an ecopy of The Dog Sitter Detective.

[Melisa Broadbent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loved this book - review to follow on the blog tour.

[Taz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy Read! Nice page turner in between harder reads ❤️

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun in places, very slow in others. Found in a little free library, and will be going straight back to it.

[AriAnna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Già che in questo giallo ci sono i cani lo rende mitico, in più se ci aggiungi una signora di una certa età che indaga.. ottieni un romanzo fantasmagorico.
Assolutamente un libro coccola che voglio rileggere, non subito ovviamente, cercando di convincere anche la mia migliore amica a leggerlo.

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved that this story’s protagonist/detective is a woman of a certain age. She is down on her luck with an inheritance that was spent and a career in which it is tough for a woman who is not an ingenue to make her way. Gwinny keeps going however, with humor, curiosity and a way with some dogs.

Early in the book, Gwinny races to her best friends wedding where the parking attendant mistakes her for staff, not an important guest. No matter, Gwinny adjusts, changes her clothes and starts to mingle. Then…the unimaginable (tho not to mystery readers) occurs…the groom is killed.

Who did it? Why? There are plenty of suspects and a great deal of fun for the reader as the plot unwinds. Pick up this title for a nice diversion.

Many thanks to Allison & Busby for this title. All opinions are my own.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant.. a slow burner that really really was worth it!

Gwinny is an older lady, who was an actress but retired herself to look after her elderly father, when he dies she learns that she/the estate is broke and this leaves her out of sorts.. she does not know what to do with herself.. she is not really interested in the acting anymore and is a bit lost in life, her best friend is Tina, another actress who is determined to help Gwinny but after her wedding.. unfortunately at the wedding the groom is murdered and Tina is arrested and Gwinny is determined to free her friend... while also dog sitting Tina's new dogs...

I think I have fallen for Gwinny.. I wanted to pity her but actually she turned out to be a strong women with a brilliant mind. she is determined and adaptable and really loyal.. she is an excellent woman.

The mystery is great and it is a surprise when the murderer is revealed and the mystery is valid.
I also loved the dogs (and no spoiler but the dogs live to see another day at the end of the book!! which is always a fear when you read a mystery book)

I think I would want to see more of Gwinny and her fledging new life that she is creating, she was fun and courageous and has tonnes of potential.


#TheDogSitterDetective #NetGalley #mystery #modern

[Kristine Booksandstuff123 · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The Dog Sitter Detective' by Antony Johnston.
I already can't wait for the next book :)
The book was a good mystery, it really did keep me guessing right till the end. Retired actress Gwinny is amazing as the ameteur sleuth trying to clear the name of her best friend Tina. She has retired detective 'Birch' as her trusty sidekick, they have great chemistry. The 2 saluki dogs Spera and Fede and Birch's labrador Ronnie are standout stars :)
For anyone who is a fan of cozy crime and dogs, give this book a read :)
Thankyou you to NetGallery, the author Antony Johnston and the publisher for letting me read this book in return for an honest review.

[Annette Wierstra · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a devoted fan of the cozy mystery, how could I resist one that involved dogs? I could not. I read this mystery in the course of a lazy Saturday. I appreciated how the dog content was not just a hook but a critical part of the mystery and the characterizations. Gwinny may be an older sleuth but not in a sedate Miss Marple way, but with determination with no time for people who try to hold her back. She's loyal to a fault to her friends and her friends' dogs. The story hits all the expected beats in a way that is funny and pulls you along. It was a perfect way to spend my weekend. Bring on book 2!

[Elizabeth Currie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy crime anyone? Add some dogs in to the mix? Are you sold yet? Well The Dog Sitter Detective by is the first in a new series and is a delightful read that should certainly be added to your TBR list!

Gwinny is an out of work actress who has put her life on hold to care for her elderly father. When he dies and she learns he is far from the wealthy individual she had assumed, she is forced to re-evaluate life. Attending the wedding of her good friend Tina, things take an unexpected turn when the groom is found dead before the wedding and Tina is arrested for his murder. Gwinny finds herself looking after two Saluki dogs gifted by Tina’s sister in law to be whilst at the same time taking it upon herself to prove Tina’s innocence, and she proves to be an impressively effective sleuth, never prepared to take no for an answer!

This is such a fun read! With an older woman protagonist in Gwinny there are undoubtedly Miss Marple vibes but she is wonderfully brought to life in her own right, and along with her canine companions this makes for such an enjoyable escapist read. I certainly look forward to seeing what comes next!

[Cristian Milia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ormai è un dato di fatto: faccio davvero fatica a uscire dalla mia comfort zone. Gli investigatori amatoriali hanno completamente stregato la mia mente, e così non potevo esimermi dall'acquisto di Un matrimonio, un delitto e due investigatori a quattro zampe di Antony Johnston. Ma veniamo al mio pensiero.

Siamo a Londra, dove Guinevere, per tutti "Gwinny", è una donna over 60, schietta, curiosa e brillante. Ex attrice, ha trascorso gli ultimi dieci anni della sua vita ad accudire il padre malato, mettendo da parte se stessa e i propri sogni. Ora, dopo la sua scomparsa, sente il bisogno di ricominciare, ma la situazione non è affatto semplice: è al verde, la casa di famiglia cade a pezzi e il matrimonio della sua migliore amica, Tina, è ormai alle porte.

Ma proprio nel giorno delle nozze accade l'impensabile: lo sposo viene assassinato. Nel giro di poche ore, Gwinny si ritrova con Tina in manette, due levrieri da accudire (regalati alla sposa dalla cognata) e un mistero da risolvere. Determinata a scoprire la verità, con l’aiuto di un ex detective in pensione e del suo fidato labrador, si lancia in un’indagine che la porterà a scavare nei segreti della vittima fino a individuare il vero colpevole.

Lo stile narrativo rientra perfettamente nei canoni del cozy crime: la penna dell'autore è fluida, scorrevole e semplice, accompagnando il lettore fino alla risoluzione del mistero senza eccessiva tensione. I personaggi sono ben inseriti nella storia e nei vari intrecci che emergono durante la lettura, anche se, dal mio punto di vista, avrei preferito un maggiore approfondimento.

Non mancano i dialoghi vivaci, in cui il mistero viene affrontato con un mix di intuizione, logica e spirito di osservazione. I capitoli brevi rendono la lettura scorrevole e permettono di metterla in pausa senza difficoltà.

Per concludere, per chi ama il cozy crime, è sicuramente una lettura che vale la pena di essere scoperta, grazie al suo mix di leggerezza, ironia e mistero. Tuttavia, pur trovandola piacevole, non è uno di quei romanzi che lasciano il segno o che sorprendono fino all’ultima pagina.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Retired actress and amateur sleuth Ginny has been looking after her elderly father, when he passes away, she is left the family home that’s been left in disrepair.
While she’s deciding what to do with the house, she’s invited to her friend Tina’s wedding, but minutes before the is due to take place, the groom is found dead in the library.
Amateur sleuth Ginny tries to clear Tina’s name following her arrest for his murder.
She starts investing the murder with retired detective Birch and the two Saluki dogs given as a wedding present to Tina , Spera and Fede, as well as Birch’s Labrador, Ronnie.
Fabulous cosy mystery with a canine touch, well written and easy to read .
Reminds me of Jessica Fletcher or Miss Marple, in that Ginny is a quiet unassuming older lady with a mission.
Thanks @anthonyjohnston, @allison&busby @netgalley for the eARC

[~ aerieliana ~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming first entry in [the Dogsitter Detective] series. Despite my habit of thoroughly researching the books I commit my time to, this book was a random but surprisingly enjoyable pick-up!

I knew absolutely nothing going into this book which caused me to be pleasantly surprised upon finding out the protagonists age. Gwinny, a 60 year old, once celebrated actress, is an absolute treat to read about. She might be somewhat advanced in her years, but that doesn't stop her from being endlessly charming and open-minded. Furthermore I felt that, like Gwinny, the cast of this book was very pleasant to read about. Every character was distinct and contained many intricacies.

What pleased me the most in this book was of course, the mystery! I could definitely say that this was the type of mystery that doesn't make itself painfully obvious. It's guessable towards the end of the book but still a challenging case to mull over. An entertaining investigation leading to an exciting conclusion!

Gwinny was sometimes absolutely frustrating to read about. Her unsubtlety and straighforwardness when questioning people, leading them to position theirselves defensive, definitely did not help the case. However she does see some much needed critique leading to (hopefully) great character development in further books.

I absolutely look forward to when the mass market paperback releases on [The Dogsitter Detective takes the Lead] and wish the author many wishes!

[Marit · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very entertaining mystery featuring 60 year old Gwinny (Guinevere) Tuffel, a former actress, who is a great fan of jigsaw puzzles which helps her solve the murder of her best friend Tina’s husband-to-be, Remington De Lucia, an olive oil magnate. The author’s love for dogs is highlighted by the delightful antics of two Salukis, Fede and Spera, as well as black Labrador Ronnie who belongs to Alan Birch, a retired detective. Gwinny and Alan become friends and work together to solve the crime, perpetrated by a most unlikely character. A warm and engaging cosy mystery set in London and a country house near London with wonderful touches of humour.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story: witty, compelling, and highly entertaining.
Dogs play a relevant role, the two Saluki and the Labrador are lovely and well written.
Gwinny and Birch are a perfect detecting couple: a former actress who's trying to start working again and a former detective.
The solid mystery kept me guessing and it's well developed.
I can't wait to read another book in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was very kindly gifted this book by two of my favourite humans I was excited. A book about dogs (sighthounds no less), a library and murder? It doesn’t get any better than that!

Although a bit predictable, this book was still a fun, light read that kept me wanting to read more. It also reminded me quite a bit of ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ series by Richard Osman, which I also love.

I’m looking forward to reading the other two books in this series!

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gwinny is amazing although she doesn't always feel like it.
At her best friends wedding she suddenly finds herself in charge of two very valuable and intelligent dogs as well as a murder investigation.
Our detective works frantically to clear her friend's name and we are treated to a believable plot with quirky characters.

[Violinknitter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely adorable cozy mystery, which I like even more because I happened to catch one of the clues quite early in the book, so I felt very smug when I got to the reveal at the end.

The protagonist Gwinny has a little bit of the Agatha Raisin messy personality type, but less gratingly than Agatha. And the dogs are lovely.

4.5 stars, would recommend!

[Michael Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A British cosy crime whodunnit. Johnson is not looking to reinvent the wheel nor deconstruct the genre, instead he embraces it and creates a solid and fun mystery. Gwinny, the dog-loving amateur detective, is quite the blood hound herself and fun addition to the clue club of Miss Marple, Jessica Fletcher, and Phryne Fisher.

[Jendia Gammon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delicious book! Gwinny is my new favorite detective, relatable, easily embarrassed, but doggedly determined to dig up the truth in this cozy murder mystery. Antony Johnston weaves a delightful story that drips with English charm and wit, and always keeps you guessing. This is a perfect read to escape with, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

What’s not to like? Salukis, murder mystery, speculative fiction? A super quick read but engaging. Enjoyed the Saluki humour - though the thought of them LISTENING to commands was wild.

Endearing and a nice cozy detective story.

[James Farner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed this and am looking forward to the next one. I’m pleased with myself for, if not knowing with complete certainty, suspecting the correct murderer—since dying messages are at their best when they are wrong, and she had the most likely chance of knowing about the secret passage.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book, desperately want to read the sequel, and I'm so pleased there is one!!
Was set in a great location, not too complex but still engaging, I didn't know who the murderer was, which was exciting because normally you can tell or signs point to someone pretty quickly.
A short read but I still thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly enjoyable cozy mystery. The protagonist, Gwinny, was very relatable. I may not be a 60 year old dog loving British woman, but I understood her nonetheless. I know the second book in this series has recently been published. I will definitely be picking up a copy soon.

[Shyuan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun and cozy mystery read. I loved the fresh take of having an older woman as the main protagonist. The story was fast-paced and engaging; by the time I reached the end, I hadn't even realized it. Bonus point: if you're someone like me who loves dogs, you'll enjoy this book even more. Looking forward to the next book in this series.