Release: August 3rd 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Berkley Books
Source: Netgalley
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, Kobo
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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.
Ex-accountant Emma Reed and her beloved corgi, Oliver, opened Reed’s Classic Tea & Cakes in the idyllic village of Trevena in Cornwall. This 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. He 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.
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..
Her first novel was, Reclamation, a science fiction story that came out in 1994.
She has written just about everything. I started out in science fiction and fantasy and then moved through romance and YA into mystery and suspense.
She wants to entertain first and foremost. She also writes about women’s lives and wants to examine relationships in society.
Future goals include mostly to keep learning, keep growing and keep writing and expects every day there’s something new.
For To Fetch a Felon, she read books on dog behavior because she wanted Oliver to be a real dog, not just a human in a fur suit. She also spent time playing with corgis and talking with corgi owners.
She admits to an unending obsession with food/baking competitions. I never miss an episode of Chopped, and of course, I am a huge fan of The Great British Baking Show.
Murder Always Barks Twice Review:
“Murder Always Barks Twice” is an exciting continuation in the “Chatty Corgi Mystery” as Emma and Oliver find themselves in the middle of another murder.
For some reason, I felt that this book was darker than the first. The author did a great job of keeping the story cozy yet atmospheric. Emma is great in the lead as she lets her curiosity get the better of her to find out what happened to Marcie. Similarly, Oliver is adorable, and I enjoyed using his skills to help Emma with Marcie’s murder. I also liked Dash as Oliver’s new friend, even if he doesn’t have the same abilities. The author also stays consistent with the first book because Emma keeps losing Oliver and searching for him.
Similar to the first book, I liked the twists the author included. Once again, the reveal, in the end, surprised me and was one that I did not expect. Some scenes are thrilling, like when Emma finds the bundle, Oliver is in danger, Emma tries to save him, or what she finds underlined in the book.
The author also adds interesting characters like Burt, Gus, and Caite, and you wonder what their intentions are. Similarly, I also enjoyed how the author details its work to set up the Daphne Du Maurier Literary festival. I liked how Angelique, genny, and pearl try to make it organized. Another fun aspect was how the mystery of Marcie connected with the festival, and I liked how intricate the author made the plot.
Overall, “Murder Always Barks Twice” is another beautiful addition to the series, and I cannot wait to read the next installment.
Omg the title & cover is so cute!!
I need to add it to my list, it sounds quite like a good one. I LOVE when dogs are treated like actual characters with a « main role » rather than being just there as an accessory..
(Would dash perhaps be a dachshund?!)