[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Emma’s new business, Reed’s Tea and Cakes, is finding some traction. The teas she hosts at the King’s Rest have become quite popular. So when another caterer backs out at the last minute, Emma and her friends at the King’s Rest Bed and Breakfast are called in to cater the Daphne du Maurier Literary Festival.
Emma and Angelique are excited about the opportunity, but at the same time, something seems off about the whole thing. There’s obviously some drama in the planning group. And something is up with the finances which caused the other caterer to back out. Then, when someone dies, there’s almost no end to the questions about what is going on with the festival and the festival site.
When a family member of the deceased hears how Emma helped solve a murder, they ask her to look into this suspicious death. So Emma and her talking corgi, Oliver, are on the case again.
Review
This was terrific! Another delightful mystery in the Chatty Corgi series. Oliver is adorable as always, Emma is a clever sleuth, and the mystery was perfectly twisty.
I think Emma and Oliver are what make this series special. Oliver has a fantastic “voice” in the series. He even gets his own point-of-view chapters, which are so fun to read. But all of his antics and detective work still fall into what would be “appropriate” for a canine character. The fact that Emma understands him is the only “magical” piece of the series.
I love the relationship between Emma and Oliver, as well as the author’s excellent descriptions for their interactions. It’s truly a delightful relationship. And that relationship makes this a must-read series for me.
If the great characters and fun hook of a talking dog wasn’t enough, the mystery is excellently paced and plotted. I was guessing all the way through to the end, and my curiosity over the case never waned.
Cozy fans and dog lovers should not miss this series. You can read my full review of book one, To Fetch a Felon, here. In fact, when you pick up Murder Always Barks Twice, check out the Praise for To Fetch a Felon page at the front for a quote from my review. (You can even see it on the “Look Inside” feature on Amazon.) Book 3 in the series, A Cold Nose for Murder, is scheduled to release in Spring, 2022.
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*
*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!