To Fetch a Felon

Jennifer Hawkins

Dec 2020 · A Chatty Corgi Mystery Book 1 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

Emma Reed and her beloved Corgi move from London to Cornwall with the dream of opening a tea shop—but first they’ll have to collar a criminal in the first book in a charming new series.
 
Emma leaves London and her life in high finance behind her and moves to an idyllic village in Cornwall, with its cobblestone streets and twisting byways. She plans to open a village tea shop and bake the recipes handed down to her from her beloved grandmother, and of course there’ll be plenty of space for her talking corgi, Oliver, to explore. Yes...talking. Emma has always been able to understand Oliver, even though no one else can.

As soon as Emma arrives in the village she discovers that the curmudgeonly owner of the building she wants to rent for her shop hates dogs and gets off on the wrong foot with Oliver. Although some might turn tail and run, Emma is determined to win her over. But when she delivers some of her homemade scones as a peace offering, she finds the woman dead. Together, Emma and Oliver will need to unleash their detective skills to catch a killer.

Ratings and reviews

To Fetch a Felon by Jennifer Hawkins is the debut of A Chatty Corgi Mystery series. This is a cute story with some unique elements. Emma Reed has been in finance in London and she is now ready to realize her lifelong dream of opening a tea shop. She visited Trevena in Cornwall with her family as a child which is why she picked the charming Cornish town. I liked that Emma is an older protagonist at forty-five. She can also talk to and understand her corgi, Oliver. Oliver is an inquisitive dog with good sniffer. I enjoyed the chapters from his point-of-view. They were amusing and I thought the author captured the dogs’ personality. There are some nice secondary characters who become Emma’s friends and help her solve the crime. The mystery was multifaceted. There are a couple of suspects along with good clues. There is misdirection and then a second death. There is a forty-year mystery as well. Emma soon discovers that a small village like Trevena is rife with rumors and secrets. I enjoyed how Oliver contributed to the investigation. I like how everything tied together in this whodunit and the resolution. The author provided vivid descriptions of Cornwall. She brought the area alive for me with her word imagery. I am glad the author took the time to develop our main character, Emma and establish the setting. It makes for a richer story. To Fetch a Felon is an entertaining cozy mystery with a curious corgi, rampant rumors, scrumptious scones, tasty tea, a cozy cottage, and startling secrets.

cosy-mystery, Cornwall, small-business, small-town, amateur-sleuth, journalist, law-enforcement, murder-investigation, greed, family-dynamics, friendship***** Finally having had enough of all the condescension in working high finance in London, Emma chucks it all and moves to a well-remembered village in Cornwall to open a Tea Shop. Everyone I know who has pets talks to them like a constant beloved friend, but what makes this story different is that Oliver, a "noble corgi warrior", verbally interacts with her from his own perspective. Sort of like a high class Chet and Bernie. It's a sure thing that the victim will be the vindictive nasty old woman who owns half the village, but whodunnit is a real poser. Add in a disgraced tabloid journalist, a fox, a lot of nice people, a legend of murder, and a whole cast of suspects it's clear that what is needed is a really good nose. Of course I loved it! I requested and received a free ebook copy from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley. Thank you!

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.