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 … 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.
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The idea of a talking Corgi could be wonderful or terrible. Fortunately the author stops shot of Twee.
We are given a clever and cute story about the main character trying to fulfill her life long dream of opening a tea shop.
The detours along the way make for an entertaining read.
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.
I loved the concept of this story but it really didn’t work for me. I did love the writing and the style of the book. It did move fast and it was easy to follow. I know some of my family and friends that would love this book and I will tell them to pick it up.
How can you go wrong with a talking corgi sleuth? TO FETCH A FELON is the delectable first book in the Chatty Corgi Mystery series with loads of English village charm, appealing characters, and an engaging mystery that keeps readers guessing.
I really like protagonist Emma and appreciate that she is older than most of the cozy sleuths out there. Other characters that stand out are B&B proprietor Angelique and fish & chip shop owner Genny. I see Emma and these ladies becoming great friends. There is the slightest hint of a romantic flirtation with a local, but it is minimal and does not take away from the mystery plot. Cantankerous victim Victoria meets her end quite early in the story, which I prefer in my cozies, but readers get to know her quite well through Emma’s investigating. Unlikeable as she is, I cannot help but feel bad about her demise. There is ultimately more than one victim, and this adds even more twists to an already complex mystery. I vacillated throughout about whodunit and was a little surprised by the outcome.
Readers must suspend reality to fully get into the talking corgi aspect, but I think it is quite well done. Oliver is prominently featured throughout the book accompanying Emma everywhere and investigating doggy style. As a true corgi enthusiast , I love this whimsical feature. I think other fans of pet themed and culinary cozies will agree.
I adore TO FETCH A FELON and cannot wait to read more about Emma and Oliver. Highly recommended.
I gratefully received an ARC of this title from Berkley Books and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.
Being owned by a small dog (a mini Aussie) with a strong attitude who is my best buddy, I was drawn to this mystery from my first glance at the cover, then to the title. I was not disappointed. When I started reading it I had planned to just dip my nose into the first chapter, just a quick taste, as one does. I was then going to fix dinner. Well, best laid plans and next thing I knew, my tummy was rumbling telling me it was way, way past dinner time. Needless to say, I stayed up rather past my bedtime. You see, I had fallen in love with Oliver and his human, Emma.
The setting also charmed me – Cornwall is my favorite part of Britain. A summer day in a Cornish village, enjoying fish and chips followed by the very best ice cream on the planet – pure bliss. Add a well crafted murder mystery full of twists, turns and red herrings, along with a well fleshed out supporting cast and it was easy to give this new series five stars. It was the kind of mystery that felt comfortable from the first page and I’m eager to read the next in the series.
To Fetch a Felon by Jennifer Hawkins is an excellent cozy mystery that is the first, in what I expect to be, an excellent new mystery series: A Chatty Corgi Mystery.
This book starts us off with the newly transplanted Emma and her beloved Corgi, Oliver, attempting to move from the high stress of London to a small village that she visited many times during her childhood vacations in Cornwall. Emma hopes that it is not too late in life to leave the high stress of the financial world and follow her dreams of opening up a tea and bakery. Not only does Emma have the gift of making her family’s treasured scone (and cakes and breads) recipe to a T, but she also has another impressive ability: to communicate and talk with her Corgi, Oliver.
After moving to the village, Emma unfortunately gets wrapped up into a murder/mystery of one of the town’s most mercurial characters: Victoria. Emma and Oliver decide to get to the bottom of the puzzle to help solve the crime, and set the record straight. What then ensues is nothing short of creative, funny, quirky, adorable, entertaining, and suspenseful .
I loved so many things about this book:
1. Hello, ideal coastal village in Cornwall with wonderful landscapes, customs, and descriptions
2. The full character cast of the village. So many wonderful characters that there is plenty of perfect source material for books to come!
3. Emma and Oliver. I love their special and unique relationship and communications. It adds and endearment and they are a great sleuthing duo. Oliver adds just the right amount of help and information without it being a “dead giveaway”. Haha I had to do that.
4. The murder/mystery plot. It was creative, complex, and with the twists and turns, I actually didn’t solve the problem until the true end.
5. The food. The descriptions of the recipes are heavenly. I need some shortbread now.
6. Corgis!!!! I love dogs, I have a Vizsla myself, and I am in love with Oliver!!!!
5/5 stars for an awesome English cozy mystery
I can’t wait until the next book comes out!
Thank you EW and Berkley for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR, Instagram, and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 12/29/20.
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!