Fiona, Sue and Daisy are running a charity stall at the dog show and are shocked when a woman dies of a heart attack. But the next day the police arrive to inform them that the death was in fact murder. Among the hustle and bustle of the fair, did the women spot a killer?
Death at the Dog Show is the third book to feature the three main female protagonists. I have previously read and reviewed the first book The Charity Shop Detective Agency (but sadly somehow missed the second 🙁 )
Fiona, Sue and Daisy are keen to act as sleuths again so are straight on the case as soon as the death is revealed to be a murder. The dead woman was a former winner at Crufts but was she killed to prevent her winning the local show? The amateur detectives instantly have one suspect but no idea on his identity so are trying to track him down.
I loved the gentle humour of the characters and narrative style. My favourite line was when Sue says that the vet performed C3PO instad of CPR! The book falls firmly into the cosy crime genre as there are no graphic scenes and the tone of the book is quite light. The mystery was well sustained over the course of the book and I enjoyed the adventure as the trio tracked down clues.
Death at the Dog Show is an intriguing murder mystery with three wonderful lead characters.
DEATH AT THE DOG SHOW (Charity Shop Detective Agency #4) by Peter Boland
A brand-new cozy mystery from a bestselling author!
PUT THE KETTLE ON AND DISCOVER AN UTTERLY CHARMING MURDER MYSTERY SET IN A SLEEPY ENGLISH SEASIDE TOWN.
Dog-lovers, please note none of our furry friends die in this book.
It’s the day of the Christchurch Dog Show. The whole town is aquiver with excitement. The ladies of the Charity Shop Detective Agency are hoping to make lots of new furry friends.
After a very dramatic Best Biscuit Catcher competition, Fiona, Sue and Daisy, from the Dogs Need Nice Homes charity shop, come across a shocking scene.
The dog show’s vet is performing CPR on a woman. The ladies rush over, but it’s too late.
Back at the shop, the ladies are shocked to learn that the poor woman was murdered. Someone injected Sylvia Steadman with something very nasty indeed.
Then our silver sleuths uncover that Sylvia was the owner of ex-Crufts-winner Charlie. She must have had lots of very jealous competitors . . .
There’s barely time for elevenses. The charity shop detectives must roll up their sleeves — they have a killer to catch.
Fans of The Thursday Murder Club, Janice Hallett, Simon Brett, Ian Moore and Sarah Yarwood-Lovett will adore this exciting new talent in cozy crime.
THE CHARITY SHOP DETECTIVES
Level-headed Fiona has found a quiet sanctuary volunteering at the local charity shop, Dogs Need Nice Homes. A charity shop that raises money for dogs in need of nice homes. And she’s found firm friendship with the strong-willed Partial Sue (she’s ever so partial to a cup of tea) and the kindly and surprisingly tech-savvy Daisy. Together, these ladies, with Simon Le Bon, Fiona’s scruffy-haired terrier cross, investigate murders as the Charity Shop Detective Agency.
THE SETTING
The lovely coastal town of Southbourne is, on paper, little more than a small suburb hemmed in by Bournemouth to the west and Christchurch to the north. But it’s home to the prettiest avenues lined with gorgeous Georgian homes which lead to a grass-topped cliff standing guard over a sweeping bay of blond sand, soft as Demerara sugar. Some say it’s also home to the best charity shops in the country. The ladies of the Charity Shop Detective Agency maintain that Dogs Need Nice Homes — though musty and more than a little cramped — is certainly number one. Well, they definitely solve the most crimes at least!
ALSO BY PETER BOLAND THE CHARITY SHOP DETECTIVE AGENCY MYSTERIES
Book 1: THE CHARITY SHOP DETECTIVE AGENCY
Book 2: THE BEACH HUT MURDERS
Book 3: DEATH AT THE DOG SHOW
PETER BOLAND
After studying to be an architect, Pete realised he wasn’t very good at it. He liked designing buildings, he just couldn’t make them stand up — a big handicap in an industry that’s partial to keeping things upright. So he became an advertising copywriter, the highlight of which was creating an ad featuring Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman. He then tried his hand at writing his own stories and quickly realised there’s no magic formula. You just have to put one word in front of the other (and keep doing that for about six months). It also helps if you can resist the lure of surfing and drinking beer in a garden chair.
