I requested an advance copy of this book as I’d read good reviews about it comparing it to Richard Osman cosy crime, but with dogs. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending it to me in exchange for this honest review.
I loved the dogs and they played a big part in finding clues & capturing the murderer. The chapters were all fairly short and the pace of the action was sustained t a steady rate throughout.
I found that I want really invested in the characters and didn’t feel any empathy with them. This was a shame as otherwise the plot and the idea of the book were both excellent.

It's a truth universally acknowledged that if there's a body to be found, it'll be a dogwalker doing the finding.

And so Charlie and his Staffy Ruby come across the pub landlord's corpse in the woods.

But Charlie and his fellow dogwalkers get more than they bargained for when they try to help the police...

...because a body washes up on the beach.

A great adventure, with lovely characters

Charlie Boardman had noticed that dead bodies were often discovered by dog walkers, but even though he was one, the body he found in his local woods still came as a very unpleasant surprise! Thankfully, he has a group of dog owning friends to rely on when he begins his own investigation even if he has known the lead detective since school. His dog walking business, set up after he returned to live at home to keep an eye on his mum, does however give him good reason to be out and about in areas where maybe he shouldn't really be! When anonymous notes start arriving, the danger level increases, but he can’t stop now, not when he's getting closer to their killer, or is the killer actually getting closer to him?

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House, but the opinions expressed are my own. The first book in a new series this was a fun read but also, I think, a bit on the long side! Charlie Boardman is a good main protagonist, but his friend Tess Cheong was my favourite character along with her brilliantly named dogs. I will definitely give book two a chance as, apart from the length and a couple of annoyances, which could be spoilers, this was an enjoyable read.