The Dogwalkers’ Detective Agency

British TV critic Hogan debuts with an enchanting cozy about a group of dogwalkers turned amateur sleuths. Graphic designer Charlie Boardman has come home to Framstone, England, “a seaside town they forgot to shut down,” to care for his aging mother, and is adjusting to a much quieter life than he led in London. He’s on a stroll with his terrier, Ruby, when two other dogs—the pets of his friend Tess, proprietor of Framstone’s coffee shop—emerge from the bushes with toupées in their mouths. Charlie follows them back into the brush, where he finds the rotting corpse of Frank Courtney, a retired cop turned pub owner. His curiosity piqued, Charlie sets out to help police find the culprit, with the help of his new friends and fellow dog walkers Viv, Sue, and Malcolm. Despite his inexperience, Charlie proves an effective enough investigator to be blackmailed by Courtney’s killer, who threatens to kill Ruby if he and his friends get any closer to the truth. With well-rounded characters, a soothing atmosphere, and a sufficiently surprising core mystery, readers are likely to give this a long leash. A sequel would be welcome. Agent: Juliet Pickering, Blake Friedmann. (June)