It's almost Christmas, and actress and amateur sleuth Gwinny Tuffel is still pondering what to buy DCI Birch (retired) and whether she could adopt a new furry friend.
But sorting through her late father's papers leads her into his mysterious past, pointing to an enigmatic 'liaison' now living in a Somerset commune populated by a group of retired spies.
When Gwinny and Birch are unexpectedly snowed in at the remote farmhouse, they find that any skeletons in her father's closet have been joined by a body in the attic.
Surrounded by people for whom keeping secrets is second nature, along with an energetic Cocker Spaniel, Gwinny and Birch are embroiled in a murder case once again.
Will they uncover the culprit and escape in time for Christmas?
What did I think?
The Dog Sitter Detective's Christmas Tail is the fourth book in the Dog Sitter Detective series but you can certainly read it as a standalone. I only discovered the series at book three, The Dog Sitter Detective Plays Dead, but I loved catching up with Gwinny and Birch again.
Gwinny and Birch head off on an intriguing trip when Gwinny discovers a mysterious old folder among her late father's effects. It turns out to be a very interesting discovery indeed as the trail leads Gwinny and Birch into the world of spies, secrets and espionage.
Oh my goodness, I absolutely loved this book and raced through it as quickly as the snow fell on the remote farmhouse where Gwinny was delving into her father's surprising past. The snow falls thick and fast so Gwinny and Birch get snowed in and the story turns into a fantastic locked room mystery when a body is found in the morning and not a flake of snow has been disturbed.
The characters are so wonderfully drawn that they virtually pop out of the page. I could both visualise and hear them in my head as the riveting story unfolded. There are so many secrets and mysteries in the book that I raced through it and read it a lot quicker than I expected. It's perhaps not as festive as you might expect from the cover, but it's more realistic and authentic and doesn't need twinkly lights and sparkly tinsel.
Impossible to predict and difficult to put down, The Dog Sitter Detective's Christmas Tail is a riveting and intriguing locked room mystery that will delight fans of cosy crime. A very highly recommended read.
I received a gifted hardback from Allison & Busby and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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