Jennifer Hawkins

A Cold Nose for Murder by Jennifer Hawkins takes us back to Trevena, Cornwall where the owners of the Roundhead Pub are opening an old tunnel under their pub. It has been closed for forty years and they are going to renovate the area for an event space. When they break through the brick wall, they find a Black Lightning Motorcycle with a skeleton stuffed in the sidecar. The rare motorcycle belongs to Charles and David who thought the machine was stolen. The skeleton belongs to a former resident who disappeared at the same time as the motorcycle. It was believed that the victim had taken off for greener pastures. Th Emma and her trusty corgi, Oliver set out to discover the truth. A Cold Nose for Murder by Jennifer Hawkins is the third A Chatty Corgi Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. I wanted to give this series one more chance. I have trouble with the author’s writing style. It is not engaging or easy to read. I found myself struggling to get through each chapter (and there are so many). The author is a detail-oriented writer. The overly detailed descriptions bog down the story. We are introduced to quite a few characters in the beginning. It can be hard to keep them all straight along with their shops or jobs. I love Oliver, Emma’s corgi. Emma and Oliver can talk to each other. Oliver’s dialogue is delightful (I can just picture him sniffing for clues and eager to share what he learned with Emma) and I enjoyed the chapters from his point of view. He is a cutie. Oliver has a nose for clues. Emma is a mixed bag for me. The mystery was interesting. It goes throughout the book from beginning to end. I like the incorporation of the tunnel (who doesn’t love an old smuggling tunnel). There are clues to help readers solve the crime (long before the reveal). Emma talks to people and gathers gossip in her tea shop. Oliver searches out clues using his sniffer and listening to conversations. I did not like how some of Emma’s friends treated her in this book. They got nasty (how do you forgive that type of behavior). I can understand being under stress, but that is not an excuse to be rude (cruel, dismissive). There are many cozy moments in the story as people chat, shop, and eat. There is a lot of food consumed in the story along with numerous cups of tea. The cozy chapters outweigh those related to the mystery. I could not get into A Cold Nose Murder. The writing style is a turn off for me. A Code Nose of Murder is not my cup of tea, but it appeals to others (the beauty of books). I suggest you read a sample to judge for yourself. A Cold Nose for Murder is a cute Cornish cozy with a curious Corgi, countless cups of tea, a classic motorcycle with skeleton in the sidecar, delectable cakes, a tyrant named Reggie, and a prying tea shop proprietor.… (lisätietoja)

Is it any surprise a book with a talking corgi caught my interest? It shouldn't be! The relationship between Emma and Oliver is sweet. She indulges his culinary appetite maybe a bit too much for my own tastes (fatty sausages!) but he is more than willing to remind Emma that she needs to go for a walk instead of spending all day looking at a laptop doing research.

Emma very purposefully moved to Trevena because of childhood memories and the perfect tea shop location. It's a place where she can leave her old finance life behind and make a new life based on what she wants and not what she thinks she should do. The village does have tourists but the year-round residents seem to know everything about everyone else.

This mystery had more than one twist to it which kept me on my toes. Emma's sounding boards, Angelique and Genny, are local business owners who are able to fill Emma in on the village gossip.

Some of the things I liked were the variety of characters (different ages and ethnicities), the mystery has several red herrings, Oliver's willingness to help Emma even if he didn't understand precisely what was going on, and the entire reason for Emma moving to the village doesn't get derailed by the murder.… (lisätietoja)

This was so much fun! But full disclosure - I have owned three corgis (only one of mine talked ;)) - so I might be a bit biased. But this really had all the elements I love in a cozy: small English town, adorable animals, a quick murder and very likable characters. I thought the mystery was a good one, although I did think there was a bit too much thoughtful supposition of who the murderer was, instead of actual clues. Oliver's slight annoyance with terriers was just hilarious and his obsession with sausages was completely on point. This was really delightful to read. I am excited and looking forward the next installment! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy.… (lisätietoja)