Barking Mad

Emily has settled in the picturesque village of Ashton Mead, where she lives with her puppy, Poppy. Life is finally going well for Emily. She has a cottage of her own, a job she likes and friends. Then she stumbles on the body of a woman who apparently drowned in the river. The other villagers suspect foul play and are quick to blame...

This an extremely well- crafted cosy mystery. Russell has had massive success with her twenty previous strong crime novels, so knows how to keep a reader turning those pages. It is beautifully written and will keep you guessing. And, even if you are not a dog lover, I would say don't miss out on this series because it offers a great mystery to keep you guessing, a perfect location that pulls you in, and even romance, and I could almost smell those newly baked scones in the café that Emily works in. An excellent all round great read. Five stars, and a biscuit for Poppy.

Alongside her popular DI Geraldine Steel detective novels (published by No Exit Press), LEIGH RUSSELL is the author of the Poppy Mystery Tales, a cosy crime series set in an idyllic English village. Leigh has an MA in English Literature from the University of Kent. She has been shortlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger Award, the CWA Dagger in the Library, and the People’s Book Prize. Keen to support new writers, Leigh chairs the CWA Debut Dagger Judges, and is a Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund. Leigh lives in London, near her two daughters and granddaughter. One of her daughters has a rescue puppy who inspired the Poppy Mystery Tales.