A Gruesome Recreation..
The third outing in The Dogsitter Detective series of mysteries finds Gwinny filming on location - whilst looking after a friends Jack Russell. Nothing will go plan as when a cast member is discovered dead in a gruesome recreation of scenes from the film, Gwinny will need to don her sleuthing hat once again. Another enjoyable and entertaining instalment to this series of cosy crime with endearing characters and a frothy plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This is the 3rd in The Dog Sitter Detective Series but the 1st I’ve read. I will definitely have to go back and catch up with the other 2. Full of lively characters, a great mix of crime, humour, mystery and Lily the dog. I would definitely recommend.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

3.5* rounded down. I requested this on the recommendation of a blog I follow, despite not having read the earlier instalments and despite not being a dog person. I would say that this book stands perfectly well on its own, but it has not made me want to get a dog - a Jack Russell sounds like harder work than a toddler!

Ginny, the heroine, apart from being a dog sitter, is also an actress, and the action takes place at a stately home where a gender-reversed film of 'Dracula' is being made. I am perhaps the only person in the entire world unfamiliar with the plot of 'Dracula', so some of this went over my head, but the details of how film sets work were the strongest part of this novel for me. A fellow actor is found dead in a trailer locked from the inside and Ginny investigates, along with a rival actor/amateur detective and a sole policeman - he refers to colleagues, but we never actually meet any of them. Obviously Ginny works out the truth first. There is no real way for the reader to get there first, but it was a pretty satisfactory ending nonetheless.

Book Review: A Stake Through the Heart by Anthony Johnston

In A Stake Through the Heart, Anthony Johnston delivers a sharp and engaging murder mystery with a touch of humor, set against the stunning backdrop of the Yorkshire Dales. Gwinny, an actress on location for a small role in a gender-swapped remake of Dracula, finds herself unintentionally pulled into a murder investigation when an actor is found dead in a locked trailer—impaled by a stake through the heart. Amidst the eccentricities of the film production, the crime sets the stage for a quirky, high-stakes investigation.

The plot takes an interesting turn when the film's self-important Hollywood star—once a cop on TV—decides to solve the crime herself. However, Gwinny, who is only there to care for an elderly friend's dog and handle her minor role, is unimpressed. The two women clash as they each set off on rival investigations, creating an entertaining dynamic filled with tension, rivalry, and plenty of laughs.

One of the highlights of A Stake Through the Heart is its setting. The Yorkshire Dales, with their beauty and eeriness, provide the perfect atmosphere for a murder mystery. Johnston cleverly uses the film production world as a backdrop, offering insight into celebrity culture and the behind-the-scenes drama of making movies. The result is a witty, satirical narrative that pokes fun at Hollywood while keeping the suspense high.

Gwinny is a relatable and engaging protagonist, grounded and unafraid to challenge the diva-like actress. Her calm demeanor and determination to get to the bottom of the mystery make her a compelling character. Meanwhile, the rivalry between the two women adds plenty of humor and tension to the story, with both trying to outshine the other as the investigation unfolds.

With its blend of comedy, mystery, and drama, A Stake Through the Heart is a delightful and fast-paced read that keeps readers hooked until the final twist. For fans of lighthearted mysteries with a sharp edge, witty dialogue, and a gripping plot, this novel delivers a fun and satisfying experience.

Rating: 4.5/5
A cleverly written murder mystery with humor, suspense, and an intriguing setting. Anthony Johnston's latest is a must-read for fans of cozy, yet suspenseful, whodunits.

Gwinny Tuffel is in the Yorkshire Dales where a remake of Dracula is being filmed.
Draculania is a gender swap remake of the infamous tale and Gwinny has a small part to play .
Unfortunately a member of the cast is found dead with a stake through is heart , sounds familiar doesn’t it? The tale of Dracula has obviously given a murderer a few ideas.
Gwinny is on the case and has a trusty side kick in Lily a Jack Russell terrier who she is caring for after her owner was taken in to hospital.
They make a great team and both have a nose for danger .
The writing makes for an easy read and there’s plenty to keep the reader interested throughout.
An enjoyable read!
Looking forward to Gwinny’s next case .
Thanks to NetGalley and Allison & Busby.

I’ll be honest, I thought I was just going to get a simple cosy read out of this one. I had a train journey that I wanted to pass quickly and as I knew the train back would inevitably be populated by football fans, I thought this would be an ideal time-filler. It wasn’t, though. It was a really engrossing read, a clever mystery and a load of fun. Far more than what I expected, and it did an excellent job of distracting me from some over-excited Watford supporters – bless them, they don’t win that often.

Similar to the Rosemary Shrager books, the author here knows how to construct a mystery. A relatively small number of suspects (plus a few orbiting the plot who just might have something to do with it), an intriguing set-up, a sleuth who you enjoy spending time with, and there are clues as well.

And I’m a bit cross/happy about this one because I saw the crucial thing. I even considered the crucial thing. And then forgot about it with the other shenanigans going on. I was genuinely caught out by the murderer – it’s been a while (EDIT: oh, hang on, Thorogood did it too. Whoops!) so I was both surprised and impressed by this one. The locked room is pretty simple, but clever enough to fool people (i.e. me) and not only is the method clued, there’s a reason for it!

And the dog. I should say that I despise Jack Russell’s, as one bit me on the way to my own birthday party when I was 9ish, nasty yappy things, but Lily is the exception to the rule. Especially as she does contribute something to the plot, providing an interesting clue.

The setting is well done, the suspects are fun, Draculina is a plausible idea that isn’t played for laughs (although there are some good lines peppered throughout the dialogue) – all in all, it’s pretty convincing.

A really pleasant surprise, this one, and I’ll be taking the other two books out for a walk once I get my hands on some copies. Don’t be put off by the cosy title (which doesn’t make sense as Seward is very much alive), this is a well-constructed mystery that is well worth your time.

My review

These books really put the cosy into cosy crime for me with a great amateur sleuth and always a good plot to sink your teeth into.

This third book is no different, reading it was like catching up with an old friend as Gwinny solves another baffling murder. This time we are taken to a Yorkshire stately home with an atmospheric setting and themes bordering on the supernatural.

I loved the twist on the locked room mystery. A new angle on a tried and tested trope is always a pleasure to read.

The red herrings were the way the book leads in different directions, so you are left puzzling along with the sleuth, going from suspect to suspect, so you are always second guessing your theories. I felt the ending had just the right amount of drama without going into melodramatic territory.

Oh, and if you’re a dog lover, you’ll love the dog in this book, a Jack Russell called Lily. She is a little personality on her own. The characters in Gwinny’s life, like the dogs, are down to earth and warm-hearted. Did we need the script scenes? Maybe some might disagree, but I enjoyed them. I hope that there is a book four soon.

Very entertaining!

Gwinny Tuffel is on location for a gender-swapping remake of the tale of Dracula - titled Draculania - when one of the cast is found dead. Not only that - but the body is inside a locked trailer with a stake through the heart ...

I'm delighted to say that this isn't as gory as it sounds, but it's still an enigma. Full of lively characters, there is - as there should be in any 'cosy' - a good dollop of nonsense in amongst all the serious stuff which murder involves. Gwinny is fabulously drawn, and steps into the breach left by the hapless local police force. A good fun read and one I'm happy to recommend. I really need to try and catch up with the first two in series. For me, recommended and happy to give 4*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Great fun
Our hero has a role in a gender changed Dracula set in a spooky house when one of the other actors is found dead.
Lot of twists and turns and while the outcome was totally plausible I did not see it coming.

Gwinny is working in Yorkshire on the set of Draculania, a gender swapped version of the Bram Stoker classic. When one of the cast is found dead in a supposedly locked room situation everyone is under suspicion and fearful. The trailer where the body was found belonged to the Diva Hollywood actress who is of the opinion that she is a detective as she played a cop in an earlier role.
The local cops don't seem to have a clue and it's down to Gwinny, and Lily the dog she's ended up looking after for a friend, to find out the truth.

of my favourite finds of last year was Antony Johnston's Dog Sitter Detective series. A cosy series with a wonderfully feisty main character, and being a dog-sitter, the cast of cute side-kicks is ever changing.

Gwinny Tuffel is a retired actress "of a certain age", but costs of living and an inherited property to maintain, she's back out of retirement and looking for work. Between acting jobs, she's taken to dog-sitting for extra income.

In this third book of the series, she's combining both of her jobs. With filming taking place on a gender-swapped version of Dracula up in Yorkshire, Gwinny is headed North. When not on the film set, she's walking a friend's Jack Russell terrier. Until the friend has a fall and is hospitalised, then the dog has to join the cast and crew on set. The drama doesn't stop there, as the film's leading man is found dead in dramatic fashion, inside the leading actress' trailer, with a stake through his heart. Film star Juliette Shine is a fabulously overly dramatic antagonist, and having played a detective, is insistent that she can solve this case.

I love cosy crime set in theatres and film. It ramps up the theatrical nature of the crime, and you never know whose acting is limited to the stage or set which causes challenges for our sleuth. Gwinny is a wonderful character, equal parts ridiculous and sensible. I kind of want to be her when I grow up.

As always, the writing is top quality and so hard to put down to get on with other things. But real life can wait, Gwinny is on the case.

Thank you to the author, the publishers Allison & Busby and Netgalley for this digital advanced review copy for review.

The Dog Sitter Detective Plays Dead is out on January 23rd.

In The Dog Sitter Detective Plays Dead, Antony Johnston delivers a delightful whodunnit brimming with wit, intrigue, and an irresistible sense of fun. Set in the atmospheric Yorkshire Dales, the story follows Gwinny Tuffel, who finds herself embroiled in a deadly mystery while filming a small part in Draculania, a genderswapped take on Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Trouble begins when a cast member is discovered dead in a locked trailer, a stake driven through their heart. As if managing a chaotic film set wasn’t challenging enough—complete with a demanding prima donna—Gwinny must also contend with Lily, a spirited Jack Russell terrier she is minding for a friend. With tensions high and the eerie Hendale Hall looming, Gwinny is thrust into a race against time to unmask the flesh-and-blood killer lurking among them.

This was my first venture into the Dog Sitter Detective series, and it was an absolute delight. Johnston’s lively prose and deft pacing ensure the pages fly by, while the clever twists and turns kept me guessing right up to the dramatic conclusion. The backdrop of a gothic film production, complete with vampire legends and murder, is richly atmospheric and brimming with charm.

For fans of cosy mysteries with a humorous edge, this book offers everything you could wish for—a compelling plot, memorable characters, and a puzzling murder that will leave you second-guessing every suspect. If you enjoy a well-crafted mystery with a touch of the theatrical, The Dog Sitter Detective Plays Dead is a must-read.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Gwinny Tuffel has landed a role in a gender-swapped film remake of Dracula in the Yorkshire Dales. Gwinny is called on by her old friend, Viv, to look after her 11 year old Jack Russell called Lily! Then an actor is discovered dead in a locked trailer. Gwinny is keen to use her amateur sleuthing skills to investigate who did it and why they did it!! If there is a puzzle to be solved then Gwinny is your gal, lol!!! Gwinny is a delightful character and I loved the descriptions of all the film set behind the scenes moments. More Gwinny please!

This is the third book in this series and I read it as a stand-alone, but found it full of mystery and suspicion that I’ll be reading the first two. Gwinny is the main character and is an actress, she’s on set to film a new Dracula movie. She’s looking after her friends Jack Russell while on set who gets up to all sorts. She’s a fun little dog. When a cast member dies the suspicion is out that one of the crew did it, but who? This is a cozy mystery that’s easily readable in one sitting sitting. The plot was interesting and the location was perfect for this story. 4 star read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

This is my first book in the Dog Sitter Detective series, and what fun it was.

This has lovely energy. The pages fly by as the story unravels. It also kept me guessing, which is how I rate a mystery. If I don't manage to work out who the culprit was, it's a very good read.

Gwinny is a great character, and the film set vibe was fab. The very first few pages, with their very atmospheric feel, made me wonder what I'd started reading, but it all quickly resolved itself.

This is a lovely, quick read with a resolution that will defy most readers. It was thoroughly enjoyable, and I will be reading more in the series.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy.

The third book in the Dogsitter Detective Series and Gwinny Tuffel is trying to resurrect her acting career, for financial reasons, and is currently filming Draculania, a female Dracula remake. Filming is taking place in Hendale Hall in Yorkshire and Gwinny has been walking her friend’s dog Lucy every day since she arrived. A well written story with an interesting plot.

Briefly, after her friend has a bad fall Lucy has now moved in with Gwinny at the Hall. But then filming comes to a halt when the body of the male lead is found dead in the trailer belonging to the lead actress and it’s locked from the inside. As usual Gwinny feels the need to investigate, as does the lead actress who believes she was the target. And for once the detective in charge, DCI Pierce, is willing to let Gwinny do what she does as long as she shares the results of her investigations with him.

As usual, for me at least, the dog steals the show - as they do in real life! The side story of Gwinny’s love interest at home added a little welcome distraction to the main event, alongside her attraction to the Lord of the Manor. There were some very good red herrings and I was constantly reevaluating my ideas about the killer, who wasn’t revealed until near the end of the book. An enjoyable and entertaining locked room mystery, with dog, a perfect cozy, light read.

Another brilliant entry to this series, this time on a film set.

There is a real Jonathan Creek energy to the mysteries that Antony Johnston writes. Fiendishly tricky to unravel, you will always be surprised by whodunnit!

This is the third book in the Dog Sitter series. Gwinny has an acting job at Hendale Hall in Yorkshire, the biggest since her retirement, although not the female lead. The movie is a female version of Dracula called Draculania. She is also taking care of the dog of a friend in the hospital. The male lead is found dead in the locked trailer belonging to the female lead, and the police appear to believe he must have killed himself since no one else could have gotten in. Meanwhile, Gwinny finds out that her best friend Tina may be seeing the policeman in whom Gwinny in interested.

Can Gwinny find the real murderer before the police give up? This is a clever mystery, and we don't find out who the killer was until almost the end. I thank Netgalley and Alyson & Busby for the ARC so that I could read the book before publication.

The third in the Dog Sitter Detective series finds Gwinny back on set and again juggling her acting career with a new dog and a new murder. Another fun read from Antony Johnston, though the romance subplot is irritating and feels out of place.

A cosy crime story featuring actress Gwinny Tuffel and the murder of a cast member during the filming of a gender swap interpretation of the Dracula story. Set in a country house in Yorkshire, it features an entertaining cast of characters and a wayward Jack Russell called Lily, who Gwinny is babysitting for a friend. An okay whodunnit but a bit generic and lacking a certain something.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review a copy of this story.