Join us to learn more about these suspenseful novels with compelling canines.
By Zazie Todd PhD
Canine Crime and Mystery: Antony Johnston, Louisa Scarr, Philipp Schott DVM
If you love crime and mystery novels, you’re in for a treat as dogs help solve crimes in these remarkable books. When a singer dies in mysterious circumstances, dog sitter Gwinny Tuffel and the singer’s Border Collie investigate in Antony Johnston’s cosy and witty The Dog Sitter Detective Takes the Lead. In Louisa Scarr’s dark and compelling Gallows Wood, PC Lucy Halliday and her dog Moss search for the body after a severed hand is found in the woods. And when veterinarian (and amateur detective) Dr. Bannerman and his champion sniffer dog Pippin holiday near a remote lake, he has to try to save some poisoned sled dogs and figure out why a float plane crashed in Eleven Huskies by Philipp Schott DVM.
Thursday 19th September 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK time.
Register here.
The event is hosted by Zazie Todd and Kristi Benson.
A recording will be available to all those who register. It will be sent out 72 hours after the live event ends.
This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you
Attendees at the live event will have the chance to win a copy of The Dog Sitter Detective Takes the Lead by Antony Johnson, Gallows Wood by Louisa Scarr, Eleven Huskies: A Dr. Bannerman Vet Mystery by Philipp Schott DVM, and Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog by Zazie Todd PhD.
About the books
The Dog Sitter Detective Takes the Lead: The Tail-Wagging Cozy Crime Series by Antony Johnston, published by Allison & Busby.
Gwinny Tuffel is preparing for her first acting role in a decade in the West End, but she is dog-sitting on the side to keep the wolf from the door. So, when ageing rock star Crash Double needs help with his Border Collie, she jumps at the chance. After all, looking after the charming Ace on Crash’s Little Venice houseboat shouldn’t be an onerous task. But that’s before the singer’s dead body surfaces during the annual Canal Carnival festivities.
While the police dismiss the death as an accident, Gwinny suspects murder most foul. With a medley of suspects and some far-fetched motives to make heads or tails of, it is up to Gwinny, with Ace’s on-the-ground knowledge, to make sure the killer faces the music.
Gallows Wood: A Dark and Compelling Crime Thriller by Louisa Scarr, published by Canelo.
The signs are unmistakable. The dog halts, his nose up – nostrils quivering. Every inch of him is poised. Moss has a scent.
When a hand is found in Gallows Wood, PC Lucy Halliday and her specialist search dog Moss must find the rest of the body. What they uncover is a killer’s dumping ground. Like every case since her husband’s mysterious disappearance, Lucy wonders if this one will bring her closer to the truth. Nico was a journalist with a reputation for getting buried in his work; Lucy is certain that this time he delved too deep.
With new DI Jack Ellis calling the shots, Lucy struggles to keep her professionalism intact. She can’t stay away from these murders – and a killer who may hold the answers she desperately wants. But with those at the very heart of the investigation withholding secrets of their own, can more brutal deaths be prevented?
The first book in the gripping new police procedural series featuring dog handler PC Lucy Halliday. Perfect for fans of Lynda La Plante, Val McDermid and Susie Steiner.
Eleven Huskies: A Dr. Bannerman Vet Mystery by Philipp Schott DVM, published by ECW Press.
Peter Bannerman, veterinarian and amateur detective, deserves a summer vacation. Peter and his family head to a remote fishing lodge in northern Manitoba for a canoeing trip with his champion sniffer dog, Pippin. But a series of incidents color their plans. The lodge’s sled team of huskies has been poisoned and, at the same time, a floatplane crashes into the lake, killing the pilot and both passengers. While Peter works to save the huskies, it is discovered that the plane crash wasn’t an accident. It was murder.
It’s been a hot and dry summer, and one morning the Bannerman family wakes up to find a forest fire spreading quickly. They manage to dodge the conflagration, making it back to the lodge before it becomes cut off from the outside world. Peter soon figures out that the murderer, who probably also poisoned the huskies, must be among the other guests or staff trapped with them at the lodge. The power fails. The now-enormous fire draws nearer. Can Peter discover the culprit in time?
About the authors
Antony Johnston
Antony Johnston is one of the most versatile writers of the modern era, with a body of work spanning books, film, graphic novels, videogames, and non-fiction. An award-winning author and New York Times bestseller, his creations include Atomic Blonde, The Dog Sitter Detective, the Brigitte Sharp thrillers, and many more.
Website: https://antonyjohnston.com/
Follow Antony Johnston on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, Substack.
Louisa Scarr
Louisa Scarr studied Psychology at the University of Southampton and has lived in and around the city ever since. She works as a freelance copywriter and editor, and when she’s not writing, she can be found pounding the streets in running shoes or swimming in muddy lakes.
She is the author of the Butler and West crime series, published by Canelo Crime, beginning with Last Place You Look and ending with Out of the Ashes in July 2023. A new series, about a police dog handler, will launch in 2024 with Gallows Wood.
She also writes as Sam Holland and is the author of the award-winning Major Crimes series, following detectives as they investigate murders committed by brutal serial killers in the south of England. The Echo Man and The Twenty are out now; The Puppet Master will follow in May 2024.
Follow Louisa Scarr on Instagram and Twitter.
Philipp Schott DVM
Philipp was born in Germany and emigrated to Canada with his family when he was very young. He grew up in Saskatoon, ultimately studying veterinary medicine there. After graduation he moved to Winnipeg with his classmate and wife, Lorraine. He has worked in the same small animal clinic ever since.
His bestselling first book, The Accidental Veterinarian, was translated into five languages. He has published six more books since, in several different genres.
He and Lorraine live in a creaky old house on the river with two young adult children, and a cat who is simultaneously crazy and sweet.
For more information about Bark! Fest, subscribe to my newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time.
See the full book list for Bark! Fest.
As an Amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.