Solving a Mystery With Friends: The Dogwalkers’ Detective Agency by Michael Hogan

Jun 11, 2026

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For all the fans of cozy mysteries, this is one you can really settle into and enjoy the witty banter, amateur sleuthing, and loads of dog references. It all begins with the main character Charlie on a walk in the woods with a group of dogs and he stumbles across a lifeless body. Having some special insider information to the crime scene, he assembles his local dog walking friends to assist in investigating the case.

Check out my full review below and see if this is a book you might like to read as well!

Title: The Dogwalkers’ Detective Agency

Author: Michael Hogan

Series: N/A

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Amateur Sleuths

Rating: 4 out of 5 ⭐

Disclaimer

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I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

My Thoughts:

Following these characters throughout the story was fun and filled with plenty of laughable moments. Charlie and his friends really take their investigation skills to heart and start trying to figure out who could have taken out the local pub owner and why. Charlie and his friends are not your typical group, by any means, but they do fit right into a cozy mystery in the way you expect amateur sleuths to behave. They put their noses into everyone’s business and go around looking into things, no matter how outlandish it may seem.

I enjoyed the British setting as well and all of the fun euphemisms they use in their discourse, but I will admit there were plenty of phrases used that I had to look up because I had never heard of them before. It was fun and exciting to listen to the characters talk and the many conversations that took place throughout really created a friendly environment for the main group as they try to figure out what happened.

Dogs are clearly a huge part of this one as well and you’ll know them all by name and personality by the end of this one because they are always right there alongside all the action. This is one of the core elements of cozy mysteries that sometimes gets lost in other novels, but not in this one. The canine sidekicks are essential; helping to find new information and lead the ragtag group to where they need to go. But they’re also emotional supports for the reader to enjoy while everything else is unfolding.

A cleverly written cozy mystery filled with fun side characters, plenty of banter, and an investigation that never goes the way you expect it to go!

Publisher’s Blurb:

Full of colorful characters, sly twists, and set in a charming seaside town, The Dogwalker’s Detective Agency is an inventive murder mystery that will captivate cozy crime fans and dog lovers alike.

When Charlie Boardman and his beloved Staffordshire bull terrier, Ruby, stumble across a corpse in the woods, the sleepy English coastal town of Framstone is rocked by the discovery that the local pub landlord has been murdered.

Charlie and his fellow dogwalkers take it upon themselves to try and sniff out any clues that might help the local police with their investigation.

But what begins as idle speculation and gossip quickly becomes something more sinister when Charlie starts receiving anonymous threats warning him off the case.

Then, a second body washes up on the beach. With the help of his loyal Staffordshire terrier, can Charlie hunt down the killer before he becomes the next victim?