Annie Dalton is an amazing writer.  I’ve enjoyed her entire Dog Walking Detectives series, and feel that A Study in Gold in particular is exceptional.  The introduction puts the readers off guard.  Initially I didn’t know that the murder was present day.  The flavor was entirely 1940s.  Into the first chapter, the reader discovers that Anna, Isadora and Tansy have agreed to take part in a 1940s mystery weekend -culminating in a celebration and an actual dead body.  

Initially Anna, Isadora and Tansy have no plans to investigate the murder.  It is only a series of coincidences beginning with a witnessed argument at the art auction house previously owned by Anna’s father that causes the trio to be drawn into two mysteries.  An elderly Jewish man claims that an unknown masterpiece A Study in Gold was stolen from his family during the war, and that Anna’s father had knowledge of the masterpiece.  As Anna digs, she discovers connections between the murdered woman and the man looking for the painting.  Is it possible that A Study in Gold is the reason behind her family’s murder?

I was glued to the page from start to finish.  I had to find out what happened next.  It is nice to see Anna confronting her demons, developing as an individual and furthering her relationship with Jake.  Unlike the leads in many series, Anna, Isadora and Tansy are not static.  They are human.  And of course Bonnie, the white shepherd, is wonderful as always.

Annie Dalton’s books are far more serious than standard dog mystery fare.  They will definitely appeal to a wide range of readers, including fans of Clea Simon.  I highly recommend these mysteries even to those who aren't dog lovers.

5 / 5

I received a copy of A Study in Gold from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

-Crittermom

I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House Publishers. Thank you.

This is the third book in the Oxford dog walkers series and appears to be the final book. I don't know that for sure, but information I saw listed this as the third book of three. If I'm not correct and the series continues, I will not be reading more. Most of the loose ends are more or less tied up with the ending, just not quite all of them. I'm actually glad to see this because I had already decided this would be my last book to read concerning the three women who had become friends only because they happened upon each other as they walked their dogs. My interest initially had been in hoping the white German Shepherd belonging to Annie would figure into the solving of crimes or at the very least, in the investigative process. When that didn't happen I began to lose interest.

So once again the main character is Annie and she is still trying to find the clue which will lead her to the identity of the murderer of her parents and siblings. Her mental health has been much improved by ownership of Bonnie, her dog, and making friends with Tansy and Isabella so when clues about a murder which took place during a Mystery Murder night at a crumbling manor house begin to point to Annie's past she is able to cope well with what she learns. The murder clues lead to a missing Vermeer painting called A Study in Gold. Did Annie's father know of this painting when he was the owner of an antiques shop or is the painting a figment of one man's imagination?

I enjoyed the book, but as I said previously I had already decided this would be my last time to read a book from this series. The writing is good but I didn't feel any kind of connection to any of the three women. The plots also didn't keep me glued to the pages. Not a bad series, just not engaging enough to make me eager to read more.

4 stars

Good friends Anna, Tansy and Isadora go to a mystery weekend at a grand old manor house. A total of eighty people are present and different groups are matched to solve their own mysteries. The theme is WWII, so Anna and her friends dress for the part.

When a body is discovered in a pond on the property, the weekend is called off. After being interviewed by the police, Anna and her friends head home.

A murder, a missing painting and mysterious clues to Anna’s father’s past are just a few of the things that drive the plot of this book. There is sufficient background information given about the characters for the reader to understand them better, but not so much that it detracts from the story the author is trying to impart.

This is a well written and plotted novel. It builds suspense nicely. This is my first Annie Dalton book and I will be looking into her other works.

I want to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.