The Dog Park Murders by Angela Barker Series: The Dog Park Murders #1
Published by Harlequin Books on August 25, 2026
Source: NetGalley
Genres: Romance, Cozy Mystery
Pages: 304
Format: eARC
Add on Goodreads
A killer has been unleashed in their small town…
Juliette Macintyre has never met a dog she didn’t love. For one thing, dogs don’t judge, unlike the human residents of Labrador Falls. Most locals look at her with suspicion because her father was once a dirty cop, even though Juliette is upbeat, helpful, and the best pet groomer around. She just needs to prove it…starting with new resident Joel Cunningham, an enigma wrapped in a checked shirt and a scowl.
Joel runs the Brewed Awakening café, where the coffee is as smooth as Joel is surly. He doesn’t serve pumpkin spice, he doesn’t chitchat, and he claims he doesn’t like dogs. Yet when Juliette stumbles upon a dead body in the dog park, strangled with one of her custom leashes, Joel becomes an unexpected ally.
He has no intention of opening up, to either his cute neighbor or the foster pup she foists on him. But he can’t let a biased detective frame Juliette for murder. Whoever killed the widely loathed Maurice Allsop may be desperate enough to strike again. If they can just ignore their chemistry and focus on the clues, Juliette and Joel might be able to solve the case—before somebody else bites the dust…
I actually enjoyed The Dog Park Murders. Sometimes mysteries with too much romance make me roll my eyes, but I think it was balanced pretty well in this one. And the blurb made it clear what to expect. Yes, this book felt like a Hallmark movie, but in a good way.
Labrador Falls is an adorable small, dog-obsessed town where Juliette has lived her whole life. It’s not always an easy place to live – small towns can be tricky. Everyone knows everyone else and their backgrounds and families. When Juliette finds a dead body at the local dog park, with evidence pointing to her pet grooming shop, she immediately becomes the prime suspect, thanks in part to her family history. Joel owns the coffee shop, but is relatively new in town. However, he can’t just stand aside and let Juliette get railroaded by a lazy, biased detective.
The mystery was decent. The dead man was not nice, so we had several possible suspects. Juliette is maybe not the best detective – a good clue was right under her nose and she didn’t find it until it was time to get to the reveal. I was surprised by who the killer turned out to be.
I liked Juliette and Joel as a couple. Yes, they both have some stuff to work through, but they were cute together. Maybe the grumpy sunshine trope was pushed a bit too hard, but I read so few romances that it didn’t bother me. I liked that I never really doubted they would get together, And Digger, the foster puppy is absolutely adorable!
I have the next one on my to-read list.
About Angela Barker
Angela Barker is a pen name of Stefanie London. Stefanie London is a multi-award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of romantic comedies, cozy mysteries and pulse-pounding thrillers.
Stefanie’s books have been called “genuinely entertaining and memorable” by Booklist, and “elegant, descriptive and delectable” by RT magazine. Her stories have won multiple industry awards, including the HOLT Medallion and OKRWA National Reader’s Choice Award, and she has been nominated for the Romance Writers of America RITA award.
Originally from Australia, Stefanie lives in Toronto with her very own hero and is doing her best to travel the world. She frequently indulges in her passions for good coffee, lipstick, romance novels and anything zombie-related.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
I’m more of a cat mystery person, but this sounds good.