If you love dogs and mysteries, you must read Written in Red
Written in Red A dog mystery set in Oxford by Annie Dalton Severn House Mystery & Thrillers, General Fiction (Adult) Pub Date 15 Jun 2016 Review Written in Red is one of those books that after reading once, you know that you will come back to it time and again. It is difficult to know what is most appealing about this exquisite mystery. The central characters, Anna, Isadora, Tansy and Jake as well as Bonnie (Anna's white shepherd) and Hero (Isadora's unusual mutt) are amazingly detailed, and it is clear how the events of The White Shepherd have had an affect on their lives. The story is complex and compelling. A small number of Oxford alums, including Isadora, have been sent poison pen letters. One by one, the members of the so-called Oxford Six are attacked. The letters indicate a link between the attacks and a murder from 50 years before. Cold War espionage plays a major role in this incredible mystery. Then, there are the dogs. Bonnie is so wonderful. Not only is she devote to Anna and Jake, she is perceptive and quick to defend Anna. Several times in the novel, she is jokingly compared to Lassie. Personally I think Bonnie is far more amazing. Hero is a distinctive character with her unusual glassy stare and strange heritage. I loved how she was described as possibly being half-goblin, half-dog. When you read Written in Red, you feel that the characters are real human beings who change and develop based on the challenges they face. The events are not only plausible, they are tangible. I absolutely loved The White Shepherd, Annie Dalton's first Oxford dog walker mystery, and I can easily say the same for Written in Red. If you love dogs and mysteries, Written in Red should have a place of honor on your bookshelf. 5/5 I received a copy of Written in Red from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. --Crittermom Description The murder of a college professor has its roots in the Cold War: the new Oxford Dogwalkers mystery from award-winning YA writer Annie Dalton. Shortly before Christmas, Professor James Lowell is found brutally attacked in his rooms at Walsingham College, where Anna Hopkins works as an administrator. Baffled as to why anyone would wish to harm such a gentle, scholarly man, Anna discovers that Lowell had a connection with her fellow dogwalker, Isadora Salzman, who knew him as an undergraduate in the 1960s, a co-member of the so-called Oxford Six. It turns out that Isadora has been keeping a surprising secret all these years. But someone else knows about Isadora’s secret: someone who has sent her a threatening, frightening letter. Could the attack on Professor Lowell have its roots in a 50-year-old murder? And who is targeting Isadora and the surviving members of the Oxford Six? Anna, Isadora and Tansy, the dogwalking detectives, make it their business to find out.
