Emily Soderberg

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Have you ever wished you knew what your dog was thinking or feeling? New pet behaviorist and dog walker Nikki Jackson-Ramanathan may be able to help.

In a well-to-do St. Louis suburb, Mrs. Van Meer has been having issues with her old hound dog, Reginald, since his person, her husband passed away. She is hoping Nikki can get the dog out of its funk. Walking into the mansion, Nikki is a little nervous, but as soon as she sees Reginald, she gets down on the floor to get to show more know him and his issues. They came up with a plan that included daily walks and more attention.

Just a few days later, Mrs. Van Meer is found dead in her bed. Everyone from the family members to the personal assistant and the landscaper make up the list of suspects. Nikki didn’t know Mrs. Van Meer or her family well, so there is no reason for her to be concerned beyond losing a client whom she had hoped would help her business grow. Then she finds out she is named in the woman’s will, which makes the police very interested in her. Now she has to try to clear her name; maybe her new pal, Reginald, can help.

Will Nikki solve the case? Will Reginald raise the Woof to help her? Or will the killer chew them up and spit them out?

Nikki Jackson-Ramanathan and her husband, Jai, are happily married, trying to make ends meet, and saving for a house. Jai works the day job from home, coaches a collegiate mock trial team, and practices and meets fill his nights and weekends. In addition to getting her pet behaviorist business up and running, she walks several dogs, picks up bartending shifts, makes pet toys, and has a freelance calligraphy business. They are genuine people, so it is easy to get involved in their lives. The new tenant living in the duplex below them is a bit off the wall with a real positive attitude about everything, including convincing their landlord to allow pets.

The Van Meer family may be rich, but they are pretty dysfunctional. Sisters not getting along, a wedding in the works, a house being built, but there are secrets, aren’t there always secrets. Their family lawyer is always on hand; the landscaper may be a little shifty, but the personal assistant/house manager probably knows everything and has shared the stories with her friends. All the characters in the story are well-crafted and fleshed out.

Then there is the hound dog, Reginald; he stole my heart. It is hard on a pet when their person disappears.

Nikki is a worthy amateur sleuth, especially for her first case. The cause of death was evident, but finding out how it was done was crucial to solving the crime. Ms. Soderberg served up plenty of twists and red herrings, and I enjoyed how Nikki worked through what she knew and asked questions to come up with theories to eliminate suspects from the list. I was surprised by the latitude the detective gave her to bring the family together and release her inner Hercule Poirot. When the real killer was revealed, I was happy to see I had focused on the right character.

This is Ms. Soderberg’s debut novel. She has a very descriptive writing style, and at times that is wonderful, yet at times it is too much. As her writing career grows, she will be more comfortable with when to tell all and when to pull back. She is definitely an author I intend to follow and watch.

How to Talk to Your Dog About Murder is a delightfully entertaining cozy mystery. With relatable characters, a splendid whodunit, and a lovable hound dog, this is a fun read. I hope this book is the first book in a series. I give this book 4 paws up! show less

This is the first in a series, featuring Nikki, the amateur sleuth in this cozy who is also a pet behaviorist who finds herself working with a well-to-do family in suburban St Louis whose old hound dog is grieving the death of his owner.

On the plus side, in the end, this turns out to be a somewhat clever mystery. On the negative side, it's very slow-going at the start and I didn't like very many of the characters, though, in the end, I could see that there were several who would likely be show more recurring characters. Those I did like.

Overall, I would say that, while this wasn't the best mystery I've read this year, there's enough promise with it that I would read additional books in the series.

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.) show less

Nikki is struggling to get her pet behaviorist business off the ground but winds up as a dog walker and then chief suspect in the murder of one of her clients. The tale is entertaining and fun! Think this is a good start but needs a little fine tuning before I go ahead and get the whole series. But it's dogs and it's fun, so I know that I'll be getting any more that are written.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected eGalley from Crooked Lane Books courtesy of NetGalley. Avail Oct show more 21, 2025
#HowToTalktoYourDogAboutMurder by @soderbergemily @crookedlanebooks **** Review #storygraph #bookbub #goodreads #librarything #cozymystery #Murder #Investigation #dogwalker #petbehaviorist #chiefsuspect #witty #localcops #situationalhumor #smallbusiness #fun show less