Book excerpt: PRE-ORDER BONE OF CONTENTION, THE BRAND NEW DOG PARK DETECTIVES NOVEL, COMING SPRING 2025. Murder is never just a walk in the park . . . When friends Louise and Irina find a dead body in the local park whilst walking their dogs, they are soon drawn into the mystery of who murdered local entrepreneur Phil Creasey. Phil used to be a member of their dog walking community – nicknamed ‘the Pack’ – until the death of his cockapoo, and the Pack feel they owe it to Phil to investigate his death. But with Louise and Irina leading the charge, it isn’t long until they’re neck-deep in local gangs, stolen motorcycles and a disturbing string of poisonings. Have the Pack bitten off more than they can chew, or can they follow their noses and solve the crime? The Dog Park Detectives is a joyous and fur-ociously entertaining murder mystery for fans of dogs and cosy crime, and the first in a pawfully exciting new series that is perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Robert Thorogood. ‘More good dogs than I've ever seen in a single book! Oh, and a grisly, puzzling murder to solve, with lots of twists and red herrings. But really, I'm here for the pooches, and you should be too’ Antony Johnston ‘Howling good fun, with a plot twisty enough to get any dogged armchair detective barking up the wrong tree. I loved it – just don't tell my cats!’ Fiona Leitch ‘Adored The Dog Park Detectives! Brilliantly written, with quirky characters, dogs and a dash of murder, I ripped through this in two sittings. Perfect cosy crime’ Lisa Hall ‘A pacy and entertaining murder mystery that’s a must-read for all dog-loving crime fans. Go the Dog Park Detectives!’ A. K. Turner ‘Totally PAWSOME – I was hooked from the very first page and Mara weaves a special cosy magic throughout with rich characters and a fascinating, twisty plot. A brilliant whodunnit and all delivered with the deftest of touches. Unputdownable!’ Jonathan Whitelaw, author of The Bingo Hall Detectives ‘An absolute delight to read. Like a lovely, summery stroll in the park - specifically the dog park’ Kat Ailes, author of The Expectant Detectives ‘A fun murder mystery with plenty of leads to get tangled and clues to sniff out!’ Sarah Yarwood-Lovett ‘I loved it. As someone allergic to furry animals, it was nice to hang out fictionally with "the Pack" as they sniffed out the evidence and did their best not to tangle up dog leads on their quest to find a murderer. With memorable owners and even bigger dog personalities, this series is set to run and run’ Joy Kluver