your new book?
It’s a cozy crime mystery which opens with dogwalker Charlie Boardman and Ruby, his beloved Staffordshire Bull Terrier, stumbling across a dead body in the woods. The sleepy English seaside town of Framstone is rocked by news that a local pub landlord has been murdered. Charlie and his fellow dogwalkers take it upon themselves to sniff out any clues that might help the police. They have a lot of leads - but can they collar a killer? The wet-nosed, waggy-tailed investigation comes even closer to home when Charlie receives anonymous threats warning him off the case. After a second body washes up on the beach, can Charlie hunt down the culprit before he becomes the next victim?
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I live in London now but grew up in a coastal town called Felixstowe, which was the main inspiration for Framstone. I often think too many novels are set in cities, whereas a more provincial location lends a mystery a whole different dynamic. You can reveal the darkness beneath the surface of these seemingly idyllic settings and explore the impact of a murder on a smaller, closer-knit community.
With its windswept beaches and kitschy arcades, Framstone is slightly faded from its heyday as a resort destination but it's showing signs of resurgence and gentrification. Such seaside towns often have a hidden underbelly of poverty, unemployment, drugs and crime. They can become forgotten places, populated by thwarted young people who long to escape, like my protagonist Charlie. He once left Framstone for the bright lights of London but a combination of mysterious events and the need to care for his elderly mother Polly has now drawn him back.
What are three words that describe your main character?
Shy, inquisitive, witty.
Which side character stole your attention the most from the main storyline?
It’s got to be the pooches. Like the human characters, the dog pack all have their own personalities and take part in the murder investigation in their own four-legged ways, be it sniffing out clues or digging up evidence. It all makes for a waggish whodunnit. I also loved writing about the friendship between Charlie and his fellow dogwalkers. Thanks to their local knowledge, familiarity with the landscape and love of gossip, these amateur sleuths are soon on the tail of the killer.
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
Well, the idea took hold when my rescue dog Ivy and I chanced across a comatose man in the bushes while out walking. Luckily, he was alive - just drunk and sleeping it off. But I did some research and learned that 40% of the UK’s “unexpected dead bodies” - a strange phrase which just means people who didn’t die at home or in hospital - are found by dogwalkers. That’s why you often hear it on news reports: “Human remains were discovered by a couple out walking their dog.” There’s nothing like fact to inspire fiction. I thought this was an intriguing starting point for a murder-mystery.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I try to wait but my day job is journalism, so I’m accustomed to editing my own work and can’t resist fiddling as I go along. Mainly I kept the story moving forward, making notes of things to improve, then went back to fix these later. I planned out the plot carefully, as I think most crime writers do - it’s like constructing a puzzle - although there’s still scope to be led in unexpected directions.
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
I live on coffee and the occasional square of chocolate, especially when writing. Pasta and a glass of red wine in the evening to celebrate a successful day’s work.
Describe your writing space/office!
I work in a shed (“outdoor office”, if I’m being fancy) at the bottom of the garden. It’s hardly the most arduous commute. Ivy snores happily at my feet most of the day, occasionally sauntering outside to bark at a passing cat, pigeon, squirrel or urban fox.
Who is an author you admire?
Jane Austen, Mark Twain and Charles Dickens are the all-time greats in my eyes. Agatha Christie is the queen of crime, of course. Favorites working today include David Nicholls, Sally Rooney, Jonathan Coe, Douglas Stuart and Percival Everett.
Is there a book that changed your life?
The Sherlock Holmes stories were formative for me. Devouring them in my early teens - as well as the Doctor Who novelizations, Hardy Boys mysteries and Lord Of The Rings series - is what fueled my love of reading and writing.
Tell us about when you got “the call” (when you found out your book was going to be published).
My literary agent messaged me, asking me to call her. Those sorts of messages can be slightly nerve-wracking but happily this one was good news. My partner and I popped the cork on a bottle of champagne that night. It was a fulfilled dream.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
Crime but not exclusively. As well as Queen Agatha, I’m an avowed fan of her fellow “golden age” British mystery writers - the likes of Dorothy L Sayers, Margery Allingham, Ngaiao Marsh and John Dickson Carr. I also enjoy spy fiction, from John le Carré to Mick Herron’s Slow Horses novels.
What’s your favorite movie?
Oh wow, that’s a tough one. Can I cheat and have 10? Let’s say Rear Window, The Odd Couple, 12 Angry Men, Annie Hall, When Harry Met Sally, Midnight Run, Goodfellas, Heat, The Matrix and Groundhog Day. This list would doubtless be different if you asked me again next week.
What is your favorite season?
The Dogwalkers’ Detective Agency is set during autumn - the fall, you might call it! - and that happens to be my favorite. Cozy nights are closing in. Christmas is just around the corner.
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
My birthday is in June, so I traditionally have a picnic with family and friends - British weather permitting, of course. It’s been that way for a few decades. People are kind enough to say sometimes that my birthday picnic marks the start of summer.
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
Well, my journalism is mainly as a TV critic, so I could talk all day about that. Recent streaming favorites include The Pitt, Beef and Hacks. If you have access to BBC shows, The Other Bennet Sister, The Capture and Waiting For The Out have been standouts this year. One quick tip apiece in the other categories: One Battle After Another (movie), Demon Copperhead (book), The Rest Is Entertainment (podcast).
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Italian, with Japanese and Indian in the medal positions.
What do you do when you have free time?
Walk the dog, which is very on-brand. Go to the gym, do quizzes, watch sport and cook. I’ve been known do a spot of shambolic DJ-ing, too.
What can readers expect from you next?
A sequel! The dogwalkers return in DEATH AT THE DOG HOTEL - a festive mystery which sees a killer check in to a pet-friendly hotel on the outskirts of Framstone with murder in mind. Snowed in with the culprit, can the dogwalkers crack the case before their own White Christmas is stained red?
A Novel
Full of colorful characters, sly twists, and set in a charming seaside town, The Dogwalker's Detective Agency is an inventive murder mystery that will captivate cozy crime fans and dog lovers alike.
When Charlie Boardman and his beloved Staffordshire bull terrier, Ruby, stumble across a corpse in the woods, the sleepy English coastal town of Framstone is rocked by the discovery that the local pub landlord has been murdered.
Charlie and his fellow dogwalkers take it upon themselves to try and sniff out any clues that might help the local police with their investigation.
But what begins as idle speculation and gossip quickly becomes something more sinister when Charlie starts receiving anonymous threats warning him off the case.
Then, a second body washes up on the beach. With the help of his loyal Staffordshire terrier, can Charlie hunt down the killer before he becomes the next victim?
Mystery Amateur Sleuth [ Pegasus Books, On Sale: June 2, 2026, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9798897101337 / eISBN: 9798897101344 ]
Michael Hogan is a television critic for The Telegraph and written for The Guardian, The Observer, Radio Times, Red, Q, Empire, Marie Claire, Grazia, Glamour, InStyle, Esquire, ES and You magazine. He writes mainly about television and pop culture, but also turns his hand to lifestyle pieces, topical comment, celebrity interviews, and humor. Michael lives in London with his family and a rescue dog called Ivy. To escape them all and get some work done, he commutes to a shed at the bottom of his garden. The Dog Walkers' Detective Agency is his debut novel.
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