A nice review for Brownlow

BROWNLOW CHECKS IN
By Judy Upton
Hobart Books, £9.99
When Shoreham writer Judy Upton
brought out her first Brownlow novel
– 2022’s Sniff Them Out, Brownlow,
which introduced pet detective Sophie
Gorrage and her specialist sniffer dog – she
certainly introduced a new twist to the
cosy crime genre.
This second book, although entertaining,
is not quite as much fun as the first –
possibly because once the novelty wears
off, chasing after missing pets is never
going to be as psychologically challenging
and jeopardy-laden as a human murder
inquiry, ‘cosy’ or not.
Nevertheless, when two pampered cats
are snatched on successive nights from a
very upmarket cat hotel in Sussex, the trail
leads the sleuths to Paris, where Sophie
and Brownlow’s activities soon come to the
attention of some unscrupulous criminals.
With no real connection to be made
either between the two thefts or to the
threatening suspects – and results
urgently called for by both the owners
and Sophie’s client – the hotel proprietor,
the pressure is on – slightly.
A gentle read – perhaps what’s needed
if you’re still recovering from the excesses
of the festive season