The White Shepherd

August 31, 2015
Children’s and YA author Dalton (Nightmaze) makes her intriguing, though somewhat contrived, adult debut with the first in a canine mystery series set in Oxford, England. On a walk in the park, Anna Hopkins, an Oxford University administrator, and her white shepherd, Bonnie, come across the bloody corpse of an acquaintance, Naomi Evans, who agreed to help Anna trace Bonnie’s history before the dog was left in an animal shelter. Anna, who has avoided other people ever since returning home one night 16 years earlier to find her family slaughtered by a still-unidentified killer, soon opens up to the two fellow dog walkers who rush to the crime scene after hearing her screams: Tansy Lavelle, who works in a vegan café, and Isadora Salzman, who says she’s half-Russian and hence “genetically wired to babble.” The plot, which involves a hunt for a serial killer and includes a love interest for Anna, follows predictable lines, but dog lovers should be satisfied.

October 1, 2015

Anna Hopkins is walking Bonnie, her white German Shepherd, through Oxford's picturesque Port Meadow when they come across the corpse of a woman she had just recently met. Why would someone murder researcher Naomi Evans? As Anna investigates with fellow dog walkers Isadora Salzman and Tansy Lavelle, she discovers Naomi may have known too much about certain people who had a lot to lose if their secrets surfaced. Anna is also trying to cope with a childhood trauma that scarred her life. Then there is Jake McCaffrey, Bonnie's former owner, who is very interested in reconnecting with the animal, especially if it includes a relationship with Anna. VERDICT YA author Dalton makes her adult mystery debut with this classic British whodunit; its canine element will delight Susan Conant and Laurien Berenson fans.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2015
Best known for her YA novels, Dalton now offers her first adult thriller. Sixteen years ago, teenager Anna Hopkins found her entire family brutally slaughtered. The killer was never found. Suffering from survivor's guilt, she has struggled to get her life back on track but seems now to have turned the corner. Then the nightmare begins anew when Anna stumbles upon the battered body of her friend, Naomi. Two women, Tansy and Isadora, appear on the scene just after Anna's grisly discovery, and the women team up to support each other during the investigation. The police conclude that Naomi was a victim of the Oxford Ripper, but Anna and her friends aren't so sure. While Anna is reluctant to re-experience the horror she felt when her family was murdered, she finds herself drawn into the case. As the story weaves its way toward a shocking conclusion, readers will find themselves rooting hard for Anna to somehow find the normal life she has so far been denied. An inventive plot, charismatic characters, and even some black humor combine to make this a good choice for suspense junkies.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)