role: the town dog
Mornings in Cornwall start before the doors open.
I make my rounds while the town is still quiet, when the air holds onto the night, and everything smells the way it’s supposed to. No distractions. No people rushing past. Just the steady rhythm of the place.
I stop where I always stop—front steps, back alleys, the corner near the square. Most days, it’s the same. Familiar. Settled.
But sometimes, it isn’t.
Sometimes something feels… off.
Not wrong, exactly. Just not the way it should be.
Those are the days I pay closer attention.
By midmorning, people are out and about. Doors open. Voices carry. I drift where I’m needed—never in a hurry, never for long. Someone always drops a kind word, or something better.
Penelope notices more than most. She doesn’t always understand right away, but she listens. That matters.
Not everyone does.
Afternoons are quieter again. The town settles back into itself. Whatever needed noticing has usually already made itself known—if you knew where to look.
Evenings are for checking once more.
Just to be sure.
Because in a place like Cornwall, things don’t always stay where they belong.
And when they don’t…
I find them.
DEAD AT FIRST BARK
Series: A Cornwall Loom & Bark Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: April 2026
Format: Digital, Print
Purchase Link
In Cornwall, even the quietest threads can lead to trouble—and the town dog always knows where to look.
When a scruffy stray with a habit of finding trouble leads her cousin straight to a dead body, loom shop owner Penelope Penrose knows life in the quiet town of Cornwall is about to get complicated.
Known as the town dog, Jory has a knack for turning up where he shouldn’t. So when a young barista is found dead and Penelope’s cousin becomes the prime suspect, Penelope can’t help but start asking questions the police would rather she didn’t.
As whispers of a long-hidden diamond resurface, Penelope discovers Cornwall’s charming streets hide dangerous secrets—and someone is desperate to keep them buried. With time running out, she must untangle the truth and protect the people she loves, guided by a dog who always seems to know when something isn’t right.
Meet the author
Cindy Kirk writes cozy mysteries and character-driven fiction set in small towns where community matters—and secrets don’t stay buried for long. Her stories blend warmth, connection, and gentle mystery, including the Cornwall Loom & Bark series featuring a town dog who always seems to know when something isn’t quite right. When she isn’t writing, Cindy can often be found catering to her elderly cat or imagining the kinds of towns readers wish they could visit—and maybe stay awhile.