Dog On It: a Chet and Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn ISBN 978141658548
Okay, I know that I don’t sound all that critical about books and most of my thoughts here are pretty positive. The thing is I can enjoy books on many different levels and, in my opinion, I can say something positive even if the book just has a great cover!
But this book was wonderful and I am so eager to read the second book and look forward to September when the third book comes out. My “to read list” is huge, but I will make time for these books and that says a lot!
Chet flunked out of police K-9 school all because of a cat and somehow he ended up living with Bernie who used to be a cop but is now a private investigator. The voice of Chet is authentic and rough — a large dog who lives in the moment and knows how to stop a ‘perp’ with a simple growl. He is very attentive to smells and action and often goes to sleep during conversation. As a mystery reader who is used to gleaning information through dialogue this was a little hard to get used to, however after the first chapter it really didn’t matter and you learned enough to keep fascinated by the story-line.
A teenage girl is missing and Bernie receives a frantic phone call from a mother. The first time he is called and he goes over to start the investigation, the daughter comes in late having seen “a movie with her history class”. But shortly Bernie receives a second phone call and it is not so quickly solved.
This book is a great mystery and comes highly recommended for any mystery lover, especially if you enjoy dogs and their antics. Oh and by the way, the cover is cool!
From Amazon.com
From Booklist
*Starred Review* An exciting new mystery series debuts with this first Chet and Bernie novel. Chet the Jet is a dog who failed K-9 school (cats in the open country played a role in his demise), but now he is a dedicated PI and works with Bernie, owner of the Little Detective Agency. The story is told entirely from Chet’s point of view, which will delight dog-loving mystery readers, but the book is also an excellent PI tale, dogs aside, as Chet and Bernie investigate the disappearance of a teenage girl whose developer dad may be up to no good. Chet may not understand things like maps (he doesn’t need them, as he can sniff his way home), but he is a great sleuth who finds the girl and solves the case. The always upbeat Chet may well be one of the most appealing new detectives on the block, but conscientious, kind, and environmentally aware Bernie is a close runner-up. Excellent and fully fleshed primary and secondary characters, a consistently doggy view of the world, and a sprightly pace make this a not-to-be-missed debut. Essential for all mystery collections and for dog lovers everywhere. –Jessica Moyer –This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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