CAT ON A HOT TIN WOOF

4 stars out of 5

I like Bernie Little. I love his dog Chet a lot. I’m way more fond of cats than dogs (sorry, Chet), and it’s a cat, after all, that gets this story rolling. But this particular adventure somehow needed another wheel or two to keep it on its usual entertaining fast track.

That doesn’t mean, however, that it moves along slowly; just like all the other books in this wonderful series (this is the 16th), it’s always a treat to get Chet’s take on the situation, and Chet isn’t known for dragging his feet (wagging his tail, maybe, but that means something entirely different). And when was the last time you got to see the world of a private detective through the eyes of a pooch who flunked out of K-9 school on the last day of training (blame that, too, on a cat)? No, it’s more that the plot itself was a bit less interesting to me than most of the others.

Here, Bernie’s Little Detective Agency has taken on the job, albeit reluctantly, of finding a missing cat. Miss Kitty, though, is no average feline; she’s a social media sensation, thanks to her owner, teenage Bitty. She lives with her mother Evelyn, and together they’re looking at raking in some serious and much-needed cash from sponsors. Up to now, Miss Kitty has had purrfect attendance in her media appearances, but suddenly she’s nowhere to be found. Bitty and her mom have been diligent in keeping doors and windows locked, so how on earth did she get out? More to the point, where did she go, and can Bernie and Chet find her so Bitty can sign a big contract worth even more money?

At the outset, there’s one primary suspect, but that turns out to be the wrong choice. So, Bernie and Chet take off once again to follow clues that lead to unexpected encounters with still another four-legged critter – one whose unfamiliar sniffs and snorts put Chet on high alert while Bernie focuses on following the evidence left by humans who might have a grudge against Miss Kitty or her owners.

It is, as always, a merry chase that leaves readers chuckling in spots as the irrepressible Chet shares his point of view as only he can. All in all, it’s another perplexing mystery solved in a very entertaining fashion with a bit of a bang-up ending. And once again, my thanks go to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to get in on the action by way of a pre-release copy.

Cat on a Hot Tin Woof by Spencer Quinn (Minotaur Books, April 2026); 320 pp.

BARK TO THE FUTURE

4 stars out of 5

There's something about a dog narrating a story that brings a smile to my face all by itself. When said doggie has a sense of humor and a really cool human private eye for an owner, well, it makes for a don't-miss series. I won't say this one is my favorite of the bunch - it's the 13th, FYI - but as always, it made for a very entertaining few hours of reading.

It begins in an unlikely place: a highway exit ramp, where Little Detective Agency owner Bernie Little and his "partner" Chet, the lovable aforementioned canine narrator, are stopped by a scraggly looking man. As it turns out, Bernie went to high school and played on the baseball team with the guy. Bernie's efforts to provide some financial help are rebuffed, but Bernie vows to find out what happened to the guy over the years. He doesn't turn up much helpful information, and worse, his old buddy suddenly does a disappearing act.

The only real "clue" is an item the missing man had that dates back to their high school days and a particular teacher. Problem is, it may not be a clue at all; so Bernie tracks down some people from his past and starts asking questions - much to the dismay of the people being questioned. Finding out what happened to his old friend, it turns out, is much harder than hitting one over the fence. And the more he swings and misses, the greater the chance he'll be yanked out of the game - permanently.

Good job all around, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy. Now I'm in the batter's box waiting for the next pitch!

Bark to the Future by Spencer Quinn (Forge Books, August 2022); 311 pp.

IT'S A WONDERFUL WOOF

5 stars out of 5

Any tale narrated by a pooch - even one who flunked out of K-9 training on the final day - is just too good to pass up, IMHO. And for sure I haven't; several entries in this series (this one makes a dozen) have kept me entertained for years now. Kept in check - well, for the most part - by Bernie Little, owner of the Little Detective Agency, the intensely loyal and intelligent-beyond-his-species four-legged Chet goes about his business of helping his owner solve crimes.

This one immerses the dynamic duo in the world of art - admittedly not a familiar subject for either of them. On top of trying to keep the business afloat, Bernie is hoping that his relationship with beautiful police sergeant Weatherly Wavneka will pick up steam (on this issue, Bernie has Chet's unwavering support even if it means he has to deal with her dog Trixie). The whole mess begins when Bernie turns down a job from what would be a new client and refers the guy to an old friend, Victor Klovsky. Not long thereafter, Victor's mother calls Bernie to say her son has gone missing - and adds that Victor had just started working on the case Bernie sent his way.

The obvious place to start is to find Victor's new client - the one who originally wanted Bernie to take his case. Problem is, that guy has turned up missing as well. With some digging - pun intended - Bernie and Chet find themselves at the ruins of an old Spanish mission, now just a crumbling building and the site of informal archeological digs. That, in turn, leads Bernie into the unfamiliar world of art history (not to mention some serious danger and a dead body or two). 

Throughout it all, there's Chet's ongoing "take" on what's happening, providing doggie insights and a few chuckles. Chalk up another fun adventure well done. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

It's a Wonderful Woof by Spencer Quinn (Forge Books, October 2021); 272 pp.

TENDER IS THE BITE

4 stars out of 5

When a pooch is allowed to take over the job of story narrator, things quickly go to the dogs. In this case, it's Chet - canine companion of private eye Bernie Little - who does his usual job of helping his human partner solve cases, interspersing his reactions to real danger with the humorous "Chet-icisms" that make him so lovable.

This is a favorite series of mine, although I must say this isn't my favorite entry (no particular reason, I guess, except that the plot and characters, with the exception of Bernie and Chet, just weren't as interesting to me as usual. As this one kicks off, Bernie discovers that a woman is following him as he is driving around (with Chet riding shotgun, as always). Finally, he stops and she pulls in front of him and says she needs help - but then second thoughts creep in, apparently, and she drives off again. Curious, Bernie sets out to find her.

When Bernie gets a physical address, he and Chet stop; another woman living there takes off as well, leaving behind her pet ferret named Griffie (much to the consternation of Chet, who isn't exactly thrilled with the prospect of giving up his catbird car seat to the wiggly critter, much less living with him). At another stop, though, a man swoops down on Bernie's convertible and sweeps up Griffie. Chet's delighted to be done with him, but Bernie's curious enough to decide to start detecting even though nobody is paying him.

The chase leads to at least one dead body, several serious threats to the lives of Bernie and Chet and to a police officer named Weatherly, who has a dog that has markings eerily similar to Chet. A coincidence? Maybe, maybe not; you'll have to read the book to find out. As for me, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for once again allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy of the latest installment in this thoroughly entertaining series.

Tender is the bite by Spencer Quinn (Forge Books, July 2021); 272 pp.

OF MUTTS AND MEN

4 stars out of 5

Absolutely love this series - Bernie Little, private eye, is a pretty cool character. But he pales in comparison to his canine companion, Chet - who narrates the books from his wonderful doggie perspective and canine sense of humor. He's also smart as a whippet, even if he did flunk out of K-9 training school on his final day (blame it on an errant cat).

When Bernie is called to a meeting with Wendell Nero, a hydrologist and professor at a local college about a possible job, it turns into a worst-case scenario: Professor Nero is in his trailer in a remote desert area, all right, but he's quite dead. Not long afterward, a man known to have been in the professor's trailer is found, and charged with the murder. Problem is, Bernie is pretty sure they've got the wrong killer.

Bernie is hired by Wendell's three ex-wives (largely so they can divvy up his estate), so Bernie and Chet begin sniffing around - with Chet wagging his tail and trying his best to figure out what Bernie wants him to do (sometimes that happens, sometimes not). Bernie wants some advice from an old sheriff friend, but when Bernie lets Chet spend the night with the man, it doesn't end well as a couple of dognappers swoop in and whisk Chet away.

Looking around the murder scene, Bernie spies a vineyard that's thriving despite the obvious lack of water, while Chet smells water and tries to convey his discovery to Bernie. Much more than that would spoil things for other readers, so I'll just leave it at that. I will say this isn't my favorite of the series, but it's mostly because the plot just didn't grab me as much. That said, I chuckled and teared up at moments appropriate to humans as always. If you love lovable pooches, fun and the art of the chase, I strongly suggest that you give this book (and the series as a whole - this is the 10th) a try. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-publication copy.

Of Mutts and Men by Spencer Quinn (Forge Books, July 2020); 304 pp.

WOOF

5 stars out of 5

Okay, so why in the world is a grandmother of four reading a book written for elementary school kids? First of all, I'm a huge proponent of anything that kick-starts youngsters on what I hope is a lifetime course of reading. I have immense admiration for best-selling authors who write for that market (the Maximum Ride and Virals series by James Patterson and Kathy Reichs, respectively, for instance). I've read at least one book in both of those series and highly recommend them, BTW.

Now comes Spencer Quinn, author of a favorite series of mine for grown-ups: the Chet and Bernie mysteries that follow the adventures of private investigator Bernie and his police K-9 school flunk-out, the lovable Chet. Told from the dog's perspective, they never fail to bring a few chuckles along with a good story. Noted author Stephen King probably put it when writing about this novel, "Spencer Quinn speaks two languages - suspense and dog - fluently."

When I found it, then, giving it a go was a no-brainer. The concept is virtually identical to the adult series, except Bernie has been replaced by an 11-year-old girl - Birdie - who gets a pooch with an uncertain background as a birthday present and names him Bowser (rather an unoriginal name for a dog, but she's 11, after all, and it makes for an alliterative title). Like Chet, Bowser maintains an amusing banter as he narrates what's going on in the world as he sees (and smells) it.

The mystery begins when Birdie's grandmother's prized stuffed marlin, Black Jack, turns up missing - apparently stolen. Birdie lives with her mother, who works during the day, next door to her grandmother, who owns a fishing and boat tour store on the Louisiana bayou - where the marlin was hanging on a wall. But it's not just any old stuffed fish; no, this one has a story behind it (well, behind an eye, to be more precise). That's where, it's been rumored for decades, a treasure map had been concealed many years ago.

The primary suspect, at least from Birdie's perspective, is the owner of a rival store in the same little community. But when Birdie tries to get information about the treasure from her mother and grandmother, she gets stonewalled and decides to take the investigation into her own hands. She's got Bowser now, you see, so what could possibly go wrong?

All in all, this is a real charmer that, IMHO, will appeal to the intended age group as well as light-hearted readers like me (it's a big plus that, like Patterson and Reichs, Quinn never talks down to the younger audience; no "see the pretty choo-choo" here, thank you very much). Since I can find no evidence to the contrary, I'm assuming this is the series debut, and I certainly hope there will be more.

A further note: Besides the "talking" dog angle, I discovered another reason this book is so well done; this ain't Spencer Quinn's first grade-school rodeo. As Peter Abrahams, he's penned at least three books in the award-winning Echo Falls series for middle-school students which - be still my feminist heart - also features a strong female lead. I just may have to take a look at those as well (sigh)!

Woof by Spencer Quinn (Scholastic Press, April 2015); 304 pp.

PAW AND ORDER

4 stars out of 5

Woof, woof, woof, woof - make that 4 stars for the 7th installment in the life of Chet, the lovable pooch whose equally lovable owner, Bernie, operates the Little Detective Agency (Little is his last name). Chet - who narrates each of the books in the series, all of which I've read - flunked out of K-9 school on the last day (he claims a cat was at fault).

In addition to being rooted in a good story, the books are a hoot because of Chet's take on things. Throughout, there are doggie "asides" to make you smile (well, they never fail to put a grin on my face, at least). Here's a sample, straight from the pooch's mouth:

"I've always been interested in toilets, by the way., Sometimes you can find the very freshest water in them - and sometimes not."

This one mostly takes place in Washington, D.C., where Bernie's love interest, Suzie, has moved to take a job at the Washington Post as a reporter. Lonesome and wanting to resolve some of the issues that were in play when she left, Bernie heads across the country for an unexpected visit. His greeting isn't quite as warm as he'd hoped for; it seems Suzie is ferreting out details for a big story, but she can't reveal any details. Early on, Bernie has a run-in with some beefed up jerks, one of Suzie's friends turns up dead and Bernie is arrested for the murder.

In the end, though, the best I could muster for this one is 4 stars despite the chuckles it elicited. For one thing, the plot was more difficult to follow than that of other books. For another, while I love Chet's narratives, they're a little too repetitive and a little too lengthy here than in the others. Still, if you're looking for a mystery on the lighter side, this - and any of the other six - should fill the bill nicely.

Paw and Order by Spencer Quinn (Altria Books, August 2014); 320 pp.