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.