July 2, 2012
The pseudonymous Quinn’s fine fifth Chet and Bernie mystery (after 2011’s The Dog Who Knew Too Much) finds Bernie Little and his dog, Chet, of the Little Detective Agency, strapped for cash. Fortunately, Mayor Trimble of the Valley, their hometown in an unnamed western state, has a job for them. The avaricious mayor, who has launched a Millennial Cultural Initiative to attract the movie business, has managed to land the next blockbuster action flick featuring megastar Thad Perry. Trimble wants Bernie to keep an eye on Perry, who has a history of substance abuse. The assignment gets off to a rocky start when the actor challenges Little to a fistfight at their first meeting. Some murders that coincide with the filming ensure that the unusual detecting partners have additional work to do. Once again, Quinn (thriller author Peter Abrahams) effectively uses a dog narrator while avoiding the sentimentality that marks many animal-centered cozies. Agent: Molly Friedrich, the Friedrich Agency.
March 15, 2014
This not-to-be-missed fifth entry in the series by Quinn, pseudonym for Peter Abrahams, told from the point of view of Chet, a dog, makes for unique and at times laugh-out-loud funny detective fiction. In this outing, Chet, and Bernie, his faithful companion and PI, are "babysitting" the star of a film being shot in the Valley. Murder, mayhem, mystery, romance, friendship, and a cat named Brando combine to make a great listen. Narrator Jim Frangione once again outdoes himself in his over-the-top portrayal of our hero. VERDICT Although it can be enjoyed as a read-alone, don't miss the others in the series. Fans of Rita Mae Brown's "Sneaky Pie" series and Alexander McCall Smith's "Corduroy Mansions" entries will want to add Quinn to their reading lists. ["Although readers will be able to identify the villain before the denouement, they will enjoy the ride getting there," read the review of the Atria pb, "LJ" 7/12.]--Sandra C. Clariday, Tennessee Wesleyan Coll., Athens
Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
July 1, 2012
Quinn makes this reviewer laugh. Maybe it's because I am a dog lover, or maybe it's because he writes from the dog's point of view. Maybe it's because he is just plain funny. In their latest adventure (after The Dog Who Knew Too Much), PIs Chet (a border collie) and Bernie (his human companion) are hired to "babysit" Thad Perry, a movie star with a partying streak. Deaths occur, some mourned more than others, and Bernie finds hints that Thad has links to a cold case. As always, Chet and Bernie are true partners who love each other unconditionally. No one can come between them, and no one can put things over on them. You would think that by the fifth series title, which this is, Quinn might have run out of ideas and quips--he hasn't. VERDICT Although readers will be able to identify the villain before the denouement, they will enjoy the ride getting there. Fans of Janet Evanovich or Donna Andrews will enjoy Quinn's humorous and entertaining mysteries.--Susan Hayes, Chattahoochee Valley Libs., GA
Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
September 1, 2012
The Little Detective Agency can't afford to turn down a case, because financial problems continue to dog them. Bernie Little may be a clever detective, but he can't handle money and has a bad habit of destroying Porsches. Chet, a canine school dropout, is a loyal partner who thinks Bernie is the greatest. Luckily, Bernie and Chet are just picking out their latest used Porsche when they're offered a new job. The mayor's office of their small California town hires the pair to keep watch over Thad Perry, the star of a locally made movie that the mayor hopes will turn the area into a little Hollywood. Thad has a wild-child reputation, a drug habit and a bodyguard who's as loyal as Chet but a lot bigger. Before Bernie's reporter girlfriend, Suzie, moves to Washington, D.C., for a new job, she passes on a rumor that Thad has a history in the area. When people start to die, Bernie starts digging into the past to determine whether Thad is involved in crimes past or present. Dealing with three murders, blackmail, drugs, crooked cops and the need to keep Thad showing up for work every day is more than enough work for the clever pair, but they must end the carnival of crime as well. Chet, who continues as narrator in this exciting fifth installment of the series (The Dog Who Knew Too Much, 2011, etc.), often struggles to understand what the humans are up to but always gets it right in the end.
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September 1, 2012
In their fifth outing, Chet, the pooch narrator, and Bernie, the human PI, have a brush with fame after they agree to do babysitting duty for a notoriously difficult movie star, Thad Perry, and his cat, Brando, as a favor to the mayor, who's working hard to promote the Valley as a movie-filming destination. But both Chet and Bernie suspect something deeper is going on with Thad's cousin and personal bodyguard and the mayor's head of security (an old acquaintance from the police force), especially after the pair is found sniffing around a murder scene. Nor does Chet like the drugs he often smells on Thad (Chet did really well at the drug-sniffing part of K-9 school; well, until there was that incident with the cat . . .). Quinn's ability to get inside Chet's head continues to be what gives this series its spark. Between Chet's insightful and humorous takes on human events, the fast-paced plot, and the wealth of fascinating secondary characters, this is a fine entry in a not-to-be-missed series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)