"Thereby Hangs a Tail: A Chet and Bernie Mystery" by Spencer Quinn, 2010, Atria Books, $25, hardbound, 309 pages
Told from the point of view of a dog named Chet, "Thereby Hangs a Tail" is the second of a series, but stands alone in its ability to be read. It's the story of a private investigator by the name of Bernie Little and his canine partner trying to solve a kidnapping mystery.
The persons kidnapped are Adelina Borghese and her prize-winning little dog, Princess, both taken just after Chet and Bernie are fired from their job as bodyguards for the two.
Intrigued by the case, Bernie is willing – Chet less so – to solve the kidnapping whether they get paid to or not. Fortunately, they are paid, partly in advance, by Adelina's husband, Count di Borghese.
The trail leads the investigators to a ghost town, where they are ambushed and separated. Chet immediately starts off looking for Bernie, but instead finds Princess and brings her with him on his search for Bernie.
Trapped in the Arizona desert by themselves, Chet and Princess manage to survive by their wits until they find humans willing to help them. However, by the time Bernie and Chet are reunited, Princess has again gone missing, and the hunt must begin anew.
In the meantime, Bernie and Chet's close friend, Suzie, a news reporter, also goes missing, adding a personal element to the case. The situation looks quite bleak, but between Chet's nose and Bernie's intelligence (Chet maintains Bernie is always the smartest human in the room), the two start to make sense of things. The problem is, the kidnap victims' lives may be at risk.
The plot is fast-paced and filled with twists and turns, keeping the reader guessing as to what will happen next.
Chet's narrative is inventive; he tends to forget things and often repeats himself, but not to the point that the reader won't enjoy the story.
He sees the world through, of course, a dog's perspective, viewing Bernie as virtually unflawed, getting confused as to who is a bad guy and who isn't, and misunderstanding many human sayings.
Bernie is a war vet, sometimes hard, but only on the bad guys, a man with troubles Chet only partially understands but nevertheless manages to soothe. Chet himself is brave and trouble-free, looking forward to the next moment, longing for a pant leg to bite on (the sign that a case has come to a satisfactory conclusion) and always on the prowl for a dog biscuit or a cruller.
Note: Language and violence may offend some readers.
Lee's take: Has a distinctive voice.
J.J.'s take: Great for dog lovers and mystery buffs.
LEE AND J.J. MACFADDEN are twins and voracious readers living in Bristol, Tenn. E-mail them at leeandjj.doubletake@yahoo.com.
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