Published by Forge Books on August 9, 2022
I knocked Spencer Quinn a bit for his last Chet and Bernie novel because I thought he was recycling thoughts that, while amusing, Chet had shared in other novels. For those who aren’t familiar with the series, Chet is a dog. Chet narrates his adventures with his owner/partner, Bernie Little. The thoughts Quinn attributes to Chet are spot on, at least from the standpoint of humans who try to imagine what dogs think. I am happy to report that Quinn did not fish in the same pond of jokes when he wrote Bark to the Future — or if he did, he caught some new ones and threw most of the old ones back.
Bernie Little was a star pitcher in high school. Now he’s a private detective. He’s driving with Chet in his latest Porsche when he spots Rocket Saluka at a freeway exit. Rocket is a former teammate, now homeless and mentally unsound. Bernie’s attempt to help Rocket leads to a mystery that has its roots in high school. The mystery involves a switchblade that, for a time, was in Rocket’s possession. Before that, it was kept locked up by a chemistry teacher, only to be stolen.
When Rocket goes missing, Bernie follows a trail that takes him to a divorced woman he took the prom when they were in high school, the ex-husband of the woman’s deceased sister, a pastor, the chemistry teacher, the teacher’s advanced chem students, the school janitor, a prisoner, and a diving instructor. The investigation eventually gives birth to a murder mystery.
Chet keeps the action moving by chasing suspects, swimming to recover evidence, and sniffing under the table for any crumbs that might have been dropped. The plot is light-hearted and entertaining. Bernie has his moments but Chet is always the star in these novels. Apart from thinking dog thoughts and making fleeting efforts to understand the strange behavior of humans when they aren’t petting him, Chet contributes to the story by noticing things (typically scents or glimpses of people) that the reader will recognize as clues even if Chet does not. Bernie is typically clueless until he finally pieces things together. Chet doesn’t always understand the details of the plot he narrates, but he is confident that all will be well because Bernie is the smartest, strongest, kindest, and all-around best human on the planet, an opinion that is reinforced by treats and cheeseburgers.
Bernie’s rocky love life has evolved over the series, although he seems settled in with Weatherly. Chet’s love life may have produced a dog that Weatherly adopted, a dog that looks suspiciously like Chet, a dog Chet considers the most annoying dog on the planet because how could there possibly be another Chet? Spencer Quinn is back in form with Bark to the Future, making this an easy novel to recommend to dog lovers. This would be a good starting point for fans who are new to the series.
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