Paw and Order by Spencer Quinn

Published by Atria Books on August 5, 2014

Bernie and Suzie have had misunderstandings in past novels, but serious problems loom when Bernie and Chet show up unexpectedly at Suzie's apartment in D.C. and meet Eben St. John, who seems to be on very friendly terms with Bernie's girlfriend. Suzie explains that she's interviewing St. John for a story she's writing, but when she visits his office tne next morning and finds that he's been shot to death, the police (and Bernie) wonder why St. John was confessing his feelings about Suzie in his diary. Their conflict is upsetting to Chet, but Chet is even more bewildered by a strange bird he keeps seeing that has no wings or eyes. Of course, Bernie doesn't see it because Bernie, with his limited human senses, never notices anything that Chet regards as important -- like squirrels and hidden food. Did I mention that Chet is a dog?

Bernie's problems are compounded when the gun that killed St. John turns out to be a gun that Bernie had handled, leaving his fingerprints for the police to find. It naturally becomes Bernie's mission to find St. John's killer and therein lies the plot. All Bernie knows is that St. John had a contact who possessed information that could change the course of history and that St. John was preparing to share his secret -- and who knows what else? -- with Suzie. Somehow Bernie winds up chumming around with a presidential candidate (difficult to avoid that in D.C.) as he tries to deduce the reason for the murder and the killer's identity.

The plot is reasonably strong, offering light entertainment and modest surprises, but the point of a Chet and Bernie novel is not so much the plot as it is the chance to enter Chet's world. Chet always narrates these novels and his thought process always makes the novels worth reading. Chet's thinking is quite literal (he's still trying to understand "don't let the tail wag the dog" and is a little concerned it might happen to him). He has a short attention span, he's easily distracted, and he's no fan of horses ("prima donnas, each and every one"), foxes, or most other non-dog animals. He has a poor memory for things like obedience commands, but an excellent memory for scents, treat locations, and people who know how to administer a good scratch. He's enormously frustrated when he spots a clue and Bernie doesn't understand why he's making a fuss, but Chet always manages to contribute something worthwhile to the investigation -- while contributing good humor for the reader's benefit. This is a formula that never gets tired. I would rate Paw and Order as one of the better Chet and Bernie novels on the strength of its fast-moving, amusing plot, but thanks to Chet, all of the novels are good -- at least for readers who love dogs.

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The Sound and the Furry by Spencer Quinn

Published by Atria Books on September 10, 2013

Chet continues his literal-minded (and dog-minded) commentary on life in The Sound and the Furry. Chet doesn’t like thunderstorms but he loves to ride in boats. He can’t understand why birds are so unfriendly. He doesn’t recommend grubs, edible though they are, but a roast beef sandwich is a tasty meal.

Ralph, the only member of the Boutette family who isn’t behind bars or on electronic monitoring, is missing. For reasons that Bernie understands better than Chet, Bernie agrees to find him. Chet knows it’s the right thing to do because Bernie always does the right thing. The new adventure takes Chet and Bernie to New Orleans, where they encounter a shrimp heist (Chet is fond of shrimp), an oil spill, and a family feud. The plot is more complex than some of the Chet and Bernie novels, meaning that much of what’s happening is going over Chet’s head. But, as Chet likes to remind us, he brings other things to the table. Figuring things out is Bernie’s game.

Of course, the plot of a Chet and Bernie is always secondary to Chet’s canine commentary. The breezy nature of the Chet and Bernie novels makes them easy to read. The bad guys are generally affable. Most of them even like Chet, so they can’t be all bad. This is nonetheless a more harrowing adventure than most for Chet. A couple of bad guys who aren’t dog-friendly give Chet a hard time, adding some tension to the story, as does an alligator. Fortunately, nothing can change Chet’s upbeat nature. Bernie is also part of the story, and he’s again getting himself into trouble with girlfriend Suzie for reasons that Chet (and sometimes Bernie) can’t understand, but Chet is the reason these novels are worth reading.

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A Fistful of Collars by Spencer Quinn

Published by Atria Books on September 11, 2012 

If you’re looking for a light, amusing detective story, it’s hard to beat Chester Quinn’s novels about the two partners in the Little Detective Agency:  Bernie Little and his loyal dog Chet.  Even when the plot is weak, Chet is always good for a laugh.  Fortunately for fans of the series, this is one of Quinn’s better books.

A movie is shooting on location in the Valley.  The mayor (prompted by the city’s insurance company) hires Bernie to keep an eye on the star.  Thad Perry has a taste for drugs and a knack for getting into trouble.  If the three weeks of filming pass without incident, the town will attract more filmmakers -- or so the mayor believes -- and the city’s insurer won’t have to pay any claims. Yet once filming begins, trouble of an unexpected nature ensues:  murder.  In the end, three murders come to light (albeit considerably separated in time) and it’s up to Bernie and Chet to determine how they are related. Bernie is in charge of deduction; Chet (as he frequently reminds the reader) brings other things to the table.

The mystery is a good one, much better than the plot that drove the previous novel in the series.  Still, the story exists largely as an excuse to give Chet something to talk about.  Chet is the narrator and, as you might expect of a dog, he has trouble staying focused.  Chet’s thoughts tend to meander (often in the direction of his next meal) but they always end up in a happy place.  Chet might ponder a profound question for a few moments -- If Bernie has a word on the tip his tongue, why can’t Chet see it? How can Bernie’s bark be worse than his bite when Bernie doesn’t bark? -- but Chet doesn’t sweat the small stuff.  His running commentary on life (“a fluffy white towel can be fun to drag around”) is hilarious.

Like all dogs, Chet enjoys eating (ribs are a favorite), napping, and riding in cars.  He has some impulse control issues, particularly when cats are around, but the beauty of Quinn’s writing lies in his illumination of the canine mind.  Bernie might think Chet is misbehaving, but Chet’s behavior is perfectly natural ... to Chet.  Whether he’s shredding the leather seats in Bernie’s new Porsche or making an uninvited leap into someone’s swimming pool, Chet’s actions always make perfect sense … to Chet.

A Fistful of Collars moves at a steady pace and features enough action and detection to satisfy mystery and light thriller fans, but the story is clearly geared to dog lovers.  This is neither a hardcore thriller nor a complex mystery.  The writing is breezy, the language is clean, and humor (invariably generated by Chet’s antics and commentary) is the animating force.  New readers can enjoy the story even if they haven’t read the earlier installments, but series fans will appreciate the mild intrigue surrounding Bernie’s changing relationship with his girlfriend.  Chet doesn't quite understand what that's all about, while readers will have to wait for the next book to learn how Bernie's romantic life will unfold.  Until then, Bernie at least has Chet at his side.

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The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Spencer Quinn

Published by Atria Books on September 6, 2011

A detective story narrated by a dog.  What could be better?  Apart from his impressive understanding of the English language and his ability to narrate books, Chet is very much a dog:  loyal, forgetful, easily distracted, always hungry, fascinated by odors and averse to loud noises, often puzzled by humans but usually willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.  Chet prefers a clear head to deep thought.  He’s a literal thinker:  when he hears that someone is wearing ratty clothing, Chet looks for the rats; when he hears he’s in a one-horse town, Chet looks for the horse; when someone comments that a character’s behavior stinks, Chet wonders why he can’t smell it.

Chet’s partner in the Little Detective Agency is Bernie Little. Bernie is hired to protect a woman from her ex-husband.  The mission changes when the woman’s son disappears on a camping trip.  With Chet’s help, Bernie searches for the missing boy (searching for things, particularly hot dogs, is a task at which Chet excels).  When the search leads to the discovery of a murder victim in a gold mine, Bernie begins to suspect that the woman hasn’t been wholly truthful about the reason he was hired.  A conspiracy is soon unveiled that threatens to separate Chet from Bernie.  As the story progresses, Chet has some solo adventures while maintaining a stream of consciousness commentary on items of interest to the canine nation.

This isn’t the kind of book you want to overanalyze.  Spencer Quinn has a dry sense of humor that matches my own.  He’s a keen observer of dogs; his take on how dogs think kept me laughing from the first page to the last.  The Dog Who Knew Too Much is meant as an entertaining romp and that’s the spirit in which I enjoyed it.  This is apparently the fourth in a series of Chet and Bernie books.  I’m so in love with Chet it made me want to read them all.

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