The Sound and the Furry: A Chet and Bernie Mystery (The Chet and Bernie Mystery Series)
Spencer Quinn, pseudonym for award-winning adult and youth writer Peter Abrahams, continues his clever, dog-narrated private-eye series with a strong sixth volume. Canine narrator Chet and human PI Bernie head to Louisiana to find a missing nephew of a criminal they previously put away. Ralph is the straight arrow in the crazy Boutette family, but no one has heard from him or seen him recently. Chet uncovers clues right and left, but readers are left to interpret them amid his musings on his next meal. Humor scores every scene, and while Chet’s thoughts are not linear, they are clear enough to derive what has happened, usually before the human characters do. Bernie, while sharp, needs Chet to find Ralph’s glasses and to protect him when they are both viciously attacked. A missing shipment of shrimp and an intertwined family web of blackmail and crime keep the private-eye team guessing until Chet forces Bernie to see what is going on in a decidedly sinister situation. This will appeal to fans of dog mysteries and possibly even to any mystery fan who doesn’t mind the occasional talking pooch. --Amy Alessio