The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Spencer Quinn

". . . mystery, deception and absolute fun . . ."

This is the fourth book in the seriously addictive series, A Chet and Bernie Mystery. These fascinating stories focus on Chet and his constant companion, Private Detective Bernie Little. As you might imagine, Bernie and Chet are hired as a team to solve crimes, yet the beloved dog, Chet, is the true leader of this daring duo.

Chet is the narrator of our story; he has a complete understanding of the English language, is extremely intelligent, and is also a great companion to Bernie. He is very loyal, very easily distracted when he sees something worth investigating and, for the most part, always hungry. Chet is perplexed by human beings but, will give them the benefit of the doubt if Bernie says they’re tolerable. Bernie, who runs the Little Detective Agency, is Chet’s equal partner in all things.

In this tale, the Agency is hired to protect a woman from her ex-husband. However, the investigation takes a different turn when the lady’s son comes up missing while on a camping trip, which turns Chet and Bernie’s protective detail into a full-blown investigative hunt. Which is right up Chet’s alley – after all, searching for things – especially food – is Chet’s greatest skill. When the search for the boy leads to a murder victim hidden in a gold mine, Bernie and Chet suspect that their client hasn’t been entirely truthful about the reason they were hired.

Another detail affecting the Agency’s job is that there is a ‘plot’ in the works by some small town policemen, to separate Chet and Bernie…forever. And just to make sure that things are truly interesting, along with the missing child case comes a stray puppy who shows up at their home looking suspiciously like Chet.

It is no wonder that this series is so popular. Very few authors are able to take intrigue, perception, and intelligence and ‘wrap’ it in mystery, deception and absolute fun – but that is exactly what Spencer Quinn can do!

Chet and Bernie are wonderful characters that play on the relationship between man and Man’s Best Friend, taking the partnership to a whole new level. Chet and Bernie solve crimes and put the bad guys in jail, but mostly they remind all readers about what we truly love when it comes to our canine companions – the loyalty and unconditional love they show to their human families. Not to mention, the amount of food they can eat is almost a “Ripley’s Believe it or Not” event! Enjoy!

Reviewer: Amy E. Lignor