Chihuahua of the Baskervilles by Esri Allbritten, a Mysterious Review.

Review: The staff of the magazine Tripping — there are only three … and two of them are contract — head off to report on the sighting of a ghostly apparition in the quaint Colorado town of Manitou Springs in Chihuahua of the Baskervilles, the first mystery in this series by Esri Allbritten.

Tripping specializes in reporting on paranormal events, particularly those that occur in vacation destinations. (It's good for advertising.) Angus MacGregor, its senior reporter and editor — and only full-time employee — had thought the magazine had shut down when his financial partner, Len Pendergast, calls with the good news. Pendergast has hired two people to accompany Angus to Manitou Springs: Suko Otta, a photographer, and Michael Abernathy, a writer/graphic designer. The story they're to cover involves the Baskerville family … yes, those Baskervilles, the ones famous for designer clothes for tiny dogs. Charlotte Baskerville insists she's seen the spirit of Petey, the now departed chihuahua, whose pictures turned the boutique company into a nationally famous retail establishment. Well, that and an article in a Hollywood newspaper featuring the dog. Charlotte isn't sure why Petey has returned from the dead, and quite frankly Angus doesn't care; it's a story the readers of Tripping will love.

Chihuahua of the Baskervilles is a delightfully entertaining, darkly comic mystery, not necessarily one to make readers laugh out loud but definitely one that will have readers smiling quite a bit. It is not, as some may think, a paranormal mystery per se. The down-to-earth, solid as a rock, at times — OK, mostly — cynical Angus MacGregor is a wonderful contrast to the sometimes zany antics of those he's reporting on. And in an unusual narrative twist, the town of Manitou Springs itself may be quirkier than its residents, what with its annual Emma Crawford Coffin Race providing the exciting backdrop for the climax to the story.

The premise for this series is a terrific one, and it will be a real treat to follow Angus and the Tripping team on to their next vacation spot for fans of the paranormal.

Acknowledgment: Minotaur Books provided a copy of Chihuahua of the Baskervilles for this review.

Chihuahua of the Baskervilles

A Tripping Magazine Mystery by Esri Allbritten