The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Spencer Quinn, a Mysterious Review.

Review: Bernie Little is attending the Great Western Private Eye Convention, where he is a keynote speaker, when his trip is interrupted with an assignment to be a temporary bodyguard for a young woman in The Dog Who Knew Too Much, the fourth mystery in this series by Spencer Quinn.

Anya Vereen hires Bernie — and, of course, Chet — to accompany her to pick up her son from a nearby camp. Her ex-husband may or may not be there at the same time, and although she doesn't necessarily fear she's in any physical danger, she feels more comfortable if someone was there with her. But when the arrive at the campsite, not only is her ex-husband not there, her son Devin is not there either. The counselors tell her that they believe he had left his tent sometime in the night and either wandered off on his own or possibly was chased off by the camp bullies. Anya, however, has another theory, that her ex snatched him away. Chet's nose is given the chore of locating Devin, which leads him to a fork in the road: one way leads to an old mine complete with a miner and shotgun, the other to a more sinister discovery. But neither leads to Devin.

The partnership between Bernie and Chet is both poignant and entertaining, with a "literal" aspect that is clever and funny. It's a treat to follow along with them on whatever case they're investigating. The important point here is that as characters, Bernie tends to balance Chet (and vice versa), and together they're a good team. But when Chet is alone and rambling to himself, the narrative slows down, tends to drift well off topic, and though it may generate a chuckle or two, it typically goes on far too long. Still, the mystery storyline is well crafted if not altogether mysterious or suspenseful, with The Dog Who Knew Too Much generally being a most enjoyable way to pass the time.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The Dog Who Knew Too Much.

Acknowledgment: Simon & Schuster provided a copy of The Dog Who Knew Too Much for this review.

To Fetch a Thief
Atria Books (Hardcover), September 2010
ISBN-13: 9781439157077; ISBN-10: 1439157073

A Fistful of Collars
Atria Books (Hardcover), September 2012
ISBN-13: 9781451665161; ISBN-10: 1451665164

The Dog Who Knew Too Much

A Chet and Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn