Bark to the Future by Spencer Quinn

(Chet and Bernie Mystery #13)

320 pages / 9 hrs, 13 mins

"When Chet the dog, “the most lovable narrator in all of crime fiction” ( Boston Globe ), and his human partner, PI Bernie Little, are approached by a down-and-out older man with a cardboard sign at an exit ramp, Bernie is shocked to discover the man is a former teammate from his high school baseball team. Chet and Bernie take Rocket out for a good meal, and later, Bernie investigates Rocket’s past, trying to figure out what exactly went wrong.

"Then, Rocket goes suspiciously missing. With his former teammate likely in danger, Bernie goes back to his old high school for answers, where much that he remembers turns out not to be true―and there are powerful and dangerous people not happy with the questions Bernie is asking.

"Bernie soon learns that he misunderstood much about his high school years – and now, Chet and Bernie are plunged into a dangerous case where the past isn’t dead and the future could be fatal."  --from the publisher

I love this series, and this installment was very entertaining. Four out of five stars for me.

Tender is the Bite by Spencer Quinn

 (Chet and Bernie Mystery #11)

272 pages / 8 hrs, 51 mins

"Chet and Bernie are contacted by a terribly scared young woman who seems to want their help. Before she can even tell them her name, she flees in panic. But in that brief meeting Chet sniffs out an important secret about her, a secret at the heart of the mystery he and Bernie set out to solve.

"It's a case with no client and no crime and yet great danger, with the duo facing a powerful politician who has a lot to lose. Their only hope lies with a ferret named Griffie who adores Bernie. Is there room for a ferret in the Chet and Bernie relationship? That's the challenge Chet faces, the biggest of his career. Hanging in the balance are the lives of two mistreated young women and the future of the whole state."  --from the publisher

Love these stories! I give it four out of five stars.

Of Mutts and Men by Spencer Quinn

(Chet and Bernie Mystery #10)
301 pages / 8 hrs, 46 mins

"When Chet the dog, "the most lovable narrator in all of crime fiction" (Boston Globe), and his partner, PI Bernie Little of the desert-based Little Detective Agency, arrive to a meeting with hydrologist Wendell Nero, they are in for a shocking sight--Wendell has come to a violent and mysterious end. What did the hydrologist want to see them about? Is his death a random robbery, or something more? Chet and Bernie, working for nothing more than an eight-pack of Slim Jims, are on the case.

"Bernie might be the only one who thinks the police have arrested the wrong man, including the perp's own defense attorney. Chet and Bernie begin to look into Wendell's work, a search that leads to a struggling winemaker who has received an offer he can't refuse. Meanwhile, Chet is smelling water where there is no water, and soon Chet and Bernie are in danger like never before."  --from the publisher

Such fun books! Pure entertainment. I give it four out of five stars.

Heart of Barkness by Spencer Quinn

 (Chet and Bernie Mystery #9)

304 pages / 8 hrs, 56 mins

"Chet the dog, “the most lovable narrator in all of crime fiction” (Boston Globe) and P.I. Bernie encounter heartache and much worse in the world of country music. They’re both music lovers, so when Lotty Pilgrim, a country singer from long ago, turns up at a local bar, they drive out to catch her act. Bernie’s surprised to see someone who was once so big performing in such a dive, and drops a C-note the Little Detective Agency can’t afford to part with into the tip jar. The C-note is stolen right from under their noses – even from under Chet’s, the nose that misses nothing – and before the night is over, it’s stolen again.

"Soon they’re working the most puzzling case of their career, a case that takes them back in time in search of old border-town secrets, and into present-day danger where powerful people want those secrets to stay hidden. Chet and Bernie find themselves sucked into a real-life murder ballad where there is no one to trust but each other." --from the publisher

Another entertaining story told by Chet the Jet, the detective pooch. I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.

Scents and Sensibility by Spencer Quinn

 (Chet and Bernie Mystery #8)

320 pages / 9 hrs, 24 mins

"In the latest entry in the immensely popular Chet and Bernie mystery series, Private Investigator Bernie Little and his canine companion Chet return home to encounter some alarming developments. First off, Bernie's wall safe normally hidden behind the waterfall picture in the office is gone, and with it Bernie's grandfather's watch, their most valuable possession. And next door, old Mr. Parsons is under investigation for being in possession of a saguaro cactus illegally transplanted from the desert. Bernie and Chet go deep into the desert to investigate. Is it possible that such a lovely old couple have a terrible secret in their past?

"Chet and Bernie discover bad things going on in the wilderness, far worse than cactus smuggling, and all connected to a strange but innocent-seeming desert festival called Arrow Bright. They unearth leads that take them back to a long-ago kidnapping that may not have been a kidnapping and threaten a ruthless and charismatic criminal with a cult following, a criminal who sees at once what Chet and Bernie mean to each other and knows how to exploit it."  --from the publisher

Another great installment in the series, but it end with Bernie's life in the balance! Oh no! I'm moving on to book nine... I give this one four out of five stars.

Paw and Order by Spencer Quinn

 (Chet and Bernie Mystery #7)

320 pages / 9 hrs, 26 mins

"Chet and Bernie pay a visit to Bernie’s girlfriend, Suzie Sanchez, a crack reporter living in far-off Washington, DC. She’s working on a big story she can’t talk about, but when her source, a mysterious Brit with possible intelligence connections, runs into trouble of the worst kind, Bernie suddenly finds himself under arrest.

"Meanwhile Chet gets to know a powerful DC operative who may or may not have the goods on an ambitious politician. Soon Chet and Bernie are sucked into an international conspiracy, battling unfamiliar forces under the blinking red eyes of a strange bird that Chet notices from the get-go but seems to have slipped by everybody else."  --from the publisher

These books are super entertaining, and I highly recommend the audiobook reader, Jim Frangione. He has the perfect inflection and tone for Chet, Bernie's partner who happens to be a dog. I give this one four out of five stars.

The Sound and the Furry by Spencer Quinn

 (Chet and Bernie Mystery #6)

320 pages / 9 hrs, 44 mins

"Out for a drive, Chet and Bernie run into a prison work crew featuring an old criminal friend they helped send to prison, Frenchie Boutette. From an old Louisiana family full of black sheep, Frenchie needs Bernie and Chet’s help in locating his brother, Ralph, who has disappeared with his houseboat. But before they can head off to the bayou, Bernie is attacked by a member of a strange gang called the Queiros. And though he’s tempted to take another job (with a big payday) in Alaska, Bernie and Chet set course for Louisiana.

"A reclusive inventor, Ralph is the sole law-abiding member of his family. Full of black sheep, the Boutette family has a long running feud with the no-good Robideaus and at first it seems as if Ralph’s disappearance is connected to a dispute over a load of heisted shrimp. But when Chet uncovers a buried clue, the investigation heads in a new and dangerous direction and what was a simple disappearance gets complicated as a conspiracy involving the oil business is uncovered. The more Chet and Bernie discover about Ralph, the more dangerous the job becomes and soon they’re fighting not only Big Oil, but also shadowy black ops figures, the Quieros, and Iko—a gator with an insatiable appetite." --from the publisher

This series is always entertaining since the stories are told from Chet's perspective...and he is a dog. I felt like the story was a bit disjointed, and the section where Chet is drowning went on way too long for me. I felt like I couldn't breathe! Still, I love these characters and the clever writing from a canine's perspective. I give it three out of five stars.

A Fistful of Collars by Spencer Quinn

 (Chet and Bernie Mystery #5)

320 pages / 9 hrs, 58 mins

"Hoping to bring some Tinseltown money to the Valley, the mayor lures a movie studio to town to shoot their next production, a big-budget Western in the classic tradition. The star is none other than ruggedly handsome—and notoriously badly behaved—Thad Perry. When the mayor decides that someone needs to keep an eye on Thad so that he doesn’t get into too much trouble, Bernie and Chet are handpicked for the job. The money is good but something smells fishy, and what should have been a simple matter of babysitting soon gets more complicated—especially when they discover that Thad has a mysterious connection to the Valley that nobody wants to talk about. What kind of secret could Thad have left behind when he went to Hollywood to seek fame and fortune? The only people who might know the answer have a bad habit of turning up dead before they can talk." --from the publisher

These are so much fun. I love all the "dog thoughts" as Chet tells the story. I give it three out of five stars.

The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Spencer Quinn

 (Chet and Bernie Mystery #4)

320 pages / 10 hrs, 18 mins

"Bernie is invited to give the keynote speech at the Great Western Private Eye Convention, but it's Chet that the bigshot P.I. in charge has secret plans for. Meanwhile Chet and Bernie are hired to find a kid who has gone missing from a wilderness camp in the high country.

"The boy's mother thinks the boy's father, her ex, has snatched the boy, but Chet makes a find that sends the case in a new and dangerous direction.

"As if that weren't enough, matters get complicated at home when a stray puppy that looks suspiciously like Chet shows up. Affairs of the heart collide with a job that's never been tougher, requiring our two intrepid sleuths to depend on each other as never before."  --from the publisher

Once again, Quinn delivers a skillful, suspenseful mystery with plenty of humor from Chet. Since Chet is a dog, his perspective can be quite insightful and entertaining. I give it four out of five stars.

To Fetch a Thief by Spencer Quinn

 (Chet and Bernie Mystery #3)

307 pages / 9 hrs, 47 mins

"In this third book in the brilliant mystery series, Chet and Bernie go under the big top to solve the most unlikely missing persons (and animals!) case ever.

"Chet has smelled a lot of unusual things in his years as trusted companion and partner to P.I. Bernie Little, but nothing has prepared him for the exotic scents he encounters when an old-fashioned traveling circus comes to town. Bernie scores tickets because his son is crazy about elephants. The only problem is that Peanut, the headlining pachyderm, has gone missing—along with her trainer. Stranger still, no one saw them leave. How does an elephant vanish without a trace?" --from the publisher

These are such fun books with Chet (the dog) telling the stories. If you like dogs and mysteries with humor, you'll enjoy this series. I give it four out of five stars, but that may be a bit generous.

Thereby Hangs a Tail by Spencer Quinn

 (Chet and Bernie Mystery #2)

320 pages / 9 hrs, 24 mins

"What first seems like a walk in the park to wise and lovable canine narrator Chet and his human companion Bernie "to investigate threats made against a pretty, pampered show dog" turns into a serious case when Princess and her owner are abducted. To make matters worse, Bernie's on-again, off-again girlfriend, reporter Susie Sanchez, disappears too. When Chet is separated from Bernie, he's on his own to put the pieces together, find his way home, and save the day."  --from the publisher

These are told from the dog's perspective, and are very entertaining. The mystery involved some colorful characters and was written well. I give it four out of five stars.