Dog On It by Spencer Quinn

Wendy: First in a series, this book is a definite first and absolutely delightful. Chet, the hero, is of undetermined breed, loyally and lovingly at the side of Bernie, his master. Unlike many other mysteries, this one is solved largely by the sense of smell with a huge dose of love for master. Chet admits seeing things more accurately in black and white then color and he applies that to various characters with either positive or negative results.

Chet is the narrator of the story which is told totally from his perspective with sometimes sad and sometimes hilarious results. His descriptions of riding shotgun in a Porsche and checking out various smells were enough to make the most somber reader chuckle. Chet's joy at leaping through the air and rousting the criminals is wonderful. Chet has no idea of the concept of time, lots of trouble with memory of events but a heart as big as gold. He also has one black ear and one white ear and is sensitive to comments about them.

Dog On It is the first in a series with two more already on book shelves. I can't wait. I found myself reading dog quotes out loud to other people just as if a person were talking. This book was at the Thompson Public Library, is available in hardcover, trade paper and E-Book form. I am off to get the second one as soon as the library opens.

Sue: This is the first time in our journey that Wendy & I both picked the same book to read for the alphabet author. I immediately became infatuated with Chet the Dog and the unique vantage point of a story told by a dog. Now this is no silly story with talking animals. Yes Chet talks to you as narrator, but it's a unique perspective and Chet speaks to no one else but you. The story begins as a search for a missing teen which leads Chet and his detective friend Bernie on a wild chase among a host of unsavory characters. At one point Chet is dog napped and then later rescued by a motorcycle gang who take him to a local animal shelter. The image of a wild and wooly shepherd type dog strapped to the back of a Harley is a chuckle that will stay with you throughout the book and is totally befitting Chet and his animal persona. This is a great series with humor, a view of the world from the ground up, and the sights and smells of a crime by a dog named Chet. You will not be disappointed and ready to grab onto the next one in the series.