Spencer Quinn’s Of Mutts and Men is the latest in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling series that the Los Angeles Times called “nothing short of masterful”… 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 … 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.
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I have been a Chet and Bernie fan from the start, and this is the best one yet ― suspenseful, laugh-out-loud funny in places, and surprisingly tender. Chet is a wonderful narrator ― top dog, you could say ― but he never descends to cuteness, and Bernie is as tough a PI as Spade or Marlowe, a man as quick with his .38 as he is with a Slim Jim for his sidekick. I’m already jonesing for the next one.
I am a big fan of the Little Detective Agency books. Chet, the consummate professional, the har3d boiled dog narrating the books, always provides humorous doggie insights and wisdom that make this series a standout. I often reread the books just for the joy of reviving my friendship with Chet. And Bernie is no slouch either. Having said that, its with sadness I report these is too much cute Chet humor in this book, so much so that the mystery gets lost in the background. Sadly, too much of a good thing..
I loved this book. Chet is so funny. He is a “good boy” and “a pro”, then squirrel! He Bernie and thinks he is the smartest, most wonderful human ever. Bernie and Chet are asked to visit a geologist at his work site. However, when they get to the site, the man is dead. Chet finds the first clue. The policeman who is sent to investigate is dull and has preconceived ideas of who the murderer is. Especially when Bernie and Chet find the owner of the bubble gum Chet found and the guy has the victim’s wallet. Case closed as far the the deputy is concerned.
Bernie and Chet make a great duo. Chet is always trying to reason out why Bernie does what he does, but he only gets so far. Chet has some amazing and funny ideas. The mystery was good and if Chet could talk and remember things, he and Bernie would have wrapped the murder up lickity-split. But since Chet cannot talk, Bernie has to reason it out all by himself. Easy-to-read, great mystery, and laugh-out-loud thoughts from Chet.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and offer my honest opinion on this book.
Of Mutts and Men is the tenth book in Spencer Quinn’s Chet and Bernie series. Bernie Little is the proprietor of the Little Detective Agency, and Chet, who weighs something over a hundred pounds and flunked out of K9 training on the last day (he thinks a cat may have been involved), is his loyal partner and narrator of the books. Needless to say, Chet is easily distracted (squirrel! bacon crumb!), but he’s always there when Bernie needs him, ready to grab a perp by the pant leg.
Chet and Bernie live in the Valley, in desert country somewhere between California and New Mexico, and Bernie has been worried for years about the depletion of the aquifer that provides water for the area. So when hydrographer Wendell Nero invites him to see something interesting in Dollhouse Canyon, Bernie is intrigued. Unfortunately, all he finds in Nero’s RV office is the scientist’s body, and not many clues.
Bernie does come up with a suspect quickly (more than the local sheriff’s deputy can manage on his own), but soon begins to wonder if he rounded up the wrong man. What did Nero want to show him? What’s going on at the vineyard in the next canyon? Who ended up with Nero’s laptop and cell phone?
Of Mutts and Men pits Chet and Bernie against a string of villains and sends them all around the Valley and even into Mexico in search of answers, in another excellent entry in the series. Chet and Bernie’s devotion to each other remains at the heart of these stories.
dogs, private-investigators, murder-investigation, suspense
If you’ve never had a K-9 failure tell you about a difficult case he and his partner PI Bernie Little survived, you’ve missed a lot! Chet tells all from his own unique perspective. He doesn’t understand what hydrology is or why it’s important in the desert Southwest where they live, but he does know things that Bernie doesn’t and that they have each others back no matter what. If I remember right, this one has even more plot twists and red herrings than usual, but all of the characters are engaging, interesting, and occasionally evil. Just not the good guys, sometimes they are a bit clueless, but never evil.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Macmillan-Tor/Forge Forge Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
This one was one of my fave Chet & Bernie books; if I could give it 4.5stars, I would. This one brought such emotional feelings in me regarding the incredible bond between Chet & Bernie. However, it was also sad to see Bernie alone once again as well as the hope of getting back with Suzie. As always though, Chet kept me laughing and entertained, sometimes late at night trying not to wake hubby up with my laughing.
This is a great read. Chet and Bernie are two of my favorite sleuths. Quinn has the amazing ability to tell a complex story through the eyes of Chet, the dog. Add this on one to your TBR list.
Just plain fun. A great read particularly with your own Chet curled up against you.
Of Mutts and Men by Spencer Quinn is number 10 in the Chet and Bernie Mystery series. It is an extremely entertaining book about private investigator Bernie Little and his canine partner, Chet. The entertaining part is the fact that the narrator is Chet, who has an odd and quirky sense of humor. Chet is not stupid. In fact, if he could talk the crime would be solved sooner because his nose accomplishes wondrous things and he is able to identify not only criminals, but human illnesses. The mystery was a decent one although there were multiple deaths before that happened…all very dramatic. Bernie is a veteran of, presumably, the war in Afghanistan, where he suffered a wound in his leg. The wound is pretty invisible most of the time, but pain still pops up now and then. He is divorced with a seven-year-old son whom he adores. He is a decent father and not-such-a-bad ex-husband. He gets along well with most members of law enforcement, which is not always the case with PIs. It is not Of Mutts and Men is not exactly a cozy mystery, but far from a traditional one.
Although I am not normally a fan or quirky or of comedies, I wound this book to be extremely entertaining. Chet keeps a balance between dog and private investigator that I found appealing. Bernie is an excellent character, always searching for justice, if not necessary looking for legal. He is a young man who has trouble with women, for one reason or another, but they seem to part friends, which is commendable. It is always amazing to me what motivates people to kill. I guess it is usually money, but still, interesting. I recommend this book if you are looking for an entertaining mystery read.
I was invited to read a free ARC of Of Mutts and Men by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #ofmuttsandmen
This is apparently the tenth in this series of cozy mysteries about PI Bernie Little and his dog Chet, an almost K-9 who failed his final test due to an unfortunate incident involving a cat. There are quite a few references to previous cases but it’s lightly done and I don’t think you lose too much by coming in here, principally because the story is told in the first person narrative voice of Chet. Yes, the dog is the narrator. And being a dog, he lives very much in the moment, regularly distracted by thoughts such as whether it’s dinner time yet, whether any given person he meets might give good pats, and where exactly that slice of pizza went because it was just there.
There’s an intriguing little mystery in here involving the discovery of a new aquifer under the desert which several unscrupulous people would rather nobody knew anything about until they’ve finished buying up all the potential rights. Bernie and Chet stumble into it when a hydrologist asks Bernie to meet him to consult about something, and the duo find the man’s body with a slit throat instead.
This was really fun. There’s an inbuilt limit to how much of the case the reader can understand because the whole thing is filtered through Chet’s point of view, Chet who isn’t sure whether thirty is a bigger amount than fifty. He’s obviously a Good Dog, and Bernie’s just as clearly a smart guy who puts things together quicker than most, and watching the two of them figure stuff out together is really quite charming. The environmental message isn’t dwelled on because Chet has no real comprehension of it, but it’s obvious from the lengths the villains are willing to go to that it matters a lot.
I honestly don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like this before; I’ve read a few cozy mysteries from the PoV of the animal sidekick, but this was the first one where the narrator really ‘felt’ like an animal. Chet wasn’t anthropomorphised; he’s a dog, a smart one and well trained, but definitely a dog. I definitely enjoyed the read and I’m happy to give it five stars.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this title via NetGalley.
Thanks to publisher Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for a digital advance reader’s copy. All comments and opinions are my own.
I’ve read a few of the Chet and Bernie mystery series and each one is as good as I’ve come to expect. It doesn’t seem to matter in what order you read them, so snap one up if you get the chance. They’re narrated by Chet, the delightful dog partner of Bernie Little, who together constitute the Little Detective Agency. In this latest adventure there is a mystery, sinister characters, and danger for both Chet and Bernie. What makes this series outstanding is the humor of Chet’s narration and his naive interpretation of humans – both their language and behavior. If you’re looking for an intelligent and humorous mystery that will make you forget the real life problems of our days, I highly recommend Of Mutts and Men.
Private Detective, Bernie Little, and his K9 partner, Chet, always get their perp. This unique series is narrated from the POV of Chet the dog. It’s a fun, witty take on the usual crime/mystery novel.
Chet’s adoration of and love for Bernie is heartwarming. According to Chet, Bernie’s only area of improvement is his uncanny ability to make bad financial decision. These two characters make a great team. Their planned meeting with hydrologist Wendell Nero becomes a murder case to be solved. The mystery is good, and well written without being gruesome. For me the best part was the humor stemming from Chet’s misinterpretation of the English language and his canine perspective.
I love dogs and I love mysteries, so Of Mutts and Men was pretty much destined to be a book I liked.
Here we are with the tenth entry in this wonderful series featuring Bernie Little, PI and his partner, Chet, canine extraordinaire. Each case is narrated by Chet with his quick doggie mind and sense of humor. In his doggie eyes his partner, Bernie, can do no wrong…..with those financial failures being the exception. Well, this time around, Chet is glad to see that there is going to be a new case for them to work on. While at a yard party they cross paths with a professor of hydrology who asks them to stop by his RV as he has a case for them. Upon their arrival they find the man with his throat slit. Well, one thing leads to another and it involves a local winery and very well hydrated vineyard. Things are not right and the police are onto the wrong suspect.
I won’t give away anymore so I don’t spoil it. If you are new to this delightful series be assured it can be read as a standalone. If you enjoy it as much as I do get ready to binge read the previous nine books.
I really enjoyed this murder mystery. I received this for free and I voluntarily chose to review this story. I’ve given this a 4.5* rating. This is the first time I’ve read any book that is by the dog’s point of view. In places, this story was so funny. In many ways, this dog was ruled by smells but he loved and obeyed as best he could, his owner. He was ready unconditionally for any kind of action, that his owner wanted to do. Will look for more of this author’s work.