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[/amazon_link]Title : A Fistful of Collars
Author : Spencer Quinn
Genre : Mystery
Publisher : Atria Books
Pages : 320
Source : Netgalley/Publisher ARC
Rating : 3.8/5
This is my first Chet-and-Bernie mystery so I didn’t really know what to expect. If you haven’t read one of the books from this series either, know that this is about a detective agency – The Little Detective Agency comprised of Bernie Little and his dog Chet. The book’s narrator is Chet, and all events are humorously told from his “doggy point-of-view”. Chet adores Bernie; Bernie can do no wrong in his eyes. However the Little detective agency and Bernie and Chet are in trouble financially, since they haven’t gotten cases in a while. And Bernie’s girlfriend Suzie is taking a job with the Washington Post and moving out of their little town.
The financial troubles are quickly solved. The mayor is keen on showcasing their little town and lures a film company to shoot there. This brings the film star Thad Perry to town. Since Perry is known to be temperamental, the mayor’s office hires Bernie as extra security, to ensure that the film’s shooting proceeds smoothly. With Perry comes his entourage, his bodyguard, his girl-friend and his cat, besides various hangers-on and advisers. Perry doesn’t quite take a shine to Bernie, and Chet and Perry’s cat Brando might be natural enemies. When a journalist is murdered while reporting on Perry, and Perry himself seems to be haunted by the past, Bernie realizes that Perry had had old worrisome connections to this town, and decides to investigate for himself.
This was a very entertaining book. I found Chet’s “voice” amusing, perceptive and very well-done, because it gave us all the details of the story without drowning them in “pet” sentimentality. Even the emotional bits, like the one where Bernie and Suzie face imminent physical separation are narrated well. Chet is Bernie’s greatest fan, and he extols Bernie’s virtues, while maintain his doggie demeanor. Chet salivates for dog treats, luscious bones and food in general. Humorously, we learn of past investigations as well as personal details, like the fact that Bernie has a six-year old son Charlie and an ex-wife Leda. Chet hears human conversations and interprets much of them at face-value, leading to many incongruously funny conversations in his head.
He switched on a flashlight as we crossed the narrow gully beyond the gate and started climbing up the slope. Day or night doesn’t make much difference to me bt it’s a game changer for humans. They can’t seem to see at all in the dark, and what’s there to fall back on? Hearing? Smell? Please. So it’s no surprise to me that night time is when humans tend to get in trouble. Don’t get me wrong. I liked just about every human I’d ever met, even some of the perps and gangbangers, but in my opinion they’re at their best right before lunchtime.
This book worked very well as a standalone mystery novel, although this is part of a series. Past references (and there are a few) are either explained in adequate detail or mentioned in flippant memories (Chet’s), so they don’t really interfere with the enjoyment of this book. A juicy mystery combined with good characterizations and easy-to-root-for characters, I would highly recommend “A Fistful of Collars”.
