Q:Spencer Quinn

Dog on It is the first book in  Spenser Quinn's Chet and Bernie series. Chet is the narrator of the books, and what makes this a bit unusual is that Chet is a dog. Bernie is the detective he pals around with. Here is my review of this book:

This tale of kidnapping (or is it a runaway?, opinions differ) from the point of view of Chet, a dog, was well done and often funny. Some of the tics that go along with having a dog for a narrator, like getting distracted from the action by food on the floor, got a bit tedious after a while. Overall though Quinn does a good job with the premise and keeps most of Chet's observations to things he saw, or interpretations based on stuff Bernie says or his knowledge of Bernie's habits.

The mystery they are working on was in interesting one, with a logical conclusion. Some of the action seemed far-fetched. There is a scene on a cliff after a car wreck that was beyond ridiculous. Ultimately I am glad I read this, but probably won't continue with the series.

I did go on to listen to book 2 however, on a car trip with my husband. I liked the second book more than I did the first one, so I may keep reading. My husband was quite taken with the series and has read several of them. If you like both dogs and mysteries, then this is an author to check out.  

This post is part of the Crime Fiction Alphabet 2012 at Mysteries in Paradise. I got behind on this and am working on catching up the letters I missed. This is my final catch-up post, so i am back on track to finish the project with Z this week.

T: Traditional

Make Mine a Mystery: Reader's Guide to Mystery and Detective Fiction by Gary Warren Niebuhr (2003) defines a traditional novel this way: 

"In a traditional novel, the action uses violence to establish the seriousness of the crime without trivializing its importance or glorifying its horrifying effects. Most violent action takes place on stage but is not graphically described. The emphasis can be equally on the perpetration and solution of the crime. The protagonist's goal is to find a solution to the crime, but not necessarily through the administration of justice by an official court of law. However, the intent of a traditional novel is to restore the balance of right and wrong in a society gone wrong."

Laurie King's Mary Russell novels (which I love!) are an example of the historical/traditional. Dog On It is an example of a traditional with a humorous twist to it. Sue Grafton's alphabet series is an example of traditional mystery as are the Adam Dalgleish novels of P. D. James. The traditional novel is essentially a book that combines elements of the cozy and the hard-boiled without tipping all the way either direction.

This post is part of the Crime Fiction Alphabet 2012 at Mysteries in Paradise.   

Wondrous Words Wednesday

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Bermuda Onion, where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our weekly reading.

vig (n) shortening of vigorish (dating back to 1968)
vigorish (n) 1 : a charge taken (as by a bookie or a gambling house) on bets; also, the degree of such a charge (a ~ of 5 percent) 2: interest paid to a moneylender.
"And stopped paying the vig, which was twelve grand a week." (p. 301)

Word is from Dog on It by Spenser Quinn. Definitions are from Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary.

Review: Dog on It

Dog on It by Spencer Quinn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This tale of kidnapping (or is it a runaway?, opinions differ) from the point of view of Chet, a dog, was well done and often funny.
Some of the tics that go along with having a dog for a narrator, like getting distracted from the action by food on the floor, got a bit tedious after a while. Overall though Quinn does a good job with the premise and keeps most of Chet's observations to things he saw, or interpretations based on stuff Bernie says or his knowledge of Bernie's habits.
The mystery they are working on was an interesting one, with a logical conclusion. Some of the action seemed far-fetched. There is a scene on a cliff after a car wreck that was beyond ridiculous. Ultimately I am glad I read this, but probably won't continue with the series.

Teaser Tuesdays Meme

 "The woman started to answer, but at that moment I heard something rustling in the bushes on the far side of the driveway. The next thing I knew, I was in the bushes myself, sniffing around, maybe even digging, but only the littlest bit." from Dog On It by Spencer Quinn


 Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (MAKE SURE THAT WHAT YOU SHARE DOESN'T GIVE TOO MUCH AWAY! YOU DON'T WANT TO RUIN THE BOOK FOR OTHERS!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!