In this 10th book in the 'Chet and Bernie Mystery' series, the private detective and his dog investigate the death of a scientist. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Bernie Little and his dog Chet are partners in the 'Little Detective Agency', located in the Southwest United States.
Bernie and Chet tend to attract oddball cases, which are faithfully narrated by Chet in his inimitable - and hilarious - doggy fashion.
In Chet's eyes Bernie can do no wrong, except in the area of finances. When Bernie refuses a bonus, for instance, Chet thinks: "No bonus? With the state of our finances? Had Bernie forgotten about our self-storage...stacked from floor to ceiling with Hawaiian pants, not one pair sold."
And then there was the tin futures fiasco! Chet always hopes new cases will boost the agency's bank account.
A new case appears to be on the horizon when Bernie and Chet meet hydrologist Wendell Nero at a yard party. Wendell studies aquifers and designs water projects....
…..and when he hears Bernie is a detective, asks for a meeting the next day.
Unfortunately, when Bernie and Chet show up at Wendell's trailer in Dollhouse Canyon they find the scientist dead, his throat slit from ear to ear.
Dimwitted Deputy Sheriff Beasley shows up to investigate but it's Chet, nosing around outside, who discovers evidence that leads to the arrest of Florian Machado - a petty criminal who lives in a rundown boat parked in the desert.
Bernie has doubts about Florian's guilt, and gets even more suspicious when Florian's attorney, a pricey lawyer named Gudrun Burr - who works for the best law firm in town - urges Florian to cop a plea. SOMETHING is going on, and Bernie suspects it has to do with the aquifer that dead Wendell was studying.
Bernie urges Gudrun to hold off on the plea bargain while he investigates Wendell's murder, but the lawyer seems oddly eager to get her client locked up.
When Bernie doesn't back down it leads to consequences for himself and Chet, and I feared for their safety....and for Bernie's ability to withstand Gudrun's womanly wiles.
Chet's narrative of the case is interspersed with his personal observations and explanations - as well as references to past investigations - all of which is very funny. I'll give some examples:
- When Bernie and Chet encounter Wendell's three ex-wives, Chet observes: "Then came a lot of shouting, including a few words I hadn't heard since an all-you-can drink night at a biker bar we went to by mistake."
- And when Chet describes attending a Bat Mitzvah with Bernie's son Charlie, he recalls: "My very first bat mitzvah, so naturally I'd been on the lookout for bats, even though it was daytime and bats only came out at night, in my experience......Did mitzvah mean hunt? That was my take, and I started in on hunting the moment we arrived."
- Best of all, when Chet admits to an 'unplanned outing' and its consequences, he says: "For now let's leave out the complications of the later appearance of a puppy supposedly resembling - if that's the meaning of 'spit and image' - me, a puppy now going by "Shooter" and living with Charlie."
Bernie and Chet are brave, resourceful, and lucky as they strive to solve the case. While working they also take time to visit with Charlie (who lives with his mother); hobnob with Bernie's friends; get Slim Jims for Chet....
…..ponder water problems in the Southwest; chat with neighbors; and more.
I enjoyed the story, both for the mystery and the laughs, and recommend the book to fans of amusing suspense novels.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Spencer Quinn), and the publisher (Forge Books) for a copy of the book.
Rating: 4 stars
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