Book Review - The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Spencer Quinn

It's hard to imagine our animal friends as anything but human. I mean, my girlfriend has a three chihuahuas, a each with a different personality, and we could swear that they're all just human spirits living in the bodies of small furry dogs. For pet owners, the animals take on the form of family members, and it wouldn't seem right not to include them in the family activities. Spencer Quinn recognizes the power of pets in our everyday lives, and he has infused his Chet and Bernie mystery series with a dog that seems almost more human than some of the perps that commit the crimes the two have to clean up. 

The Dog Who Knew Too Much is the fourth book in the Chet and Bernie series, and that's evident in the characterization of the main protagonists of the novel. At this point, Quinn has grasped the aspects of his series that make it such a compelling read: the little vignettes from Chet about his master Bernie, the jokes that Chet takes too literally, the dialogue between the two that feels naturally like two best friends riffing together.

 Yet that also means that Quinn must manage to do something different within this novel, and he does by separating Chet and Bernie for quite a while during this narrative. After Bernie takes a bodyguarding case from a woman nervous for her child, the two wander into backcountry trouble with a corrupt sheriff and judge; during their case, Bernie is arrested, and it's up to Chet to sniff out the bad guys and get Bernie back.

With Chet narrating, the story is interestingly told from a dog's perspective, and since Bernie is out of the picture for much of the book, Quinn is able to give some details about how Chet adds up to the star detective team. Quinn moves the novel along at a rapid pace, but he also takes some time to make sure that Chet points out his favorite things about Bernie; the familiar puns from the other books in the series make a return here as well, and for those who haven't read a Chet and Bernie novel before, it might take a little while to get sed to Quinn's humor. Much of it is simple misunderstanding from a dog's perspective, and some jokes can go over the head of a serious reader.

So Chet is the big focus of the novel, but other recurring characters make their appearance as well. It's nice to see Quinn experimenting a bit, branching out by giving Chet a chance to shine on his own. But there are some instances where I felt myself craving some good old-fashioned detective work from Bernie, which is few and far between in the story. Instead, the plot centers around Chet finding a way to save Bernie; at times, the main crime seems diminished because of Bernie's rescue.

Still, The Dog Who Knew Too Much is another strong entry in a series that breathes life into a waning genre. Pet lovers will wag their tails over Chet, a lovable dog whose strong characterization means readers will find something they can recognize in their own pets. And those who love mysteries will also find this tale a twisty but simple novel to pant over.