His senses are keen, but deductive powers are, as he puts it, Bernie’s role. Quinn masterfully moves the story along by use of dialogue, which Chet overhears, and generally misinterprets, and with Chet’s own observations. And they have so many strengths: cars, tennis balls, bacon, and that’s just without even thinking, which is how my mind works best.

Ever seen a human colored like me? The point is humans go on and on about skin colors when it isn’t even one of their strengths. Take me, for example: mostly black but with one white ear, which I know on account of how many people mention it in my presence. The truth is there’s not much color variety when it comes to humans, not compared to how we roll in the nation within. For instance in trying to understand the meaning of skin color, he muses: Was a cat involved?”), Chet is Bernie’s right hand, uh, dog, and loves Bernie with an unwavering devotion.Ĭhet is also somewhat philosophical in his observance of human foibles and fumbles.

Although a K-9 School failure (“I’d somehow flunked the leaping test. He is easily distracted by edibles, often finds that his tail has a mind of its own, and relies on his superior nose to help his pal Bernie do what they do best. When I introduce those deprived folks who have not yet had the pleasure of reading any of the books in this delightful series, I explain the concept the way Spencer Quinn himself does: Chet the dog serves as narrator of the mysteries, and never once seems any less doglike. What could old man Parsons have to do with this apparent theft? Bernie and Chet find out soon enough when an illegally transplanted saguaro leads to murder. Returning home from their last case (see Paw and Order), Bernie and Chet are dismayed to find their safe missing, and Chet's nose confusingly picks up the scent of his best pal Iggy who lives with the Parsons across the street. In this latest installment in the Chet and Bernie Mystery series “Chet the Jet” supplies us with the fast-moving intrigue as he himself struggles to understand the humans around him, especially his favorite human of all, Bernie Little, owner of the Little Detective Agency.

Dog on It by Spencer Quinn