Review: Scents and Sensibility by Spencer Quinn

Description:
When a mysterious case of illegal cactus smuggling comes to their attention, Chet and his human P.I. companion, Bernie Little, find themselves in a prickly situation in this eighth book in the New York Timesbestselling mystery series.

In the latest entry in the immensely popular Chet and Bernie mystery series, Private Investigator Bernie Little and his canine companion Chet return home to encounter some alarming developments. First off, Bernie's wall safe normally hidden behind the waterfall picture in the office is gone, and with it Bernie's grandfather's watch, their most valuable possession. And next door, old Mr. Parsons is under investigation for being in possession of a saguaro cactus illegally transplanted from the desert. Bernie and Chet go deep into the desert to investigate. Is it possible that such a lovely old couple have a terrible secret in their past?

Chet and Bernie discover bad things going on in the wilderness, far worse that cactus smuggling, and all connected to a strange but innocent-seeming desert festival called Arrow Bright. They unearth leads that take them back to a long-ago kidnapping that may not have been a kidnapping and threaten a ruthless and charismatic criminal with a cult following, a criminal who sees at once what Chet and Bernie mean to each other and knows how to exploit it.

Every bit as insightful (Booklist), humorous (Library Journal), and deliciously addictive (Publishers Weekly, starred review) as Quinn's previous books, Scents and Sensibility is a drool-worthy mystery that will have readers everywhere begging for more.

My Thoughts:
I can't believe this is only the second book I've read in this series. I love a good P.I. mystery, but what makes this series unique is that it is from the point of view of Chet the dog. He's not the most reliable narrator, but he is an entertaining one.


My Rating: *****


My Source: NetGalley


Where to get it:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes 


Where to find the author:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Goodreads

Review: A Fistful of Collars by Spencer Quinn

A Fistful of Collars by Spencer Quinn

Description:

Hoping to bring some Tinseltown money to the Valley, the mayor lures a movie studio to town to shoot their next production, a big-budget Western in the classic tradition. The star is none other than ruggedly handsome—and notoriously badly behaved—Thad Perry. When the mayor decides that someone needs to keep an eye on Thad so that he doesn’t get into too much trouble, Bernie and Chet are handpicked for the job. The money is good but something smells fishy, and what should have been a simple matter of babysitting soon gets more complicated—especially when they discover that Thad has a mysterious connection to the Valley that nobody wants to talk about. What kind of secret could Thad have left behind when he went to Hollywood to seek fame and fortune? The only people who might know the answer have a bad habit of turning up dead before they can talk.

As Bernie’s relationship with his longtime girlfriend Suzie goes long-distance, and Chet’s late-night assignations appear to have resulted in an unexpected dividend, it’s all our two sleuths can do to keep Thad and his motley entourage of yes-men, handlers, and hangers-on in their sights. Worst of all, Thad is a self-proclaimed cat person, and his feline friend Brando has taken an instant dislike to Chet.

My Thoughts:
I received this book in an ARC giveaway from Shelf Awareness. I thought it sounded interesting and I like mysteries. The book was entertaining and the mystery was good, but my favorite part is that the narrator is a dog. If you could hear a dog's thoughts, I think this is exactly what it would sound like. This was my first Chet and Bernie mystery, although this is the fifth in the series.  I will be checking out more because I love Chet and now I want a dog. If you like private detective mysteries with humor, check this out.

My Rating: ****
*Notes: Some strong language.

Publication: September 11, 2012

Where to get it: 
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million
Indie Bound

Where to find the author:
Chet the Dog
Simon & Schuster
Twitter
Facebook