The Sound and the Furry, A Chet and Bernie Mystery, by Spencer Quinn, Atria Books, Simon and Schuster 2013

What fun!  A dog named Chet that “knows” as much about bad guys and troublesome disappearances as his clumsy private eye buddy Bernie Little.  And this latest Chet and Bernie adventure through the Louisiana swamps in a rusted Porshe, ears moving in the warm breeze, muzzle extended for just a bit more of that exotic Cajun scent mix – ahhh, it’s canine heaven -  is worth running to the bookstore for.

This time Chet’s nose leads them to a prison work gang and Frenchie Boutette and his colorful family.  The K-9 school dropout follows his nose to locate one disappeared Ralph Boutette.  The money and the surprises pop up just as Bernie stumbles into yet another mystery clue.

And there’s something special about a one-hundred pound black furry partner who understands human language, but even before anyone has said a thing, just knows when someone has evil in mind.  And should a cat or an appealing female dogster appear, well, there’s just no stopping the tail from signaling Chet’s immediate intent!  In fact, sometimes a bark will appear just when – well, you know, just out of nowhere.

You will love this series.  Spencer Quinn, alias Peter Abrahams, knows how to write and talk dog. Stephen King recommended and approved.