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teacherpatti 's review for:
To Fetch a Thief
by Spencer Quinn
I love Chet the Jet! I love how his doggie mind works and how you can tell he sometimes is just repeating things he's heard humans say (i.e. she's [his groomer] got a great business with a great business plan) and how he sometimes gets distracted by a Cheeto. I often repeat things that I've heard and get distracted by Cheetos, so I understand this dog. Despite his sometimes simple thoughts, Chet is not to be underestimated (me, either!). His keen sense of smell and hearing give him a, uh, dog's eye view of the crime. If only he could talk!
And that is another thing I love...Chet and other dogs don't "talk" to each other. Author Quinn will have Chet mention his friend Iggy (who he can't pal around with in the old days, thanks to the electric fence) barking, but I think a lesser author would have given into the temptation of having the dogs somehow "talk" to each other. I'm so glad he didn't because that would have ruined it for me.
I also adore Bernie, Chet's owner. He's kinda not got it all together, but isn't *too* much of a bumbling idiot. I think the author does a really nice balancing job with him. I also like the way Leda, the ex-wife, is portrayed. She's an asshole, but you don't hate her. I like the Suzie character, as well. I think Quinn did a super job with the conversation where Suzie asks Bernie what the heck is going on between them. Come on girls, we've all been there!
So, as I'm sure you can tell, I love the characters! The plots, however, are getting thinner and thinner. Once again, Chet got separated from Bernie and while he (thankfully) didn't end up in a choke chain, he still got muzzled. The mystery was a kinda weak and ended kind of dully. I hope the Quinn comes up with a dynamite mystery for his fourth installment, because the dog-as-narrator device can only go so far.
Having said that, I'm sure I will keep reading these books because I love Chet so much! I think we should all try to live like this dog...all he needs to be happy is to be on the job and in Bernie's convertible (of course a Slim Jim or two wouldn't hurt). Ride on Chet!
And that is another thing I love...Chet and other dogs don't "talk" to each other. Author Quinn will have Chet mention his friend Iggy (who he can't pal around with in the old days, thanks to the electric fence) barking, but I think a lesser author would have given into the temptation of having the dogs somehow "talk" to each other. I'm so glad he didn't because that would have ruined it for me.
I also adore Bernie, Chet's owner. He's kinda not got it all together, but isn't *too* much of a bumbling idiot. I think the author does a really nice balancing job with him. I also like the way Leda, the ex-wife, is portrayed. She's an asshole, but you don't hate her. I like the Suzie character, as well. I think Quinn did a super job with the conversation where Suzie asks Bernie what the heck is going on between them. Come on girls, we've all been there!
So, as I'm sure you can tell, I love the characters! The plots, however, are getting thinner and thinner. Once again, Chet got separated from Bernie and while he (thankfully) didn't end up in a choke chain, he still got muzzled. The mystery was a kinda weak and ended kind of dully. I hope the Quinn comes up with a dynamite mystery for his fourth installment, because the dog-as-narrator device can only go so far.
Having said that, I'm sure I will keep reading these books because I love Chet so much! I think we should all try to live like this dog...all he needs to be happy is to be on the job and in Bernie's convertible (of course a Slim Jim or two wouldn't hurt). Ride on Chet!