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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"To be underestimated is to remain free." - Randolph, May 8, 2008
This review is from: A Dog Among Diplomats (Mass Market Paperback)
A Dog Among Diplomats could definitely be enjoyed on its own, as a quick recap of the backstory is provided at the beginning of the novel--but it is a series after all, so I would still recommend beginning with the first book, A Dog About Town (which I also reviewed).
I called the first book a fun read--which it was, and this one is too (If you like Vespas, I think it's not spoiling the plot to say that one takes a prominent role in this novel. Has product placement $s begun for books now?). --But I would also add that these light-hearted elements give the book a deceptively simple air.
In this sequel, Englert introduces a whole cast of additional characters, and the plot (mystery) as well as the themes grow more complex. Englert's writing skill is seen in that the plot does seem to unfold so effortlessly (it's a quick read), when in fact he is juggling dozens of plot threads and characters at a time.
My favorite part of these novels, though, is probably not the plot itself but Englert's prose and his wry commentaries, such as his tongue-in-cheek defense of obvious distortions of history, filtered through a character who intends no irony, "Leopold was merely taking the ideal sentiment of human brotherhood and rescuing it from the sordid march of history." (This said just before a senseless murder occurs..)
One more philosophical take-away, filtered through, Randolph (labrador-cum-detective and avid reader): "Writing is the craft of the illusionist. A writer frames and reframes reality, and soon this mirror trick becomes the world."
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dapper dog detective, April 30, 2008
This review is from: A Dog Among Diplomats (Mass Market Paperback)
A cozy mystery/amusing dog story about Randolph, an urbane black lab with human intelligence and the ability to solve mysteries. This book, the second in the series, has Randolph using his superior scent-sniffing and snout-controlled Internet surfing to unravel the mystery behind his mistress's disappearance, and murder with a United Nations connection. This book is not for serious, hard-core mystery fans, as they may find the doggie digressions tedious (what books Randolph likes to read, his tastes in food), but for me, the mystery story was secondary to the dog story--I was more interested in what Randolph was up to than who-done-it. The author's witty writing style, and the charismatic canine detective made this an enjoyable read, and I look forward to further adventures in this series.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Dog Among Diplomats, August 27, 2008
This review is from: A Dog Among Diplomats (Mass Market Paperback)
The cover of this book makes it obvious it's the dog who is the brains behind the case-solving as he is also the narrator. Let me introduce you to Randolph, a portly black lab with a well developed knowledge of literature among other intellectual interests. Randolph and his owner, Harry, an artist, live in Manhattan.
A DOG AMONG DIPLOMATS is the second in the Bull Moose Dog Run series, the first being A DOG ABOUT TOWN. This story takes up where the first left off with Harry and Randolph both dealing with the disappearance of Harry's girlfriend, Imogene, who was Randolph's mistress before Harry was in the picture. The reader learns fairly early on that the mystery surrounding Imogene's disappearance involves some Australian land and uranium rights that are soon to be willed to Imogene and certain people are willing to kill for them. The steady flow of dead bodies turning up all seem to point to Imogene as the killer, even though there are several spies disguising themselves as diplomats from the United Nations lurking about. Through the course of the investigation Harry discovers that he didn't know his live-in girlfriend as well as he thought he did. He begins to question everything as the evidence piles up, which leaves Randolph even more determined to help prove her innocence. Randolph is able to learn a lot by filling in as a therapy dog for one of the diplomats. However, between the thyroid condition he is suffering from that leaves him easily exhausted and a murderer in close proximity, even his life is jeopardized.
When reading this book, its important to keep an open mind. There are parts of the book, that if taken too seriously could turn the reader off. It's not a serious, bite your nails kind of mystery. I mean, it isn't every day you read about a dog with his own email account or who orders his favorite books online. But with that being said, those are the quirky things about this book that make it entertaining and different. Basically, it's a decent story with interesting characters. There are a lot of them to keep up with, but Englert is able to blend them all fluently. I could find things about the book to pick at, but then I remember that it's a story about a dog trying to solve a mystery, so I choose to keep my perspective, sit back and enjoy the story.
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