Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund (Dixie Hemingway Mysteries, No. 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Blaize Clement (Author) "It was a few minutes past six when I got to the Powells' house on Monday morning..." (more)
Key Phrases: hurricane shutters, storm shutters, dart gun, Denton Ferrelli, Leo Brossi, Billy Elliot (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
A former sheriff's deputy in Sarasota, Fla., Dixie Hemingway now earns a living as a pet sitter, a career that once again turns perilous when her charge, a dachshund, digs up a dead body at the start of Clement's fast-paced sophomore effort (after 2005's Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter). Dixie identifies the victim as Conrad Ferrelli, whose Doberman pinscher she once walked. A wealthy, eccentric son of a famous Ringling Brothers clown, Conrad and his wife, Stevie, were funding the creation of a retirement home for circus performers. But his brother, Denton, a vicious creep with mob connections, possesses no such charitable impulse. Clement builds suspense and delivers startling revelations as both Stevie and Dixie find themselves targets of Denton's resentment.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
Dixie Hemmingway (Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter 2005), Sarasota deputy sheriff turned pet sitter, is back with a new case. As she walks an elderly dachshund named Mame, she sees a car speed past; after Mame breaks away and finds a dead body, Dixie realizes that the killer had been driving the speeding car. Dixie joins Lieutenant Guidry in the investigation and learns that the victim was from an old circus family. Clement uses the circus lore--and the animals in Dixie's care--to enrich her plot, creating in the process an entertaining cozy, one of the few set in South Florida, land of noir. Barbara Bibel
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (October 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312947704
• ISBN-13: 978-0312947705
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #190,525 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 2 in The Dixie Hemingway Mystery Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too Grim in spots, February 2, 2008

By	Ace (East Coast) - See all my reviews

Well Dixie - you dun it again, pet sitter...BUT I have my reservations. Sure -- you found dead bodies, confronted crazed criminals, fought back in style, used your wits, put yourself in the middle of action and danger, death and duplicity, all the while taking care of those precious pets, consoling surviving widows and a fading lady, eating great meals at the diner and spending quality time with your brother and Paco while you continued to wrestle with your own demons.

And then again, your escapades were concluded in your usual inimitable high style.

But what about those abandoned kittens in the box? Why did you leave them, when you could have "put them in the Bronco, and hightailed it to Tom's condo, taking the steps two at a time, and running into his apartment carrying your precious live cargo (never leave pets unattended in a car!) saying `Tom, get out your laptop PDQ -- I have some babies here who NEED some TLC ASAP - where's the nearest Animal Rescue group around here?'" Why did you leave them on the sidewalk abandoned and needy and not give them another thought except to make a Cold-Hearted and Heartless comment about them later on in the day???? How sad that your readers, Blaize didn't get a chance to see what should be done in a situation like that -- in fact, a little lesson on the need for Spay Neuter would have been great there too. And I always wonder--why is it always kittens--why not puppies???

And what about the other kitten? And the monkey? This was grim.... Too grim. This book breaks my heart. I have a hard time seeing how any animal abuse can contribute to the literary merit of this Dixie Hemingway novel, when the other two Dixie Hemingway books did just fine - were stellar -- without it.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Duplicity dogged the Dachshund......too many broken animal legs, September 16, 2007

By	Susan R. Tower "betsy" (Boston) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund (Dixie Hemingway Mysteries, No. 2) (Hardcover)

I think this new author is good.

However, most people who read mysteries with animals do not want to read about kittens whose legs have been purposely broken. I stopped there. Then I went back. Next thing I knew, I was reading about a MONKEY whose legs had been purposely broken.

What is this thing the author has about having animals tortured like this?

I can't read her, which is too bad, because, aside from these animal torture scenes, I think she is good.

I could deal with the death of the dying Dachshund (sort of), but most writers who feature animals realize they are writing for animal lovers.

We are not looking for horror, or even the sadness.

I am so sorry this author can't do without the cruelty to animals in her mysteries. I sat down thinking I was going to have an entertaining read, and ended up depressed.

Could you try again, and leave out the animal torture?

We know animals are mistreated, and most of us contribute to funds to make sure they are not. We don't want to read about it in what I supposed was sort of a "cozy" mystery.

I definitely DO NOT recommend this to any animal lover with a heart.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dog lovers alert!, March 17, 2007

By	armchairinterviews.com (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund (Dixie Hemingway Mysteries, No. 2) (Hardcover)

Being a pet sitter should be a relatively safe occupation. But Dixie Hemingway is not a normal pet sitter. She's a former deputy with the Sarasota County Sheriff's Department and her current occupation is no guarantee that it will be a safe one. It does however bring excitement and murder to her life.

Dixie is walking her current charge, a dachshund named Mame, when the dog insists on exploring the environment. Mame's investigation leads to the body of another of Dixie's clients. The strange thing is Dixie just waved at Conrad--at least she thought it was Conrad in his car. His dog was in the backseat. Suddenly Dixie realizes the driver must have been the murderer. And that's a big problem for Dixie for she's now become a witness and that could be deadly.

Determined to find the killer, she helps Lieutenant Guidry investigate. After all, she wants to stay alive.

Dog lovers will enjoy this novel. It's got the animal element, it's a fun and fast read with interesting characters and a plot that will keep you turning the pages.

Armchair Interviews says: Check out Clement's Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter. The author is writing her third mystery in the series and you might want to look for that also.