A Hell of a Dog (Rachel Alexander & Dash Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Carol Lea Benjamin (Author)

Book Description

Series: Rachel Alexander & Dash Mysteries | Publication Date: September 7, 1999

Before Rachel Alexander became a private eye, she trained dogs. So she isn't surprised when she is invited to attend a dog training symposium. But she "is" surprised at the rivalry between trainers--one of whom proves to have a bite far more deadly than anyone expected.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Someone is killing the great dog trainers of the world, and it's up to former dog trainer and current PI Rachel Alexander and her trusty pitbull, Dashiell, to stop the carnage. Noted trainer Samantha Lewis is organizing a dog-training symposium at a posh New York City hotel. All of the scheduled participants detest one another. Worried that arguments over training methodology could get out of control, Sam hires Rachel to go under cover. When the first trainer is electrocuted in his bathtub, it seems like nothing more than a terrible accident. But the trainers continue to drop, one choking, another jumping off the hotel's roof. At first, Rachel considers this series of deaths a tragic coincidence, but she's been distracted by the presence of her old flame, renowned dog trainer Chip Pressman. When she finally puts her detecting talents to work, the pattern emerges and the plot moves toward a startling denouement. Expertly blending dog-training lore with an excellent and satisfying mystery, Shamus Award winner (in 1997 for Best First PI Novel for This Dog for Hire) Benjamin breaks out of the sophomore slump she fell into with The Dog Who Knew Too Much and makes good on the promise of her debut.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Rachel Alexander and her pit bull, Dashiell, return to the dog-training game in Benjamin's latest mystery. For the uninitiated, dog training might seem straightforward enough, but to those who rely on it for their livelihood, methodological differences can be of lethal importance, as Rachel soon finds out. Hired by the organizer of a dog-training seminar to keep the peace between such factions as "foodies" (who use food to train dogs) and "shockers" (who use electronic collars), Rachel is horrified when not one but three trainers end up dead on her watch. The writing is excellent, as always, with a nice touch of humor and just the right amount of off-stage violence (this is a murder mystery, after all) and hinted-at sex. Benjamin's mysteries are getting stronger as she goes along. Recommended for all mystery collections.?Alicia Graybill, Lincoln City Libs., NE
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Dell (September 7, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440225485
• ISBN-13: 978-0440225485
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.8 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #257,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dog Mystery A Leader of the Pack, January 5, 1999

By 

Author Bill Peschel "Writers Gone Wild" (Hershey, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Hell of a Dog (Rachel Alexander & Dash Mysteries) (Hardcover)

It's a dog's life in the mystery genre. The cats get starring roles, author co-credits, even whole series named after them. The doggie detectives are thrown the scraps. Enter Rachel Alexander, the private eye, who, with her faithful pit bull sidekick, Dashiell, is asked to provide security during a week-long dog training symposium at a posh New York City hotel in "A Hell of a Dog." A former dog trainer herself, Alexander knew the participants, each of whom believed that their philosophy, whether involving the use of prompt and frequent rewards, punishments or reading the pooch's psychic aura, will make them the next Barbara Wodehouse. Her job is complicated by the presence of a now ex-lover who decided to go back to his wife. "A Hell of a Dog" earns its best of show ribbon on several levels. The mystery is suitably mystifying, Alexander is an intelligent heroine with a heart, and the dog handlers are an entertaining pack of purebreeds and mutts. Watching them snapping and snarling at each other is only one of the book's pleasures. Benjamin writes knowledgeably about the dog world and the handlers' discussions and arguments about training are enlightening without being intrusive.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite book in the series, January 1, 2005

By 

wagginpitbull - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Hell of a Dog (Rachel Alexander & Dash Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

I loved this book & read it straight through. At a dog training symposium, the dog trainers are dropping like flies. Rachel & Dash work undercover in this whodunit. With lots of twists & turns, the story kept me guessing right up until the very end. Woven into the story is info about various training methods, plus entertaining grumblings from the various trainers. Having spent a good deal of time with people in the dog world, I enjoyed the personalities of the dog trainers and found that they shared many of the same aggravating traits of the dog-fanatics who I have met through the years.