Herr Schnoodle & McBee (Five Star First Edition Mystery) [Hardcover]

P. K. Paranya (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 283 pages
• Publisher: Five Star (ME) (September 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594144125
• ISBN-13: 978-1594144127
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,127,863 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars lighthearted private investigator tale, October 24, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Herr Schnoodle & McBee (Five Star First Edition Mystery) (Hardcover)

In New York, fortyish Alexander McBee changes vocations from accounting to private investigative work based on a correspondence course, Magnum reruns, and the DNA of his father and grandfather, former cops. He literally picks up a new partner when the lone sleuth finds an injured ugly canine that is a horrendous mixing of a schnauzer and a poodle, who he calls Herr Schnoodle.

With Schnoodle at his side they recover a missing Persian cat, stolen grocery carts, and solve the case of a missing person. However, McBee admits to himself that Schnoodle is the brains of the operation as the dog solves the case though it seems to outsiders that McBee accomplishes the feat. They meet homeless Apple Sally and both are intrigued by her. As McBee's rep grows, reporter Darcy takes a personal interest in him even as he finds himself needing to know more about Apple Sally. Before Schnoodle, McBee had no friends; now hehas plenty, but first he and his partner want to make things right for Apple Sally.

This is a lighthearted private investigator tale with a serious subplot involving Apple Sally. WC Field's theory of not performing with animals or children as they will steal the scene comes through as Schnoodle constantly stars. McBee is a fine person just coming out of his shell thanks to his partner and Apple Sally. Fans will appreciate this humorous detective tale summed up by McBee when he reflects how Herr Schnoodle is the brains of the operation.

Harriet Klausner

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A quirky PI, a homeless lady, and a dog, October 25, 2006

By 

Dawn Dowdle "Mystery Lovers Corner reviewer" (Lynchburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Herr Schnoodle & McBee (Five Star First Edition Mystery) (Hardcover)

Alexander McBee has become a private investigator. He has trained by watching re-runs of Magnum P.I., Rockford Files, and other old detective series on the television. He comes upon a strange dog who becomes his partner. Herr Schnoodle is not the most attractive mix of schnauzer and poodle, but he knows how to investigate.

They begin to get more cases as they are able to solve them quickly. They meet Apple Sally, a local street woman. McBee is intrigued by her, but he can't figure out why. Then there's the beautiful Darcy, the gossip reporter out to scoop McBee's cases.

Soon McBee realizes there is more to Apple Sally than meets the eye. Can he uncover her past without alienating her or letting Darcy break the story before he's ready? Can he keep investigating his cases without letting on about Herr Schnoodle's part, especially to Darcy?

McBee is definitely a quirky character, but that's what makes him interesting. I really enjoyed this first book in this series. I look forward to reading many more. The setting and other characters is well written and I feel as if I've been there and met everyone. I highly recommend this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Capra-esque stroll down the mean streets, August 8, 2008

By 

L. E. Cantrell (Vancouver, British Columbia Canada) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Herr Schnoodle & McBee (Five Star First Edition Mystery) (Hardcover)

This is a rather odd little book.

In form, it's familiar enough. A private eye has just established his business. He endures the slow days until clients start trickling in. He solves some cases. He meets some people, among them a homeless woman with a mysterious past, a glamorous reporter who works on a low-life, unethical rag; a handful of neighborhood characters, a few paying clients. So far, so good, but the tone of the book is somehow all wrong ... even strange.

Pleasantly strange, though.

If anything, "Herr Schnoodle & McBee" reads like a screen treatment of a Raymond Chandler novel prepared by Frank Capra at his most misty-eyed and goo-ily populist. It's "Mr. McBee Goes to Town to Become a P.I." It's all sort of, well, warm ... and cozy. Mr. McBee's mean streets are the type of mean streets that might be prowled by Elwood P. Dowd and his friend Harvey, that six-foot tall, invisible rabbit.

And a big, ugly, lovable dog that's at the center of everything.

Mr. Dowd once expounded on the fact that he had been told that to get along in this world, he had either to be very smart or very pleasant. He had chosen pleasant.

This book has chosen pleasant, too. I think it deserves four pleasant stars.

LEC/AM/8-08