Customer Reviews

THIS DOG FOR HIRE

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This debut novel by dog trainer Carol Benjamin came as a pleasant surprise. I eyed it suspiciously wondering if I had another annoyingly clever animal helping out another scatterbrained girl/woman in a mystery with all the suspense of who ate the last piece of cake.

In reality, P.I. Rachel Alexander is total New York, rough edges and all. Brilliantly trained pit bull (yes, pit bull) Dash is very refreshingly - a dog. He snores, begs for treats, slobbers, and steals the covers just like dogs you and I have known. All right, Rachel does get a little smug about his repertoire of skills, but other than that, he is ok.

Dennis Keaton hires Rachel. His friend and neighbor, an artist, has been murdered via vehicular homicide and his champion basenji is missing. Dennis feels the police have chalked up the killing as a gay bashing and have lost interest. It turns out the artist was not starving in a garret; he was a very wealthy young man with a mysterious, handsome lover. He was to have his debut gallery opening the following week. Magritte, the basenji, is found under mysterious circumstances. The clues pile up with the motives apace and the culmination of the action takes place in Madison Square Garden at the annual Westminster Dog Show.

The novel is seriously over-plotted with curious loose threads throughout. She takes the dog with her to do some serious sleuthing, but he is not with her when she comes home. She eloquently describes a Big Present she had to schlep to her sister's home, but that's the end of it. Present is neither acknowledged nor opened, at least in our presence. The good stuff is Rachel herself with her effortless dialogue, somewhat bawdy sense of humor and her easy interaction with all walks of life. Many of the characters are gay and the dialogue is realistic and brisk. The author does a good job of capturing New York ambience and just how miserable it can be in the wintertime. Rachel sees this terrible weather as a test of her devotion to all things New York. I found the sections on the insider's view of the premier Westminster Dog Show fascinating.

"This Dog For Hire" is an excellent first effort and I will be looking for more of Rachel. She never gets on your nerves and is excellent company.

Most so-called hard-boiled mysteries written by women are really more medium-boiled and contain some elements of the cozy, but not this one. "This Dog for Hire" has too gritty and depressive an ambience for my taste. It's not all bad, though. The plot is clever enough, and the dogs are well-portrayed: Dash and Magritte are by far the most likable characters in the book and actually made it worth reading. I also enjoyed the inside look at the Westminster dog show. If you like both truly hard-boiled detective fiction and canines, you'll probably find this a good read.

Before I start I think I should tell you a few things: a) Carol Lea Benjamin and I both write dog mysteries for Harper Collins/William Morrow, b) we're both huge fans of Dashiell Hammett, and c) I totally disagree with her philosophy of dog training (I've said for years that the alpha theory is pure nonsense, and I've been proven right by some of the recent research that's been done on wild wolf packs).

Okay, now that that's over with I can tell you that I read this novel when it first came out (when I was in the process of finishing the manuscript for my first dog mystery), and the stupid book kept me up all night. This woman is a damn fine writer and I don't care who knows it!

The reason I've given my review the title I have is that I just read a couple of the reviews from readers here who found THIS DOG FOR HIRE boring! This is incomprehensible to me. I've read a lot of mystery novels and very few authors have the kind of power to pull me into a story the way Benjamin does. And the only thing I can think to say to those readers is that this book probably has a bit more "Dash" (double meaning) than they're probably used to. It is superbly written.

So, if you like dogs, and you like tough female detectives who have a wry sense of humor, especially about themselves, I think you'll really like this book.

A first-rate first novel from a truly first-rate mystery novelist.

If you love dogs, a superb mystery, and fine writing, this book was written for you...... The hero, clearly, is pit bull Dash; and Ms. Benjamin presents him as a totally believable participant in his "partner's" investigation into murder. Interspersed throughout the book are some clues into what makes Dash's human counterpart, Rachel Alexander, tick....almost a mystery within a mystery....and Rachel's periodic rules for private detectives are delightful. So also is the little basenji Magritte, who has quite a personality of his own; and the reader will get a peek into the inside world of dog shows. Sit back, relax, enjoy a good read, and be prepared to anticipate the next book in the series!

This book is written very well! The author uses her extensive knowledge of dog shows/training to enthrall the reader and create a trust of the main character. Her details are incredibly accurate -- from baiting a dog in the show ring to AKC rules and regulations. Benjamin also educates the reader on the true, loving nature of pit bulls -- something so rare in today's media. I truly enjoyed this mystery and plan to read the rest in the series. 5 stars!!

I liked this book very much. Rachel seems like a real person, and Dash seems like a real dog (by which I mean, he's not some anthropomorphized cutesy little woof-woof thing, he acts like an actual dog). The mystery kept me puzzled and interested til the end, the subsidiary characters were interesting and well fleshed out, and I thought the writing style was pleasant and flowed well. I went back and found the other two titles in the series, and I hope there'll be more after that.

Renowned dog trainer Carol Lea Benjamin brings us a hard boiled detective novel set in New York City. Rachel, who has disappointed all family expectations and her highly trained faithful companion, pit bull, Dash are hired to find out who killed the owner of a famous champion bisengi.
The search winds through the SOHO art scene, wanders the West Village and includes a tour behind the scenes of the AKC show at Madison Square Garden. A fast-paced read. Can't wait for the further adventures of Rachel and Dash

As with most authors, Carol Benjamin writes about what she knows, and as a dog trainer, she knows dogs. Unforfunately, she incorporates a little too much dog knowledge in this first novel. Approximately 90% of the book revolves around dogs (training, showing, grooming, breeding, etc., etc., etc.). Instead of being a mystery novel with a dog component, it reads more like a dog book with a murder thrown in as an aside. Realizing that the main characters are PI Rachel Alexander and her pitbull, Dashiell, I know this series is going to have a dog component making it different from the majority of mystery series and giving it great potential. Hopefully this author will tone down the dog information and beef up the mystery portion a little.

Rachel Alexander and her pit bull Dash are looking for a case when one falls into their lap. When Rachel gets a call from a man looking for his dead friend's basenji, Magritte, Rachel bites off more than she can chew. Suddenly it's become a murder investigation, and Rachel is drawn into a world of murder, hate, dogs, and greed.

This being my first Carol Lea Benjamin novel, I have become an instant fan. This is a wonderfully written and well plotted story. I recommend this book to anyone who loves mysteries and dogs.

What seems to be another mindless killing on the piers off Christopher Street takes you to an Art Opening in SoHo, a Dog Show at The Garden, hidden places in the Village, and introduces a dog that sees and understands more than most people. Walking the streets of NY with Dash and Rachel gives the reader an insider's perspective. I am hooked. Could Benjamin become the Clancy of Canines? I hope so! Waiting for the sequel.