Thereby Hangs a Tail: A Chet and Bernie Mystery (Chet and Bernie Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Spencer Quinn (Author)

Book Description

Series: Chet and Bernie Mysteries | Publication Date: January 5, 2010

In the irresistible second Chet and Bernie mystery, Chet gets a glimpse of the show dog world turned deadly.What first seems like a walk in the park to wise and lovable canine narrator Chet and his human companion Bernie—to investigate threats made against a pretty, pampered show dog—turns into a serious case when Princess and her owner are abducted. To make matters worse, Bernie’s on-again, off-again girlfriend, reporter Susie Sanchez, disappears too. When Chet is separated from Bernie, he’s on his own to put the pieces together, find his way home, and save the day. Spencer Quinn’s "brilliantly original" (Richmond Times-Dispatch) and "masterful" (Los Angeles Times) new series combines genuine suspense and intrigue with humor and insight for a tail-wagging good time readers won’t soon forget.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Taking the genre for another refreshing spin, Quinn brings back Chet, the 100-pound crime-fighting canine he introduced in last year's Dog On It. Once again narrated by Chet, this volume finds dog and owner, private investigator Bernie Little, down on their financial luck and looking into threats against a pampered celebrity show dog named Princess. Before long, Princess and her wealthy, high-maintenance owner are abducted, along with the newspaper reporter who was covering the case, Bernie's on-again off-again love interest, Susie Sanchez. The trail leads the four-legged detective and his bipedal partner to a creepy ghost town, where they're separated; with a bit of doggie diligence and good luck, the duo reunites and unravels a messy conspiracy involving a corrupt small-town sheriff, a disgruntled dog trainer, and two hippies who can't stop listening to "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida." Chet makes a clever narrator, thinking like a human but often confounded by figures of speech ("crocodile tears," "red herring"), and Quinn manages to keep things both humorous and suspenseful while delivering a proper, satisfying whodunit.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Quinn brings back the PI duo of Chet and Bernie (Dog on It, 2009) for their second adventure. Their latest job seems too good to be true: provide bodyguard service for a prize-winning show dog and get paid $2,000 a day, that is until the mistress and dog are kidnapped a few hours after arriving in town. Missing persons are Bernie and his dog Chet’s specialty, and they investigate with vigor. As in Dog on It, Chet narrates the entire book, and his doggy point of view is refreshing and consistent. Despite not always being able to focus on long conversations and getting distracted by snacks and smells, Chet is clearly the better investigator of the two, and his narration pulls the reader along as if on a leash. This fast-moving and fun series entry will certainly please Chet and Bernie fans as well as gain new readers with its all-ages appeal. Expect this series to become the hot new thing in animal mysteries. --Jessica Moyer

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Atria Books; 1 edition (January 5, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416585850
• ISBN-13: 978-1416585855
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (73 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #184,846 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Spencer Quinn lives on Cape Cod with his dog, Audrey. He is currently working on the next Chet and Bernie novel.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five woofs for Chet, January 7, 2010

By 

Rita Sydney (Walnut Creek, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Thereby Hangs a Tail: A Chet and Bernie Mystery (Chet and Bernie Mysteries) (Hardcover)

It would be hard to beat the first Chet and Bernie mystery (Dog on It) but this one is equal to it. For new readers, understand that the story is told by Chet, the dog. (See reviews of the first book to appreciate how successfully this technique was used.)

Chet, when referring to Bernie and himself, always says "me and Bernie." It seems exactly what a canine like Chet would do. Undying devotion to Bernie but no shying from his own sense of self.

Chet is his usual doggy self; we see Chet the Jet in his glory running and jumping. His food preferences are plain: at the top is bacon, cooked juicy, but nothing wrong with raw. There's NO food that's not tryable. We see his first experience with a bear claw; understanding "bear" and "claw" Chet's not about to gobble it down.

It's easy to focus on Chet in the story but the reader can also appreciate the dialogue between Bernie and other characters. We don't need Chet to tell us how clever it often is.

There's a nice sequence when Chet has to take care of Princess, a little fluff ball of a show dog. Chet was amazed how her legs would be a blur while her body didn't move very far.

Readers who love these stories should try the web site [...] for a daily dose of this wonderful canine.

(A note to Mr. Quinn: We don't need the continuing question about Chet's health to keep us reading.)

Oh yes, about the plot. It's good. Maybe better than in the first book. The fact that it's an after thought in this review says a lot. Come for a mystery and stay for a story of the wonderful relationship between Chet and Bernie.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As good as the first...maybe better!, January 9, 2010

By 

JEAN (MONTEVIDEO, Mongolia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Thereby Hangs a Tail: A Chet and Bernie Mystery (Chet and Bernie Mysteries) (Hardcover)

I have read the first book several times and listen to the audio frequently. I was excited to know about the second book in the series and pre-ordered it. There was a little trepidation on my part because sequels are not always up to the standard of the original. Not so with this one. Just loved THEREBY HANGS A TAIL. Finished it at 3 AM so I can pass it on to friends and family who are waiting to read it. If you've ever loved a dog, or have had a dog as a friend, you will understand this book. Chet is SO true to form. His attention span is limited, but his love and faith in Bernie is unconditional. Great book. I recommend it. If you're offended by swearing, be warned there are a few places where pungent language has been used. (By the "perps" mostly.)

Grandma Jean

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Has everything but a plot, February 22, 2010

By 

TropicalMinnesota - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Thereby Hangs a Tail (Chet and Bernie Mysteries) (Kindle Edition)

I really enjoyed "Dog On It" last year and looked forward to reading this sequel. Although this book was funny and I appreciated Chet's viewpoints, I didn't like it nearly as much. Maybe it was because the characters were flatter or it was not as novel the second time around, maybe it was just that the plot was weak (and the last page totally unbelievable), but it seemed to be a cheap knock-off of "Dog On It". Still good, but not nearly as good as the original.