Customer Reviews

In Dog We Trust (Golden Retriever Mysteries)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I loved this book! I started it over lunch yesterday and could hardly bear to put it down. The first person protagonist (Steve) is a computer hacker on parole, trying to reestablish his life after some prison time, a divorce, and a move across the country. Out walking one night, he finds his next door neighbor shot to death, her Golden Retriever beside her. Steve has one good friend in town, a police detective, so he calls him and is asked to take the dog home until something can be decided. He's not a dog person, but the dog quickly inserts himself into his life and he's soon besotted. He decides he has to help solve the murder of his neighbor, a tricky deal as he's not supposed to do anything but work related business on his computer. There are multiple layers to the plot and lots of great stuff with the dog, Rochester--named after the character in Jane Eyre. I loved the book and hope there will be more stories with Steve and Rochester in the future.

Aside from living in his late father's condo, Steve Levitan's life is dreary. He's on parole after a brief incarceration during which time his wife divorced him, and his parole officer isn't fooling around either. Steve has a temporary job, no love interest, and not even a hobby. He's about as pathetic as a well educated, healthy forty-two year old man can be without being homeless. But he doesn't feel sorry for himself so you can't help but liking him. Then he becomes a dog dad (that's what we male dog owners call ourselves) and a whole new world opens up for him, one he isn't prepared for. But he feels obligated to take on that task while scrambling to earn a living, keep his parole officer off his back, and help his cop friend solve a crime. It's a good thing they live in a small-town environment or I wouldn't find that part too believable. Most of the police I've known only seem to have other cops as friends. I suppose there are always exceptions, but I digress: Rochester the dog turns out to be intuitive while still being a real dog, unlike Lady Sophia in my latest, One Lowly Angel; but it's meant to be somewhat mystical. Although In Dog We Trust seems (to me) like a corny title, there's nothing corny about the story and it does what every good novel should: keeps you turning pages to find what happens next. An entertaining read, at a bargain price too.

I thought I was in for an okay summer read. this book was great fun and kept me absorbed until the end. Love the humor, insights and of course the dog. Looking forward to more!!!

42-year-old Steve Levitan is in a very low place in his life. Although he doesn't know it, what he needs to turn it around is a golden retriever. Too bad his new-found friend and neighbor has to be killed for him to find himself ownning one. Together Steve and Rochester (the dog) work to crack the mystery behind the neighbor's death. Settings include the local college, where Steve teaches, the local coffee/sweet shop, various places in Bucks County, Pa, and a few trips to New York. I thoroughly enjoyed this book--the author has a nice sense of place, a great ear for dialogue, the characters are real and likeable, and the tension is just right. The dog helps solve the crimes, but not in an unbelievable or un-doglike way. I really hope the author writes a sequel; I'd like to visit with Steve and Rochester again.

A light, easy reading mystery about a college professor turned amateur sleuth and reluctant dog owner. Not really a stay-up-all-night page turner, but for the price it's a decent, fun read.

It may be most enjoyable for dog people, who'll recognize many of the canine antics and misbehaviors that the protagonist encounters when he unexpectedly takes on care of a boisterous Golden Retriever. I enjoyed the main character's development from first being apalled at the big, slobbery beast, through slowly growing an emotional bond with the dog, to becoming a full-fledged dog person.

There are a couple of flaws that detract from the reading. Some clues are clumsily and noticeably inserted (you may guess whodunnit). Also, while the dog character is generally well-written, I found some of the doggy clue-finding behaviors (pawing at important things, etc.) unrealistic. My dog is pretty smart but if I'm murdered I doubt she'll be scratching at important papers to alert people to clues, unless I get bludgeoned by bacon and it splatters into my file cabinet.

My biggest complaint involves odd, contrived, punny character names which really jarred me out of the story. For instance, "Anna Rexick, who wanted to be a nurse, specializing in eating distorders. She was painfully skinny..." I mean, come ON. There's also "Billy Rubin, who wanted to be a doctor" (see bilirubin), and some others. Is this supposed to be a joke? I couldn't tell because the narrator actually discusses some character names, like "Dee Gamay" as "digame" in Spanish, treating them as serious, actual names within the world of this story. I don't really understand what the author was trying to do, but I found it really distracting. After Anna Rexick I started saying all the character names to myself to see if they "meant" anything.

Other than that, a fun read - I'd say well worth the bargain price especially for people who love dogs.

Plot/Storyline: 4 3/4 Stars

This was definitely a "cozy mystery" with an ex-con as the 'super-sleuth.' Steve Levitan, the main character, was in prison for computer hacking, so as partof his probation, he must not use unauthorized computers. This makes his detective work a little difficult, since computers are really his specialty.

Having Steve as the `detective' was an interesting twist. Also, the way the dog pulls him into the investigation was fairly believable, even though it did beg disbelief a few times toward the end.

The overall plot was just complicated enough to keep readers guessing toward the very end. The `red herrings' were believable and plausible.

The storyline did move a little slow in places. Steve did a little too much reminiscing on his past, pleading with the reader for unnecessary sympathy. Yes, I could see why he did what he did. It only took telling me once, not multiple times.

Character Development: 5 Stars

Steve's character really made the story. Aside from the transparent efforts at sympathy mentioned above, his character development was very well done. At first, he's not all that likable. He doesn't even like dogs! However, as the story progresses, so does his character and the empathy the reader could feel for him.

The other characters, while mostly window dressing, were sufficiently deep for the story.

Writing Style: 5 Stars

Mr. Plakcy did a terrific job in this cozy mystery. He had a smooth writing style that kept the story flowing evenly. The dialogue and descriptions were right on target.

In many novels with a `technical aspect,' the author makes the mistake of getting bogged down with detailed descriptions. Mr. Plakcy avoided this neatly while still allowing the reader complete understanding of the `hacking' taking place in the story. He made it feel as though almost anyone could do the research in which Steve indulged.

Nice dog, nice protagonist, nice story. The writing style is smooth and the plot is sound (if a touch dry considering the subject). I don't like romance stories mixed in with mysteries and gratefully this subject was so lightly written about to seem almost invisible.

My only complaint was Steve Levitan's job search conclusion. Where did his Technical Manual fixes as a career go? The ending left some hanging questions but Rochester is so cute it really didn't matter. Will the dog give up his career as a Doggy Detective?...he'd better not since I want to read more about HIS career, not his master's.

Hack on, Steve. Detect on, Rochester.

Let me start off by saying that I don't usually read this type of book. It's a cozy with a bit of a different twist, the protagonist is male. I've been trying to broaden my reading list and this was a good choice. Neil does a great job of developing the characters in this book and I found them believable and realistic.

As for the mystery itself, the author laid out a series of clues and red herrings that kept me guessing until the end. If you like a straight-out mystery without too much blood and gore, In Dog We Trust is a good choice.

I purchased this book because I love dogs and thought it might be cute, I was so wrong. It ws terrific! Did Rodgester (the dog) ever REALLY point out clues..or were there just some remarkable coincidences? I'm still not sure. I thought I was just going to be reding a story about a cute dog. What I REALLY got was a very crafty mystery story, and an opportunity to look back fondly at my days as a professor. Truly a good read. I was anxious to continue reading it....and sad it was coming to an end. Don't miss this one!

In Dog We Trust You have a book which is the essence why the lovers and owners of dogs are special to one another.