Gone to the Dogs (Dog Lover's Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Susan Conant (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
If the initials CD bring to mind a dog obedience title rather than audio merchandise or a financial investment, you may well be one of Conant's ( Paws Before Dying ) fans--or one of her canine-obsessed characters. Heroine Holly Winter of Cambridge, Mass., spends her time training her two copiously described Alaskan malamutes, enjoying a courtship with a veterinarian, contributing to dog-lovers' magazines and solving mysteries. In this latest outing, well-regarded veterinarian Oscar Patterson has vanished. Holly's hackles rise as she sniffs out a few suspects, among them a client whose dog died in Patterson's care and an unprincipled trainer whom Patterson had rebuked. As in Conant's other books, mystery takes a distant second to details of doggiedom: the author recommends wholesalers of pet supplies, comments on the terrier personality, advises how best to get a rare breed recognized by the American Kennel Club, and so forth. Conant infuses her writing with a healthy dose of humor about Holly's Fido-loving friends and other Cambridge cliques; the target of her considerable wit clearly emerges as human nature.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews
The first hardcover Conant mystery, custom-groomed for dog people, whose devotion to the canine goes beyond that of mere dog lovers--dog people are those ``who can discuss impacted anal sacs [at a party] without gagging on their Brie.'' The sleuth here is Holly Winter, in a mystery plot one shouldn't worry too much about. It concerns the disappearance of Dr. Oscar Patterson, DVM, who had recommended vet Lee Miner to Holly's vet/inamorato Steve Delaney as a partner in his clinic. It was Dr. Miner (a cold dish of Iams) who'd heard a row between Dr. Paterson and an owner whose dog had just died in the small hours. Is Oscar dead? And where is Jackie Miner, Lee's wife? Featured here is a rare breed, the Chinook, related to the malamute, Holly's chosen breed. The mystery itself wobbles here and there, but the Cambridge, Mass., setting is fun (Harvard at Christmas with super-pipes ``with a range of three notes'' and Morris dances), and the dog talk for the hard-core dog crowd is fine. Come. Sit. Stay. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Crimeline (November 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553297341
• ISBN-13: 978-0553297348
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #87,327 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 5 in The Dog Lover's Mystery Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More Dog then Mystery but in this case that's ok, May 19, 2000

By	"toddwylie" (Santa Barbara, CA) - See all my reviews

"Gone to the Dogs" is the 5th installment in the Holly Winter Mystery Saga, but the first with a new publisher. I like what this publishing change has done for the quality of these books. Conant, always a good writer, has expanded her typical story length by a good hundred pages. This allows her to fill her stories out a little more making the pace and flow of the plotting better.

Diehard mystery fans might be disappointed with the level of mystery in these books. There is a mystery but it isn't that intricate, nor is it approached like a typical mystery novel.

The strength of these books is the information, research, and history given of dogs and show events. When I started this series I never though a dog mystery could be interesting in any way. But like any good author, Conant is able to fuel her passion into her writing getting you caught up in the enthusiasm. I've learned a lot about dogs reading these books, and I've enjoyed every minute of it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great Christmas mystery!, October 30, 2006

By	S. Schwartz "romonko" (alberta canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Although it's not Christmas, I enjoyed this Christmas mystery, as I have enjoyed all the books so far in this series aimed at dog fanciers everywhere. This was an excellent story, as well as a chance to see Rowdy and Kimi again. I am getting quite fond of Rowdy and Kimi. The book is about disaappearances and an "anal retentive" vet. Steve has finally given in to Lorraine and accepted that he requires another vet to help run his burgeoning practice. So Lorraine hires a new vet and he and his wife come to Cambridge. Althought the vet seemes competent, Holly has a few misgivings. The book is a little different as no bodies turn up, but that doesn't spoil the mystery. This is a very enjoyable series, and I can't wait to read the next one.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Oh where, oh where did my little vet go?, July 11, 2003

By	L Smith "acozylover" (Macomb, MI) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

The 5th book in the Dog Lover's mystery series follows Holly Winter, dog lover/owner, on her next case. It seems that Holly and her two Malamutes, Kimi and Rowdy, are always finding themselves in the middle of investigations! This case involves missing vet, Oscar Patterson, and Holly cannot seem to let the mystery go. She asks mutual friends for information regarding the vet, and soon learns that another acquaintance has vanished, supposedly with the vet. Have these two run off together or was it murder? Can Holly and her two canine companions solve this case?

I have enjoyed the four previous books in the series and was a bit surprised by this installment. The author has signed with a new publisher, and I noticed right away that this book was much longer than the previous four. Even though her books were always pretty cerebral, this one seemed much more so to me. I enjoy the fact that I have to "think" I bit more when I am reading Conant's books, but at times I found the storyline a bit hard to follow. However, I love all of the aspects involving the dogs, and I believe that these books offer a wealth of information regarding dogs. As the author has done in the past, in this book she focuses on one topic of pet ownership that she feels strongly about. In this book, the author speaks strongly about harsh training methods, and the "unprofessional" trainers that practice them. If you are interested in dogs and like mysteries (albeit not the "simple" variety) this is a good series for you!

The first book in this series is "Paws Before Dying". Enjoy!

A Cozy Lover