Editorial Content for Cat on a Hot Tin Woof: A Chet & Bernie Mystery

How can you not love a book narrated by a dog who understands a lot of what's going on, but also --- in true, believable doggy fashion --- misses so much? Spencer Quinn has an almost supernatural ability to write like a dog. Or at least what we think our dogs might be thinking as they go through life with us. And in his latest story, CAT ON A HOT TIN WOOF, there's finally a cat!

Miss Kitty, a viral influencer in the form of an adorable black and white kitten, is missing. Her person, Bitty, and Bitty's mother are desperate to get her back. Miss Kitty's endorsements and influencer status provide a huge income for the single mom and her daughter. Chet and Bernie are on the case, but of course it's more complex than just a missing cat.

Bernie starts investigating Bitty's estranged father, who is pretty much a ne'er-do-well. This leads to a few dead bodies; two women who have a horse ranch; the father's girlfriend, who has gone into hiding; and some really shady characters. But with the indomitable team on the job, justice is sure to be had.

"This series has what dog and mystery lovers adore: an incredibly charismatic main canine character, an equally charismatic sidekick, and mysteries that aren't easy to solve."

Chet's narrative is brilliant. It's incredibly easy to believe that a dog is telling the story, complete with points that he doesn't understand, as well as what a dog would know that a human would not. Chet can't count past two and gets easily distracted by Slim Jims and other tasty morsels. But he also knows that while Miss Kitty isn't at a certain home, her scent is there. It's up to us to determine if that's because she was actually there or someone there was in contact with Miss Kitty.

To really appreciate the narrative, here's an example of why people love this series and Chet, the best dog ever. Chet and his son Shooter, who lives with Bernie's ex-wife, her new husband, and Bernie's son, are playing. They are really roughhousing --- chasing each other, running into each other, charging each other. Chet could hear distant voices telling them to stop. "But so very distant that it was a snap to imagine that I was imagining them. No time to dig any deeper into it --- although suddenly digging seemed like a fine idea so I dug a surprisingly deep hole in no time at all."

They continue to play, and Shooter runs right through the electric fence as they chase each other down the street. Finally, Chet hears Bernie calling him. "Uh-oh. Was that Bernie? When Bernie calls I come. He's in a special category. I turned and trotted back to the house --- how far away it was! Shooter trotted back right with me. We both looked straight ahead, minding our own. Two very good boys." This is just one small example of the delightful doggy narrative that fills the story.

To be honest, the book is probably 60% Chet's charming canine narrative and 40% mystery. But we wouldn't have it any other way. Quinn manages to make us really care about not only Chet and Bernie, but also Bitty, who loves her cat very much and is suffering not knowing if Miss Kitty is safe.

This particular mystery delves into the competition of social media influencers and the vast amounts of money that companies spend to have their products posted on social media. We love reading about dogs. So who's to disparage those who spend time online looking at cats and other adorable animals? Even my husband, who claims that he wants no dogs or cats in the house, watches cute cat and dog videos on his phone. I've caught him in the act!

This series has what dog and mystery lovers adore: an incredibly charismatic main canine character, an equally charismatic sidekick, and mysteries that aren't easy to solve. And Chet's flashbacks to past novels, almost always including the one with Peanut the elephant, bring extra humor to the read. Don't miss this really enjoyable series. Stephen King calls this installment "[t]he kind of can't-put-it-down, gotta-read-one-more-chapter crime novel that only a few writers can pull off." That says it all.