Sgt. LeAnne Hogan was on her way to a successful career in the US Army when an IED (improvised explosive device) in an Afghani village altered her future forever. It is now imperative for her to remember the events that led up to the blast that killed her entire team, leaving her badly disfigured and missing her right eye. As she slowly awakens to reality at Walter Reed Hospital, she has no memory of the weeks of treatment at an airbase where she was airlifted after the cataclysmic attack. She is haunted only by the belief that she was somehow at fault for the deadly sneak attack on her team.

Critical information buried deep in her memory is vital to the military, but her personal trauma is now her sole enemy. When Marci, her roommate at Walter Reed, dies suddenly as a result of her own injuries, LeAnne is distraught. Feeling she is going nowhere in her rehabilitation, she gathers up her meager belongings and back pay and walks out the door. Her psychologist, knowing she is within her rights, advises her she could be considered AWOL, but wishes her luck and hands her a cell phone.

"This gripping stand-alone novel from the creator of the bestselling Chet and Bernie mystery series grabs you in the heart from page one...[and] will stay with you long after you close the cover."

This gripping stand-alone novel from the creator of the bestselling Chet and Bernie mystery series grabs you in the heart from page one. Spencer Quinn is known to his fans for his lighthearted detective stories with his dog, Chet, as the narrator. In THE RIGHT SIDE, Quinn discloses his alter ego as he delves into the disturbing realm of PTSD and physical rehabilitation so prevalent in today’s world as our wounded warriors return to an uncertain future.

Since I had reviewed several books in the Chet and Bernie series, I snatched up this title due solely to the author. Ah, another amusing amble, I thought, with the talking dog and his bumbling detective friend. What a surprise to discover that Quinn is a master of what I think of as “getting into the head” of his characters. LeAnne’s head is in a very dark place, indeed, as she boards a bus to Arizona, seeking to touch base with her family roots. From there, she takes us on an unforgettable journey as she comes to grips with her new reality.

Fans of the author will be happy to learn that a dog is eventually involved when a large, homely stray mutt enters her life. LeAnne, not a dog person, does not welcome the responsibility of taking care of a pet. But Goody, named by another, is anything but a pet. Goody intuitively seems to understand that LeAnne needs protection on her blind side and is in it for the long haul, whether LeAnne likes it or not. Together they retrace the steps to Bellevue, Washington, to seek out the family of her hospital roommate. There they stumble onto the mystery of the disappearance of Marci’s daughter.

Spencer Quinn is a pseudonym for Peter Abrahams, an Edgar Award-winning mystery/suspense novelist. He brings that skill to the fore in THE RIGHT SIDE, a story that will stay with you long after you close the cover.