The Dog Who Knew Too Much

Starred review from July 25, 2011
Near the start of the pseudonymous Quinn's outstanding fourth Chet and Bernie whodunit (after 2010's To Fetch a Thief), Anya Vereen asks PI Bernie Little to pose as a friend of hers and accompany her to parents' weekend at Big Bear Wilderness Camp, where her son, Devin, is a camper. Anya, who fears that her ex, Guy Wenders, also slated to attend, will cause trouble, hopes that Bernie's presence will prevent "unpleasantness." The investigator reluctantly accepts the job. At the camp, he and Chet, his faithful dog sidekick, find themselves with a very different problem to solve after Devin disappears while on an overnight. Chet's tracking ability comes in handy, but the search quickly takes a violent and unexpected turn. Quinn (suspense novelist Peter Abrahams) manages to sell the conceit of a literate canine narrator by dint of intelligent writing and on-the-mark pacing and tone.