Reviews with content warning for Kidnapping - Bernie & Chet

Having the dog Chet as narrator is really clever but it got a bit annoying. Also, it was frustrating to have a limited point of view. It was funny, though, in addition to being clever, and that helped endear me to the two main characters, Chet and his human Bernie.

I’m hypersensitive to animal abuse and there were some pretty unpleasant situations, but they never got too bad. Chet was jerked around on a choke collar but he was able to breathe and it didn’t last too long. People slashed at him with sharp weapons but he emerged with minimal damage. The nicked ear likely gave him a rakish look. The scenes in the dog pound were also upsetting though anything bad happened off-screen, as it were.

I especially liked reading about the desert. It was a big part of the story, almost a character in itself.

Enjoyable, a quick read, but I didn’t love it enough to dive into the next dozen books. Now, maybe if it had featured cats….

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dexkit10's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

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jessspeake's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was just what I needed. A light, fun, quick read. The story follows Bernie, a private investigator, and Chet, the lovable, quirky canine narrator of the book. This book is the first in the Chet and Bernie mystery series and follows our lovably flawed main characters as they try to solve the disappearance of a girl named Madison. As the case develops, they realize things may not be as they appear.

I adored having Chet as the narrator. Spencer Quinn wrote him as a funny, endearing pup. All of his dialogue was so convincing. I found myself in awe of his writing, because I really felt like I was listening to a dog's inner thoughts. Chet is easily distracted, and that adds to the comedy of the story. Sometimes I felt there could have been more consistency with the things he understood and didn't understand, but it didn't really bother me while reading it.

If you're looking for a true, spooky, mystery/thriller, this book isn't that. But if you're a dog lover and want a lighthearted, fun read that will put a smile on your face, this book is for you!

I didn't love how the villains in the story were written. I don't want to say too much here, because I don't want to give away any spoilers, but it does deserve mentioning.

Overall, I really liked the book, and would be happy to read more books in the series. It wasn't the most life changing piece of literary fiction I've ever read, but I wasn't expecting that going into this book. I wanted a fun, easy, lovable read, and this perfectly encapsulated all of those things.

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