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rdpulfer's review
4.0
I can see why Stephen King loves this series. As someone who manages the mystery section at a local library, I see plenty of mysteries series - and some of them start to blur together after a while. And while there are plenty of pet-themed mysteries, ones from the explicit point of view of the dog are few and far between - especially when they are this well-written. I love Chet and Bernie, with some Chet's observations pretty hilarious. For the most part, Chet seems to know the in's and out's of being a private investigator's "partner" . . . though he's frequently confused by concepts such as "game" and "walk". Overall, it's a fun series - and one I hope to pick up more in the future!
debmed's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
laurla's review
4.0
i enjoy these silly books told from Chets point of view. he reminds me of my previous dog with his endless enthusiasm.
"are you suggesting i'm putting on weight?" // "i didn't say a word." // "its how you didn't say it."
"are you suggesting i'm putting on weight?" // "i didn't say a word." // "its how you didn't say it."
socialpsysteph's review
This looked so cute and I was hopeful it would just be a nice cozy read to get me out of my slump and into some holiday spirit. Unfortunately, this one is not for me. The writing style was jumpy and chaotic so I couldn't just settle down into the story like I wanted to. I DNFed it after 2 chapters. Oh well!
yetanothersusan's review
4.0
Ah! My favorite canine detective and his trusty sidekick Bernie! This definitely got me in the Christmas spirit! (you know, despite the murder, etc)
theirresponsiblereader's review
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
What’s It’s a Wonderful Woof About?
Someone comes to the Little Detective Agency to hire them, but it’s just not the kind of case that calls for Bernie’s strengths, but he knows just the right guy for the job, Victor Klovsky. The two had recently run into each other on different cases, and Bernie’s been reminded that Victor isn’t cut out for the more, shall we say, physically demanding cases—but he’s great at the stuff you can do behind a desk, which is what this case calls for.
Also, I think Bernie feels sorry for the guy and thinks he can do him a favor by sending work his way to make up for the way things went during that recent encounter.
You know what they say about roads and best intentions, though. It’s not long before Victor has gone missing—a very concerned mother (who has less confidence in his abilities than Bernie does) hires Chet and Bernie to find him. It turns out that not only Victor is missing, but his client is, too.
There’s nothing about this case that suggests a cushy desk job anymore—a strong sense of violence surrounds the disappearances—and other elements of the case as it develops. Can Chet and Bernie sniff out what happened to them, and what the relationship is between these disappearances, Mary and Joseph fleeing to Egypt, Caravaggio, and an old Spanish mission?
Relationship Issues
This is news to no one that has read one book in this series, but Bernie’s not good at relationships. Expressing himself to a woman he cares about is not a skill he possesses (I’m sure Chet would differ with me here, but I stand by it).
His current relationship is still pretty new—and seems to be going pretty well. But that’s all stuff that happened since Tender is the Bite. It doesn’t take him too long to mess things up with Weatherly. Both his reaction to this throughout the novel and the way it started felt different than the way he’d put his foot into it with Suzi (but not completely). The relationships between Bernie and the two women are notably different—which is a relief, too often in situations like this it feels like a duplicate of a previous romance.
A Very Bernie Christmas?
It would be very easy to forget that this is a Christmas/Holiday Themed novel—I did more than once, and I was expressly looking to see how Quinn dealt with it.
However, when the holidays do come up? It’s great. There’s a Hannukah scene that I just loved, and…well there are a couple of great other scenes about the holidays, but my no-spoiler policy stops me from getting into those.
Language Choice
This isn’t a big deal—I don’t want to make a proverbial mountain out of anything. But it struck me that Bernie’s language is a bit stronger than usual. I don’t want to take the time and do word counts or anything—I’m lazy and I’m not going to buy e-copies just to document this point. This book is still PG-13, but it jumped out at me and struck me as different—and I’m curious about it.
So, what did I think about It’s a Wonderful Woof?
I had a blast with this—there was a time 5 or 6 books ago, that my interest in the series waned a bit—I still enjoyed the books, but they didn’t grab me the way the initial novels did. That’s gone, and I have to wonder what was wrong with me—Quinn and Chet are as fresh and entertaining now as they were in Dog Gone It.
There’s heart, there’s excitement, there’s humor, there’s the devotion that only a dog can have for their human, and you even can even learn a little bit about art history. Throw in a little holiday magic and you’ve got yourself another winner in this series.
Go read this—which readers of this series probably don’t need me to say. But if you haven’t read any before, this functions well enough as a jumping-on point, just be prepared to make some time for the previous 11 novels. You’re going to want to read them all.
pawprintsinthesink's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
5.0
It may just be starting to feel like fall, but the life of a book blogger means it’s time for Christmas reads!
This year, some of my favorite authors have given the world the gift of a bonus book; that is, a second release in the same year. As someone who waits not-so-patiently every year for my favorite author’s releases, having two books in one year feels like winning. So far, both Mary Kay Andrews and Spencer Quinn have given us Christmas books in addition to their annual release. You can read my review of MKA’s The Santa Suit here, and read on for my review of Spencer Quinn’s It’s a Wonderful Woof.
Tis the season in the valley where Chet lives with his private investigator partner, Bernie. Tis the season for crime and shenanigans, that is. Chet may have flunked out of K-9 school on the last day (was there a cat involved? Read the novella A Cat Was Involved to find out!), but he’s the best in the business. When a fellow PI and acquaintance goes missing, Chet and Bernie are on the case. This particular case may lead them to some interesting places, all tied in to the Christmas story and the saguaros that often dot their landscape. What do Mary and Joseph fleeing Herod have to do with the Sonoran desert? Chet and Bernie are sure to find out!
Like all of Quinn’s uproarious novels, It’s a Wonderful Woof is narrated by Chet. True to form, Chet’s storytelling is laugh out loud funny. Be careful reading in public; this novel is full of irresistibly funny moments. Chet’s canine narration provides many moments of comedic relief, balancing the weight of the story and setting the tone perfectly.
While this story is definitely holiday centric, and a great mystery as that, it also advances the character’s relationships with one another. These well-developed characters are always a joy to spend time with, and this novel is no different. I especially loved seeing more of Weatherly, Trixie, and Shooter. Chet’s interactions with Trixie and Shooter are always extra-funny, while Weatherly is smart and witty. It’s a Wonderful Woof advances the character-driven plots that are interwoven into each installment.
While this novel is full of fun moments and interesting characters, it’s a great mystery and a great holiday story. In fact, it’s the perfect Christmas mystery… as long as you don’t mind a body count.
It’s a Wonderful Woof will be available October 19, 2021. Thank you to Spencer Quinn, NetGalley, and Macmillian-Tor/Forge for an advanced copy such that I could write this review
This year, some of my favorite authors have given the world the gift of a bonus book; that is, a second release in the same year. As someone who waits not-so-patiently every year for my favorite author’s releases, having two books in one year feels like winning. So far, both Mary Kay Andrews and Spencer Quinn have given us Christmas books in addition to their annual release. You can read my review of MKA’s The Santa Suit here, and read on for my review of Spencer Quinn’s It’s a Wonderful Woof.
Tis the season in the valley where Chet lives with his private investigator partner, Bernie. Tis the season for crime and shenanigans, that is. Chet may have flunked out of K-9 school on the last day (was there a cat involved? Read the novella A Cat Was Involved to find out!), but he’s the best in the business. When a fellow PI and acquaintance goes missing, Chet and Bernie are on the case. This particular case may lead them to some interesting places, all tied in to the Christmas story and the saguaros that often dot their landscape. What do Mary and Joseph fleeing Herod have to do with the Sonoran desert? Chet and Bernie are sure to find out!
Like all of Quinn’s uproarious novels, It’s a Wonderful Woof is narrated by Chet. True to form, Chet’s storytelling is laugh out loud funny. Be careful reading in public; this novel is full of irresistibly funny moments. Chet’s canine narration provides many moments of comedic relief, balancing the weight of the story and setting the tone perfectly.
While this story is definitely holiday centric, and a great mystery as that, it also advances the character’s relationships with one another. These well-developed characters are always a joy to spend time with, and this novel is no different. I especially loved seeing more of Weatherly, Trixie, and Shooter. Chet’s interactions with Trixie and Shooter are always extra-funny, while Weatherly is smart and witty. It’s a Wonderful Woof advances the character-driven plots that are interwoven into each installment.
While this novel is full of fun moments and interesting characters, it’s a great mystery and a great holiday story. In fact, it’s the perfect Christmas mystery… as long as you don’t mind a body count.
It’s a Wonderful Woof will be available October 19, 2021. Thank you to Spencer Quinn, NetGalley, and Macmillian-Tor/Forge for an advanced copy such that I could write this review
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