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To Fetch a Thief (Chet and Bernie #3)
by
Spencer Quinn (Goodreads Author)
When a valuable circus elephant and his trainer go missing, Chet and Bernie are hired to find out what's going on. Have Peanuts and his trainer, Uri, been lured away by animal rights activists? Or have they been kidnapped by someone with a grudge? It's not long before Chet and Bernie discover that their disappearance is much more sinister than an animal rights stunt, and m...more
Paperback, 324 pages
Published
March 1st 2011
by Allen & Unwin
(first published 2010)
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perfect for quick summer reading, the Chet and Bernie books never leave the bowl empty. They are kibble full of fun, entertaining detective work. They also are quick to note a bit about the human experience, seen through the eyes of a dog.
This time around, To fetch a thief , the disappearance of a circus elephant leads to a string of other disappearances and wrongdoing. Spencer Quinn weaves a complex crime into a simple solution. But we read this for Chet more than the actual mystery.
A brief th...more
This time around, To fetch a thief , the disappearance of a circus elephant leads to a string of other disappearances and wrongdoing. Spencer Quinn weaves a complex crime into a simple solution. But we read this for Chet more than the actual mystery.
A brief th...more
Chet and Bernie forever, December 22, 2012
This review is from: To Fetch a Thief: A Chet and Bernie Mystery (Chet and Bernie Mysteries) (Paperback)
This is the 3rd installment in the Chet & Bernie mysteries. The reason I came back for more of Chet & Bernie was because I find a dog being the narrator or story teller fascinating. For me, the reader, to observe what is going on in detail from a dog's perspective is opening a new dimension in reading. It's also a good break from the usual m...more
Dec 04, 2012
Ms.pegasus
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
dog-lovers
This is the 3rd Chet and Bernie adventure. Bernie Little is a private detective; his partner in the Little Detective Agency is Chet – or so the story goes as Chet tells it, for Chet is a dog. Bernie is the kind of lanky,clueless, experienced guy that women are attracted to – and then immediately try to change. At least that was what happened with his first wife, who plays a role in this story. The real star of these books, however, is of course Chet, the narrator. His quizzical observations and...more
This book was awful. I have never read any Chet and Bernie mysteries. I got it from Audible in their $4.95 sale. I expected something a little silly but in a cute way as it is told from the pov of a dog. Less than 15 minutes in I was annoyed but I was out for the day and kept it going. I listened for four hours and shut it off when I got home happily. Then I did a return to Audible - which I have NEVER done before. When I came here and saw the good reviews I admit I was completely dumbfounded bu...more
The fun continues (and gets better!)
I enjoyed the first book in the Chet and Bernie series, Dog On It , but assumed this was to be a cute attempt at a series that fizzled after the first book. I ran across the third book and immediately picked it up, pleasantly surprised that the series was still alive. I am pleased to report that not only is the series alive - it is getting better as it goes along!
Chet and Bernie are private detectives. Well, Bernie is a private detective. Chet is his dog - a p...more
I enjoyed the first book in the Chet and Bernie series, Dog On It , but assumed this was to be a cute attempt at a series that fizzled after the first book. I ran across the third book and immediately picked it up, pleasantly surprised that the series was still alive. I am pleased to report that not only is the series alive - it is getting better as it goes along!
Chet and Bernie are private detectives. Well, Bernie is a private detective. Chet is his dog - a p...more
Chet and Bernie are hot on the trail of the missing Peanut. One would think it would be hard to lose an elephant but that is exactly what the circus is missing. In their own inimitable style, our intrepid detective duo starts adding up the clues to track down the pilfered pachyderm. The trail,leads to Mexico where Chet encounters a puff adder and some larcenous police under the command of Capt. Panza. When Bernie is taken prisoner and charged with the murder of snitch Darren Quigley, Chet must t...more
I thought the circus might be more fun. But the acrobats were grumpy and barely in it. We don't really hear from anyone else but the traditional sad clown. And the sad clown actually had a really sad story once it was explained, though I didn't ever feel that much emotion off him. I suppose he wouldn't express it to a detective he barely knows, so I can forgive that. But emotion does weigh lightly in these books since they are being told by a dog. Even so, Chet can observe emotional situations.....more
CD Audio book
Fun, traditional detective story, with Chet the dog narrating. A circus is the scene of a crime when Peanut the elephant and her trainer go missing. Suspects include the owner of the circus, a guard, a PETA volunteer and some rough characters. Police have no good leads. Then the trainer is found dead in the desert by Chet and Bernie. Killed by a poisonous snake. Chet saves the day over and over. Bites Bernie’s attacker, finds Peanut and leads her back to where they find Bernie who h...more
Fun, traditional detective story, with Chet the dog narrating. A circus is the scene of a crime when Peanut the elephant and her trainer go missing. Suspects include the owner of the circus, a guard, a PETA volunteer and some rough characters. Police have no good leads. Then the trainer is found dead in the desert by Chet and Bernie. Killed by a poisonous snake. Chet saves the day over and over. Bites Bernie’s attacker, finds Peanut and leads her back to where they find Bernie who h...more
The elephant is not harmed much and the harm that does occur isn't described in any kind of gory detail and the elephant does not die! I felt very brave reading past the part where the elephant was kidnapped because I do not do well with books where the animal is hurt in any way. Except when its a snake and for those of you who are snake lovers, a snake is killed in this book.
I'm not a big fan of circuses, and I don't think Spencer Quinn is either, so this was not an easy book to love. I still e...more
I'm not a big fan of circuses, and I don't think Spencer Quinn is either, so this was not an easy book to love. I still e...more
To Fetch a Thief (Atria 2010) finds private detective Bernie Little and his faithful companion Chet the dog doing surveillance outside a motel, watching the possibly errant wife of a new client. Chet is relieved that there will soon be money coming in; the failed investment in Hawaiian pants hasn’t helped their financial situation. But Bernie is less concerned about money than doing the right thing, especially when he realizes that ex-wife’s new love interest is the man his client’s cheating wif...more
Spencer Quinn has put together a very enjoyable series of books that feature private investigator, Bernie Little, and his precocious mutt, Chet. There are presently three books in the series; the first two are, "Dog On It" and "Thereby Hangs a Tail". All three are highly entertaining and do not have to read in order. These books can also be read by anyone because there is nothing objectionable in them regarding language or content.
"To Catch a Thief" finds Bernie and Chet at the circus. The main...more
"To Catch a Thief" finds Bernie and Chet at the circus. The main...more
In addition to comprising the third entry in the oh-so-enjoyable "Chet and Bernie" mystery series, To Fetch a Thief was particularly helpful in eliminating a number of contender states for the setting of these stories. Why does this matter? Because Bernie regularly inserts his concerns about draws on the one aquifer, on the illogic of bringing invasive species (let alone grass-based yards!) to the desert, on western history and the decimation wrought on the indigenous population as a result of w...more
This review applies to the audio version.
#3 Chet and Bernie mystery. Bernie Little and his dog, Chet, really dislike doing divorce work. But when money's tight, it does pay the bills. Of course, when the woman they are following ends up at a motel with none other than Bernie's ex-wife's boyfriend Malcolm, things get decidedly more complicated--at least for Bernie. Chet's not sure what all the fuss is about.
The client gives them some tickets to the circus as a bonus, so Bernie, Chet and Charlie,...more
#3 Chet and Bernie mystery. Bernie Little and his dog, Chet, really dislike doing divorce work. But when money's tight, it does pay the bills. Of course, when the woman they are following ends up at a motel with none other than Bernie's ex-wife's boyfriend Malcolm, things get decidedly more complicated--at least for Bernie. Chet's not sure what all the fuss is about.
The client gives them some tickets to the circus as a bonus, so Bernie, Chet and Charlie,...more
In recent days I have had to cut back on reviewing due to increasing “day job” demands. I still get some review books in the mail. I opened a package before going on my long anticipated vacation and was excited to see it was the latest Chet & Bernie mystery. I discovered this delightful series through an online book club and was hooked from the first page of DOG ON IT. I don’t own a dog, but fell in love with Chet immediately. Among other endearing qualities, I could relate to his tendency t...more
I love Chet the Jet! I love how his doggie mind works and how you can tell he sometimes is just repeating things he's heard humans say (i.e. she's [his groomer] got a great business with a great business plan) and how he sometimes gets distracted by a Cheeto. I often repeat things that I've heard and get distracted by Cheetos, so I understand this dog. Despite his sometimes simple thoughts, Chet is not to be underestimated (me, either!). His keen sense of smell and hearing give him a, uh, dog's...more
Chet and Bernie solve a mystery at the circus! Not as simple as all that, of course. Chet is the sidekick at the Bernie Little Detective Agency, the four-legged sidekick, and therin lies the unique aspect of Spencer Quinn's mysteries. To Fetch a Thief and the other Chet and Bernie books are told from Chet's point of view, and the tongue-in-cheek manner he tells his story makes the plot that much more enjoyable.
Chet and Bernie visit an old-fashioned traveling circus because Bernie's son Charlie...more
Chet and Bernie visit an old-fashioned traveling circus because Bernie's son Charlie...more
Chet and Bernie are back with another mystery - this one involving a missing elephant, Peanut, and her trainer, Uri. They went missing one night from the circus where they worked - and no one's heard anything.
Except that doesn't add up, because how can an elephant just go missing?
As in the other two books in this series, Chet tells the tail - er, tale - of the search for the missing Peanut and Uri. Uri's husband, the clown Popo, hires the Little Detective Agency to find out what happened to Uri...more
Except that doesn't add up, because how can an elephant just go missing?
As in the other two books in this series, Chet tells the tail - er, tale - of the search for the missing Peanut and Uri. Uri's husband, the clown Popo, hires the Little Detective Agency to find out what happened to Uri...more
The case of the purloined elephant. That's not something you hear every day. Maybe the McGillicuddy case a while ago. The details escape me, but it involved some sort of antique elephant that sat on a shelf. That's the one where we brought down Thugs Mulligan. He's now living upstate, wearing an orange jumpsuit, breaking rocks in the hot sun. This case starts with a full-size live circus elephant purloined in the dead of night, without a witness willing to talk, at least at first. Bernie's prett...more
Detective story, narrated from the point of view of his dog. Full of dog jokes.
Example text: "'Maybe there's no one in there,' Bernie said. 'Like she just enjoys a solitary little nap out in the desert now and then, making this a wild goose chase.' Wild goose chase? I'd heard that one before, wanted to go on a wild goose chase very badly, but there were no geese in sight. Once---was this back when the Hawaiian pants returns started coming in?---I'd heard Bernie say 'Our goose is cooked.' But no...more
Example text: "'Maybe there's no one in there,' Bernie said. 'Like she just enjoys a solitary little nap out in the desert now and then, making this a wild goose chase.' Wild goose chase? I'd heard that one before, wanted to go on a wild goose chase very badly, but there were no geese in sight. Once---was this back when the Hawaiian pants returns started coming in?---I'd heard Bernie say 'Our goose is cooked.' But no...more
Chet and Bernie are on the trail of a missing elephant and her trainer, but much more comes to play as their investigation unfolds. There are exotic animals showing up in odd places, a circus going down in ruin, a soon to be ex-husband complicating their case with vengeance of his own, and then there is Suzie Sanchez; all pieces in this third installment of the hit series by Spencer Quinn. Chet, the canine member of the Little Detective Agency, narrates the story. The elephant goes missing and a...more
Another delightful entry in the Bernie and Chet series. Bernie Little is 1/2 of the Little Detective Agency, the two-legged half. Chet is the other half, the four-legged one with a sense of smell that can't be beat. Peanut is missing from the Drummond Family Traveling Circus. Bernie takes his son Charlie to the circus that day and gets drawn into the missing elephant case because Charlie knows his dad can find anything. Bernie and Chet end up in Mexico with dead carnies all around them and too m...more
Spencer Quinn's dog character, Chet, has become a favorite of mine. The author does an amazing job of staying in a dog's head--Chet never knows anything he shouldn't, anything human, or anything he doesn't experience himself. And the things he overhears or sees but doesn't understand are priceless ("Just spit it out," Bernie might say, and Chet thinks "oh, no, not in the cab of the truck." LOL)
Let me say, Spencer Quin does an incredible feat here--I don't like animal pov, I don't like circuses,...more
Let me say, Spencer Quin does an incredible feat here--I don't like animal pov, I don't like circuses,...more
Oct 07, 2010
Susan
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery-california,
mystery-mexico
When Peanuts the elephant and his trainer vanish from a small circus, Bernie's young son is concerned. Bernie has to explain that as a private investigator, he can't get involved in a case unless someone hires him. When Bernie is hired, he and his dog Chet--who is also the narrator--spring into action, finding that there's more behind the joint disappearance than seems evident. Soon they're up to their respective ears in trouble. Bernie is also trying to figure out what to do about a divorce cas...more
I think you have to know and love dogs to like these books. Since my husband and I always "talk for our dogs," (as in, "What? You think I don't want a bagel with cream cheese, too?") I find Chet and Bernie books to be hysterically funny. However, if you DON'T do that, I can understand where you would find them annoying, as one reader posted in a previous review. Since Chet narrates all the books, his perspective is always colored by the dog point of view, which often involves food and some past...more
Bernie Little is a private detective whose partner is Chet, K-9 trained German Shepard and the narrator of the story. This is a talented and successful pairing.
Chet helps Bernie locate an elephant and her handler who have disappeared from a small family circus. As far as Chet is concerned, it's very hard to hide an elephant; their smell is certainly distinct. Their search takes them to Mexico where corrupt police and smugglers of rare animals await them.
Chet is smart for a dog even though many...more
Chet helps Bernie locate an elephant and her handler who have disappeared from a small family circus. As far as Chet is concerned, it's very hard to hide an elephant; their smell is certainly distinct. Their search takes them to Mexico where corrupt police and smugglers of rare animals await them.
Chet is smart for a dog even though many...more
From the first Chet and Bernie mystery, Dog On It, I have really enjoyed these books a lot! I have read other books told from the perspective of a dog, but the blend of humor and mystery as well as the development of Chet as a character has a different twist. He truly is more doglike than human, and it is his doglike tendencies that make him so endearing. The stories, too, are engaging as both Chet and Bernie work as a team and their history is gradually revealed. Like the first two, To Fetch a...more
The anthropomorphized dog, Chet, still maintains a definitely "dog" attitude, at least from the human perspective--falling asleep suddenly, not always able to control barking, chewing, and growling urges, easily thrilled and happy, fiercely loyal. If you don't concentrate too hard on what he does understand of humanity vs. what he doesn't (not always consistent), it's a thoroughly enjoyable read. The view of humanity from the dog perspective is interesting and insightful. Includes some suspense,...more
Dec 11, 2010
Hobart
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone in the world
Shelves:
2010-reads
What can I say about this? Read it. Love this series. At this point, I think the only "voice" I enjoy reading more in this world than Chet is Archie Goodwin, and Chet's still with us, so he could pass Archie.
On my first read, I didn't love it as much as the first -- but slightly more than the second -- in this series. I think Quinn did a bit more with Bernie's character than he has in the past -- Bernie could probably carry his own story w/o Chet now (Heaven Forbid). Less Suzie, more Charlie and...more
On my first read, I didn't love it as much as the first -- but slightly more than the second -- in this series. I think Quinn did a bit more with Bernie's character than he has in the past -- Bernie could probably carry his own story w/o Chet now (Heaven Forbid). Less Suzie, more Charlie and...more
The entire book written from a dog's POV? Why, yes please.
I picked this up and finished it within a week - which isn't unusual, but as of lately, it is. Chet the dog is fabulous, and I kind of have a crush on Bernie. I wouldn't say this was a literary masterpiece, but it was a decent mystery novel. It was funny, sarcastic, and charming book. There were parts within the first few pages where I literally ran into the other room laughing, asking my boyfriend if I could read the sections out loud to...more
I picked this up and finished it within a week - which isn't unusual, but as of lately, it is. Chet the dog is fabulous, and I kind of have a crush on Bernie. I wouldn't say this was a literary masterpiece, but it was a decent mystery novel. It was funny, sarcastic, and charming book. There were parts within the first few pages where I literally ran into the other room laughing, asking my boyfriend if I could read the sections out loud to...more
One of my friends mentioned that she was reading the fifth Chet and Bernie mystery which reminded me that it had been awhile (three years) since I had listened to Chet tell about his adventures crime-solving with Bernie.
As with the first two mysteries, this was a lot of fun. Chet has some understanding of humans, although some of our commons sayings give him trouble. He certainly understands and loves Bernie, his partner, Suzie, Bernie's girlfriend and Charlie, Bernie's son.
Chet's canine skills...more
As with the first two mysteries, this was a lot of fun. Chet has some understanding of humans, although some of our commons sayings give him trouble. He certainly understands and loves Bernie, his partner, Suzie, Bernie's girlfriend and Charlie, Bernie's son.
Chet's canine skills...more
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Spencer Quinn lives on Cape Cod with his dog Audrey, and is hard at work on the next Chet and Bernie adventure.
Spencer Quinn is a pseudonym of author Peter Abrahams.
Series:
* A Chet and Bernie Mystery
More about Spencer Quinn...
Spencer Quinn is a pseudonym of author Peter Abrahams.
Series:
* A Chet and Bernie Mystery
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