As sidekicks, Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 have nothing on Chet and Bernie. This charming detective duo make their debut in Dog On It, the fir...
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reviews
Dec 05, 2008
Joe
rated it: 
I've resisted this book. It sounded too darn cute. Too kitshy. Another dog-narrated book. Perhaps I'm a sucker for this, though. Read fifty pages this morning. Didn't want to stop.
And in the end, I quite enjoyed it. Chet, the narrator, is just a dog. He likes scratching himself, is good with his nose, has trouble putting two and two together. A thoroughly enjoyable book!
And in the end, I quite enjoyed it. Chet, the narrator, is just a dog. He likes scratching himself, is good with his nose, has trouble putting two and two together. A thoroughly enjoyable book!
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Jan 31, 2009
February might be a short and bleak month, but this year we have the debut of a new, unstoppable, hilarious, hard hitting crime fighting duo--Bernie and Chet--to look forward to. Bernie is a human private investigator with more heart than money. Chet is an almost completely trained police dog (there was an incident with a squirrel during the final field test--he'll tell you about it if he gets time later). And that's the real kicker to this team--Chet narrates the action in a very "dog
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Nov 16, 2008
Jackie
rated it: 
February might be a short and bleak month, but this year we have the debut of a new, unstoppable, hilarious, hard hitting crime fighting duo--Bernie and Chet--to look forward to. Bernie is a human private investigator with more heart than money. Chet is an almost completely trained police dog (there was an incident with a squirrel during the final field test--he'll tell you about it if he gets time later). And that's the real kicker to this team--Chet narrates the action in a very "dog
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Feb 18, 2009
Red
rated it:
What a great read! The mystery is told from the POV of the dog, Chet. If Chet doesn't see/hear/smell it neither do we. And Chet gets distracted easily. Saves us from a lot of unnecessary tedious details. The story is written with great flair, humor and style. I'm really enjoying this book, and will be sure to read the next one when it comes out!
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Aug 27, 2010
Sue
rated it: 
Bernie and Chet (the dog) are working on a missing persons case. Told from Chet's point of view, which is...truthfull, humorous and just matter-of-fact. I love getting into the dog's brain. This is a very smart dog, who is 1/2 of the the Little Private Investigations firm. A wonderful, quick read for anyone who loves dogs, detectives and a little suspense. I had a hard time putting it down.
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Mar 28, 2009
Lisa
rated it:
I’m now looking forward to the forthcoming books in the series; this is the first book in a new mystery series.
This is a fun, creative, and unique book that’s told from the point of view of a dog. I don’t think the author captured 100% perfectly the way a dog is but overall he seemed to do an excellent job.
I love Chet, Bernie, and Suzie. There’s a lot about Bernie I’d think I wouldn’t like, but there’s so much that’s laudable and loveable about him too. I hope that Charli More...
This is a fun, creative, and unique book that’s told from the point of view of a dog. I don’t think the author captured 100% perfectly the way a dog is but overall he seemed to do an excellent job.
I love Chet, Bernie, and Suzie. There’s a lot about Bernie I’d think I wouldn’t like, but there’s so much that’s laudable and loveable about him too. I hope that Charli More...
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Feb 20, 2009
Katie
rated it:
I completely adored this book. It's a mystery, but the driving force behind the novel is the narrator, Chet the dog. He gives a voice to all your dogs thoughts, and Quinn is consistent in Chet's characteristics throughout. Chet will be recalling plot, and get distracted by a rabbit, or bark his head off at the neighbor's dog, without realizing he is the source of commotion until owner Bernie tells him to knock it off.
I think this book is wonderful first of all for anyone who has ever More...
I think this book is wonderful first of all for anyone who has ever More...
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Aug 26, 2010
Brian
rated it: 
A detective story told from a dog's point-of-view. I picked it up planning to pass it along to a friend, but now I feel I can't really recommend it. The dog's narrative was a little overly cute and repetitive, yet still cute and probably would have been worth a read to dog-lovers. But... the quality of the writing is mediocre at best, and the narrative is about the most simplistic, genre-recycled ideas a writer could come up with. In fact, "recycled" is too generous a term because
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Mar 05, 2011
Mary Helene
rated it:
A great dog narrator! Here's my favorite quote:
" I gazed at her in the light that spilled form the convenience store. A sad story, I knew that - and I sure as hell wouldn't want to end up in any pound myself - but still, I loved...well, just about everything, the whole deal." This dog is joyous.
What I disliked: the convention of hard-boiled detectives that celebrating means killing a couple of bottles of scotch with your buddy. Our lives are tilted in directions h More...
" I gazed at her in the light that spilled form the convenience store. A sad story, I knew that - and I sure as hell wouldn't want to end up in any pound myself - but still, I loved...well, just about everything, the whole deal." This dog is joyous.
What I disliked: the convention of hard-boiled detectives that celebrating means killing a couple of bottles of scotch with your buddy. Our lives are tilted in directions h More...
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Feb 28, 2010
Matt
rated it:
I saw this book listed in so many places, I just had to find out what all the fuss was about. While this was a good book, it wasn't as great as I expected from all of the hype. Still, as the first book in what is expected to be a series of adventures, this was a good start. I'll definitely be reading the next one, when released.
Publisher's Summary
Meet Chet, the wise and lovable canine narrator of Dog on It, who works alongside Bernie, a down-on-his-luck private investigator. Chet might have flun More...
Publisher's Summary
Meet Chet, the wise and lovable canine narrator of Dog on It, who works alongside Bernie, a down-on-his-luck private investigator. Chet might have flun More...
Mar 16, 2009
Sara
rated it: 
Dog On It tells the story of Bernie Little, P.I. and his quest to find a missing girl. The story is told from the perspective of his dog, Chet, whose experiences, observations, and actions often hold the key to Bernie's ability to find the girl and figure out why she went missing.
Quinn's success in giving voice to the inner workings of a dog is inconsistent. Sometimes, Chet's observations and descriptions, especially of his own behavior, ring true, and at other times he seems to have More...
Quinn's success in giving voice to the inner workings of a dog is inconsistent. Sometimes, Chet's observations and descriptions, especially of his own behavior, ring true, and at other times he seems to have More...
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Feb 24, 2009
Samantha
rated it:
So, I continue to be on a critter mystery reading jag. This was a feature book on the Barnes and Noble website, being marketed as 'Unputdownable.' They were absolutely right! The book was absolutely unputdownable; however, my eyelids were not. It did take me two sittings to read it, but I loved almost every second of it. (There is one incident that my delicate sensibilities thought was unnecessary and every critter lover will know what I mean when they read it.) The story of Bernie, a down on h
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Jan 31, 2009
Becky
rated it:
Bernie's the human guy. He does the driving (a beat up Porsche that goes fast and makes really cool noises), the phone work, and the heavy thinking. Chet's the dog guy. He always rides shotgun and he's in charge of any task that requires a superior sense of smell. Chet also tells the story, so sometimes bits of it go missing when Chet feels an overwhelming urge to chase something or gets too blissed out scratching behind his own ears.
Bernie and Chet are a perfect partnership. Ch More...
Bernie and Chet are a perfect partnership. Ch More...
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Dec 12, 2011
Joanne
rated it:
I don't really care for "dog books." Haven't read Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog, for example. So I was a little skeptical of this new mystery featuring a detective (Bernie) and his trusty dog sidekick (Chet), written from the viewpoint of the dog. But it is really really funny. It's a little bit like the dog in the movie Up: They're on the case, Chet is running, and then SQUIRREL. There are several funny passages where Chet is engaged in dog behavior -
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Nov 20, 2011
Richard
rated it:
Rating: 3.875* of five
Chet and Bernie. Say it with me, now. Chet and Bernie. Get used to saying it, because once you read this book, you'll be saying it a lot to others who haven't read it yet.
Chet's a dog. Bernie's a schlub. They're a team, crime solving magic of a team. In a mystery world dominated by cat cozies, they're very unusual and very much a pair of guys. This makes them a breath of fresh air at the least, and a cold Alberta Clipper to blow the cobwebs full of cat-d More...
Chet and Bernie. Say it with me, now. Chet and Bernie. Get used to saying it, because once you read this book, you'll be saying it a lot to others who haven't read it yet.
Chet's a dog. Bernie's a schlub. They're a team, crime solving magic of a team. In a mystery world dominated by cat cozies, they're very unusual and very much a pair of guys. This makes them a breath of fresh air at the least, and a cold Alberta Clipper to blow the cobwebs full of cat-d More...
Oct 09, 2011
Christine
rated it:
At its simplest, this book is a very generic mystery. What draws most people into reading it? Most likely the cutesy premise of a man and a dog, with some detective-based excitement thrown in. And really, that is about all you can expect from this book.
Interesting? Not especially. Well-written? Mediocre. Length? Average. Personally, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. It isn't terrible, and it's a short read, and from the dog's perspective, it's about head-on with about what y More...
Interesting? Not especially. Well-written? Mediocre. Length? Average. Personally, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. It isn't terrible, and it's a short read, and from the dog's perspective, it's about head-on with about what y More...
Oct 06, 2011
Danielle
rated it:
This book was pretty awesome; in fact, when I started reading the first page, I had no clue it was going to be narrated by a dog. As a dog lover, that method of narration really appealed to me, and now, when I look at my dog, I wonder, "what are you thinking?"
I love the easygoing, carefree, and humorous writing style. I find myself laughing at things Chet says, because they remind me of things my own dog does - for example, when he mentions that his lip gets caught on h More...
I love the easygoing, carefree, and humorous writing style. I find myself laughing at things Chet says, because they remind me of things my own dog does - for example, when he mentions that his lip gets caught on h More...
Sep 30, 2011
Jody
rated it:
As I told the folks on DorothyL:
This isn't the kind of book I'd ordinarily read. After all, the narrator is a
dog! This is one of the books I got in my book bag at Bouchercon. I decided to
start reading & see if I'd continue reading.
I've got to say, Quinn does a masterful job with the personality of Chet, the
dog. I could almost feel like Chet as I was reading. Chet belongs to Bernie,
though Chet always refers to Bernie as his friend and partner. Bernie is a P.I.
More...
This isn't the kind of book I'd ordinarily read. After all, the narrator is a
dog! This is one of the books I got in my book bag at Bouchercon. I decided to
start reading & see if I'd continue reading.
I've got to say, Quinn does a masterful job with the personality of Chet, the
dog. I could almost feel like Chet as I was reading. Chet belongs to Bernie,
though Chet always refers to Bernie as his friend and partner. Bernie is a P.I.
More...
Jan 29, 2011
Paul
rated it:
Those of you who enjoy books about dogs and mysteries will find this book to your liking. This book is comparable to books written by Lillian Jackson Braun, Rita Mae Brown, and Lauren Berenson.
Bernie is a down in his luck private investigator. Chet is his faithful companion, best friend, and a dog who flunked out of K-9 class. These two are about to take on the case of Madison Chambliss, a fifteen year old, who has disappeared.
There seems to be some question as to whet More...
Bernie is a down in his luck private investigator. Chet is his faithful companion, best friend, and a dog who flunked out of K-9 class. These two are about to take on the case of Madison Chambliss, a fifteen year old, who has disappeared.
There seems to be some question as to whet More...
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Nov 20, 2010
Mallory
rated it:
Spencer Quinn gives a great voice to Chet, the canine narrator of this soft mystery. Chet wants to help Bernie, who is both his person and a private investigator, to solve the mystery of a missing teenaged girl, but he keeps getting distracted by interesting smells, cats, rides in the car, and a pack of Russian gangsters who want both Chet and Bernie to (pun intended - couldn't help myself!) stop sticking their noses in where they aren't welcome.
That said, the story almost moves too q More...
That said, the story almost moves too q More...
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Jul 21, 2010
Do you like mysteries? Do you like dogs? Ok then, this is the book for you. Dog on It : A Chet and Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn, promised to be the first in a series of Chet and Bernie capers is tons of fun. Chet, the canine half of the duo, is the narrator. Although Chet flunked out of K-9 school, (it happens sometimes), he’s got the right skills to work with Bernie. Bernie, the owner of the Little Detective Agency, has some issues, family issues, but he and Chet make a great detective
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May 22, 2010
Megan
rated it:
Spencer Quinn has written a fantastic quirky mystery staring your typical lone-wolf private-eye, one Bernnie Little, with his own strong code of ethics, drinking problem, financial woes and tough-guy demeanor. But the novel gives a fresh spin to a well known character by telling the story from the perspective of Bernie’s beloved dog, Chet the Jet, who flunked out of K-9 school but has plenty of ‘perp’-busting skills. Chet brings a whole new flavor and hilarity to the classic mystery tale. You
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May 19, 2010
Dirk
rated it:
Book review “Dog On It” by Spencer Quinn
This is a unique and whimsical novel about a private detective Bernie Little and his dog “Chet” as they bumble through a horrific encounter with the Russian mob. Bernie, an ex-police officer just couldn’t seem to make it as a police officer as he tended to do thing in accordance to his instincts instead of the fact, just the facts. The dog Chet was an ex-police dog that never quite made it to the end of his training, he would have exc More...
This is a unique and whimsical novel about a private detective Bernie Little and his dog “Chet” as they bumble through a horrific encounter with the Russian mob. Bernie, an ex-police officer just couldn’t seem to make it as a police officer as he tended to do thing in accordance to his instincts instead of the fact, just the facts. The dog Chet was an ex-police dog that never quite made it to the end of his training, he would have exc More...
May 11, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
Ha ha ha. I can't stop laughing when I think back on this mystery. Bernie is a down-on-his luck private eye (like so many others of his stereotype) and he would be just another Magnum or Rockford if it weren't for Chet. Chet is his mongrel dog and the narrator of the entire story. And what a narrator! The whole thing is told in the dog's voice, and Chet is brilliant, in more ways than one. I love the way Quinn reveals the action of the story through Chet's eyes. It never wavers or goes into "
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Mar 23, 2010
Nolan
rated it:
So what do you do if you’re a dog, and you’ve flunked out of canine police school? Well, naturally, you go to work for a private investigator, and you tell stories about working with the guy from your perspective as a dog.
Thus exists the premise of Dog on It, a cozy, somewhat weak, but highly delightful little mystery.
I’m particularly impressed with Spencer Quinn’s writing style. His ability to anthropomorphize Chet, the faithful companion of private investigator Bernie More...
Thus exists the premise of Dog on It, a cozy, somewhat weak, but highly delightful little mystery.
I’m particularly impressed with Spencer Quinn’s writing style. His ability to anthropomorphize Chet, the faithful companion of private investigator Bernie More...
Jan 28, 2010
Justin
rated it:
I came across this book while wandering around in a B&N in Annapolis, and noticed it on one of those "Employee Recommendation" shelves. Skimming the back of it I noticed two interesting things: first, that it was a mystery novel written entirely from a dog's point of view; and second, that it had the Stephen King stamp of approval (not literally, just a nice blurb).
Now, a dog narrator seemed like a potentially cheesy conceit, so I sat down in the cafe for a minute to read More...
Now, a dog narrator seemed like a potentially cheesy conceit, so I sat down in the cafe for a minute to read More...
Dec 31, 2009
Sara
rated it:
Ahh, the final book I read in 2009. Actually, I didn't read this; I listened to the audiobook, but whatever. Whoever read this book did an excellent job reading, with good voices and an easy to understand pace and tone. I haven't listened to a lot of audiobooks, but this was definitely a good one.
The book is narrated by a dog named Chet whose owner, Bernie, is a private detective. They get hired to investigate the disappearance of a teen girl and end up going all over the place t More...
The book is narrated by a dog named Chet whose owner, Bernie, is a private detective. They get hired to investigate the disappearance of a teen girl and end up going all over the place t More...
Nov 12, 2009
Jon
rated it:
OK, think of all the difficulties of writing a murder mystery from the first person point of view--nothing can happen unless the narrator witnesses it or learns about it in some other way; and nothing exciting can happen unless the narrator is actually there. Now add to that a narrator who doesn't know what an implication is, and certainly never gets one; who has an attention span of--on a good day--about 15 seconds; whose memory is hazy about everything except smells; and who is extremely happy
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Aug 06, 2009
Pooka
rated it:
I really loved this book. Being an animal lover, specifically of the canine variety, this book was right up my alley. The story is a fairly old one; detective and sidekick crack a tough case with some quirky characters or details. But wait! The twist: the one telling the story is the sidekick… and the sidekick is a dog… Yeah, it is a bit odd, but Quinn does a great job channeling his inner dog – and he does so to build drama and real mystery which keeps you reading. For instance, when Ber
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Aug 03, 2009
Sara
rated it:
I love a good mystery - one that leads me logically from place to place, including enough detail that it's possible (though unlikely) that I will discover the villain. Dog On It is a sideways take on that model, because the first-person narrator is an ex-police dog named Chet.
Quinn does a masterful job of plotting what could be a muddled and shallow story. Instead, he manages to put Chet in the places he needs to be to allow the story to move along without making the authorial hand too ob More...
Quinn does a masterful job of plotting what could be a muddled and shallow story. Instead, he manages to put Chet in the places he needs to be to allow the story to move along without making the authorial hand too ob More...
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