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23rd out of 396 books
—
945 voters
Thereby Hangs a Tail (Chet and Bernie #2)
by
Spencer Quinn (Goodreads Author)
The second book of an irresistible series narrated by a loveable and wise dog. In the newest Chet and Bernie mystery, Chet gets a glimpse of the show dog world turned deadly. ""We run a detective agency, me and Bernie, called the Little Detective Agency on account of Little being Bernie's last name. My name's Chet, pure and simple. Headquarters is our house on Mesquite Roa...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
January 5th 2010
by Atria
(first published December 17th 2009)
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Rating: 3.5* of five
The Publisher Saya: The second book of an irresistible series narrated by a loveable and wise dog. In the newest Chet and Bernie mystery, Chet gets a glimpse of the show dog world turned deadly. "We run a detective agency, me and Bernie, called the Little Detective Agency on account of Little being Bernie's last name. My name's Chet, pure and simple. Headquarters is our house on Mesquite Road, a nice place with a big tree out front, perfect for napping under, and the whole ca...more
The Publisher Saya: The second book of an irresistible series narrated by a loveable and wise dog. In the newest Chet and Bernie mystery, Chet gets a glimpse of the show dog world turned deadly. "We run a detective agency, me and Bernie, called the Little Detective Agency on account of Little being Bernie's last name. My name's Chet, pure and simple. Headquarters is our house on Mesquite Road, a nice place with a big tree out front, perfect for napping under, and the whole ca...more
This was my first Chet and Bernie book. I listened to the audio book in my car as I travelled to work back and forth. I was in splits with Chet's observations.
For the uninitiated to the Chet and Bernie series, the books are written in Chet's voice. Chet is a dog who lives and works with Bernie, a human, and helps in investigations and solves cases. He adores Bernie and the two of them are a great team.
Often in the book, as Chet overhears human conversations and goes on parallel tangent trying t...more
For the uninitiated to the Chet and Bernie series, the books are written in Chet's voice. Chet is a dog who lives and works with Bernie, a human, and helps in investigations and solves cases. He adores Bernie and the two of them are a great team.
Often in the book, as Chet overhears human conversations and goes on parallel tangent trying t...more
A Dog Lovers opinion, January 3, 2013
By Ellen Rappaport (Florida)
This review is from: Thereby Hangs a Tail: A Chet and Bernie Mystery (Chet and Bernie Mysteries) (Hardcover)
I have listened to a few stories in this series before and enjoy listening to Chet gives us his dog eyed version of what's going on between himself and his master, Bernie. The unconditional faithfulness is heartwarming as usual but for me there was something quite different.
One of the main characters in this story was a C...more
By Ellen Rappaport (Florida)
This review is from: Thereby Hangs a Tail: A Chet and Bernie Mystery (Chet and Bernie Mysteries) (Hardcover)
I have listened to a few stories in this series before and enjoy listening to Chet gives us his dog eyed version of what's going on between himself and his master, Bernie. The unconditional faithfulness is heartwarming as usual but for me there was something quite different.
One of the main characters in this story was a C...more
#2 in the Chet and Bernie mystery series. My initial thought - "A book narrated by a dog? What a ridiculous concept." My wife liked it, but she reads a series narrated by a cat. But the book hung around long enough, impinging on my consciousness, until I finally gave it a flyer. Surprise! I really enjoyed it! From the dog's point of view, he doesn't understand why humans have such a poor sense of smell and why they wear different kinds of shoes. He reports conversations he hears, which moves the...more
The Second in a Nifty Series
I read the first book in the Chet and Bernie series as part of the Amazon Vine program, meaning I was given a pre-publication copy of the book for free. I thought the series had a good hook to it (Chet is a dog, his owner Bernie Little is a private detective - the only detective in the Little Detective Agency. The story is told entirely from the point of view of Chet) but I doubted it would have staying power. I am pleased to say that I was mistaken - not only does th...more
I read the first book in the Chet and Bernie series as part of the Amazon Vine program, meaning I was given a pre-publication copy of the book for free. I thought the series had a good hook to it (Chet is a dog, his owner Bernie Little is a private detective - the only detective in the Little Detective Agency. The story is told entirely from the point of view of Chet) but I doubted it would have staying power. I am pleased to say that I was mistaken - not only does th...more
It's time for the next case for Chet and Bernie, the two operatives in the Little Detective Agency, who need money because of a cash flow problem. Princess, a best-in-show winner, has been kidnapped along with her wealthy owner. Now it's up to our two gumshoes to find the missing, rescue them, and send the bad guys to wear orange jumpsuits and break rocks in the sun. There are many twists and turns along the way with danger for our two intrepid heroes before Bernie's brains and Chet's nose solve...more
So dogs don't really understand each other much better than we understand them. That's what I got from Princess and Chet's interactions, which I suppose was the right way to go for this. I did like Princess and wouldn't have minded her being more involved. But again, we're following the standard mystery formula...small town sheriff gone bad, kidnapped reporter, drugged out hippies in a van in the desert. The part that I thought could get interesting was when Chet wound up at the bombing site wit...more
Apr 18, 2011
Joyce Hansen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
animal-narrator,
arizona,
crime,
crime-fiction,
detective,
dog,
dog-mystery,
dog-shows,
dogs,
humor,
funny,
los-angeles,
murder,
mystery,
nevada,
private-eye,
private-investigator
Summary: The second book of an irresistible series narrated by a loveable and wise dog. In the newest Chet and Bernie mystery, Chet gets a glimpse of the show dog world turned deadly. "We run a detective agency, me and Bernie, called the Little Detective Agency on account of Little being Bernie's last name. My name's Chet, pure and simple. Headquarters is our house on Mesquite Road, a nice place with a big tree out front, perfect for napping under, and the whole canyon easily accessible out back...more
Chet and Bernie are back in their second book, wherein they get hired to protect a show dog with the call name of Princess during a dog show. Almost the same day they get hired, they’re fired from the job – but the bad news is, someone took Princess’s owner, Adelina, as well as Princess, in a kidnapping. Bernie feels bad about not being there when Princess and Adelina needed him, and takes on the case to find them.
Adelina is married to a count, who is being interviewed by Bernie’s girlfriend, S...more
Mar 23, 2011
Jim
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
animals,
mystery-thriller
This is the second of the Chet & Bernie mysteries, but stands alone very well. While I'm glad I read the first book, I would not have been lost at all if I hadn't. I got this from the library & really liked the reader, Jim Frangione, who captures Chet's voice perfectly.
If you haven't read either book, it is a private detective, Bernie Little, & his dog, Chet, on mystery cases told from Chet's point of view. I often like first person narrators since, while unreliable, they lend an imm...more
If you haven't read either book, it is a private detective, Bernie Little, & his dog, Chet, on mystery cases told from Chet's point of view. I often like first person narrators since, while unreliable, they lend an imm...more
8 likes · like · see review
This was a great Chet and Bernie mystery - the first I've read but the second the author's written. I'll be sure to check out Dog On It, which was the first, and To Fetch a Thief, the latest. The charm of the books are that they're narrated by Chet the dog, whose personality shines through.
Like the most recent book I reviewed, Half-Broke Horses, this one takes place in the Valley, presumably the Phoenix area, although it's not named as such. Bernie Little is the sole proprietor of the Little Det...more
Like the most recent book I reviewed, Half-Broke Horses, this one takes place in the Valley, presumably the Phoenix area, although it's not named as such. Bernie Little is the sole proprietor of the Little Det...more
Jan 18, 2010
Tattered Cover Book Store
added it
Jackie says:
The long awaited second installment of the private investigation adventures of Bernie and Chet from "Dog On It" (now out in paperback)is almost here! Yes, the boys are back in January, kicking bad guy butt and wagging tail. I found this book even more fun than the first one. This time they've become involved in a kidnapping (though no one is sure if the intended victim was the rich lady or her prize winning show dog) that blossoms into mayhem and murder. This will be an absolute hit,...more
The long awaited second installment of the private investigation adventures of Bernie and Chet from "Dog On It" (now out in paperback)is almost here! Yes, the boys are back in January, kicking bad guy butt and wagging tail. I found this book even more fun than the first one. This time they've become involved in a kidnapping (though no one is sure if the intended victim was the rich lady or her prize winning show dog) that blossoms into mayhem and murder. This will be an absolute hit,...more
The long awaited second installment of the private investigation adventures of Bernie and Chet from "Dog On It" (now out in paperback)is almost here! Yes, the boys are back in January, kicking bad guy butt and wagging tail. I found this book even more fun than the first one. This time they've become involved in a kidnapping (though no one is sure if the intended victim was the rich lady or her prize winning show dog) that blossoms into mayhem and murder. This will be an absolute hit, no question...more
Chet and Bernie are hired to provide protection to a pampered showdog, Princess. In a fit of doggie behavior on Chet's part, he and Bernie are promptly fired. In short order Princess and her mistress are abducted. Not long thereafter, Bernie's sometime girlfriend, Valley Times reporter Susie Sanchez, goes missing. All told it's an okay plot that is enlivened by Chet's antics and observations about the "nation within the nation" (i.e., the cultural and behavioral world of dogs). If I had any actu...more
2nd in the Chet and Bernie mystery series. This wasn't as good as the original, but only because the narration from Chet, the dog, wasn't "new". Had I read this one first I probably would have given it the 5 stars. The mystery itself was good and kept me from putting the book down. I just love the devotion and love shared between Chet and Bernie! I continue to smile while reading and at times laugh out loud. The one thing that kept me from rating it 5 stars is the repetition of Chet starting to...more
Actually, 4.75. Though Chet can't count past 2. Despite the lack of fingers and math skills, he is a terrific private eye who doesn't give up until he's got the perp by the pantleg. All in good fun, Quinn's fiction (this is the second Chet and Bernie mystery, and even better than the first one) is smart, literary, and convincing. Well, maybe a dog can't really narrate a crime story in Philip Marlowe-esque prose, especially since all those similes and metaphors distract him (dogs are very literal...more
This refers to the audio version.
#2 Chet and Bernie mystery, Chet being a dog and Bernie his person, a down-on-his-luck PI in Arizona. The Little Detective Agency (Bernie's last name is Little) is thrown a bone by a local cop friend, doing bodyguard work for a woman and her valuable dog who is set to appear in a major dog show. The woman has received a threat against Princess, but after meeting Bernie, unshaven and hungover, and Chet, very much a mutt, the Countess Adelina declines to hire them....more
#2 Chet and Bernie mystery, Chet being a dog and Bernie his person, a down-on-his-luck PI in Arizona. The Little Detective Agency (Bernie's last name is Little) is thrown a bone by a local cop friend, doing bodyguard work for a woman and her valuable dog who is set to appear in a major dog show. The woman has received a threat against Princess, but after meeting Bernie, unshaven and hungover, and Chet, very much a mutt, the Countess Adelina declines to hire them....more
I've been rather luke warm to the plots in previous Chet and Bernie mysteries, but when I popped in the first disc on this audio version, I fell in love with Chet the dog. This book comes alive when read aloud. And I really liked that it was a missing dog story plus a missing human. The scenes between Chet and Princess are sweet. Therby Hangs a Tail involved a missing pampered show dog, Princess, and Bernie's girlfriend Suzie Sanchez. This story is told by Chet wo is easily one of the most memor...more
I loved the first book in this series and eagerly awaited the second book. I still loved Chet's voice, but I wasn't as thrilled with this book. A lot of Chetisms from the first book showed up again here. That's okay I guess, but I kinda felt like the author used up a lot of his good material in the first book and was left scrambling. Further, the Chet gets separated from Bernie and ends up on a choke chain shtick really needs to not appear in any more of these books, ever. And like the first boo...more
I have to say that after going back and rethinking as well as re listening to to THEREBY HANGS A TAIL I have to amend my review. The first review said that the magic of Chet and Bernie may have worn off with this second book...however I think the trick to enjoying it to its fullest is not to read them back to back. When read back to back it seems like it a whole lot of the same but when separated by a few other reads and then come back to this then it is fun all over again. The same jokes and "o...more
Chet, the four-legged side of the Bernie Little Detective Agency is at it again. Bernie gets hired to protect Princess, a show dog. Chet gets a little too involved and gets them fired minutes later. But, when Princess and her owner, Adelina, disappear, Adelina's husband, the Conte di Borghese, hires them again to find out what has happened. Then Suzie, Bernie's girlfriend, disappears while investigating Adelina's and Princess' joint disappearances. I normally do not like mysteries where cats and...more
Chet and Bernie are back and we are riding shotgun. Well, Chet would rather ride shotgun, we can sit in the back. This second book in the Chet & Bernie series doesn't exactly explore new territory, but still finds plenty of fruitful ground to cover. The dogs' eye view of the world is always fascinating and fun, especially when Chet offers his unique commentary.
This time around, Chet and Bernie are on the trail of a dog-napper that takes them out to the valley and into adventure. There is eve...more
This time around, Chet and Bernie are on the trail of a dog-napper that takes them out to the valley and into adventure. There is eve...more
Chet and Bernie run the Little Detective Agency - because Bernie's last name is Little, as Chet will let you know - Bernie's a P.I. and Chet is his dog, a K-9 school almost graduate.
Back in their second mystery of this series, Chet and Bernie are pulled into a world they're both almost wholly unaware of: that of the competitive dog shows. When Princess, one of the top competitors is threatened, or, at least, her owner feels that way, she comes to Bernie for protection.
It's not their usual type o...more
Back in their second mystery of this series, Chet and Bernie are pulled into a world they're both almost wholly unaware of: that of the competitive dog shows. When Princess, one of the top competitors is threatened, or, at least, her owner feels that way, she comes to Bernie for protection.
It's not their usual type o...more
Mar 21, 2010
Susan
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
dog lovers who want a light read
Recommended to Susan by:
Tara
3 1/2 stars. Okay, I'm not ashamed to admit it – I like the occasional book narrated by a dog or a cat or any other improbable creature as long as it is decently written and it entertains me. The second in this series, narrated by P. I. Bernie's dog and sidekick, Chet, fits the bill. Although there are deaths and bad things, this is pretty light as a mystery goes. The mystery, in this case a missing show dog (Princess) and a missing person, is secondary to Chet's viewpoint. What I love is how Ch...more
1 like · like · see review
Just picked up my second Chet & Bernie whodunit this afternoon, and just finished it a few minutes ago. I have to admit that I've developed a real fondness for both of those characters, and Spencer Quinn's writing strikes a tone I find quite soothing. Spinning a good mystery yarn helps quite a bit, but his conceit of having Chet the Jet be the narrator is quite the useful literary device in and of itself. Since he's a dog, Chet doesn't always pick up all the conversation around him, and so y...more
Thereby Hangs A Tail wasn’t quite as good as Dog On It, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t terrific. Can’t wait for the next one in this wonderful series. I usually don’t buy hardcovers. I make two exceptions - Janet Evanovich and Spencer Quinn!
Opening lines: “The perp looked around - what nasty little eyes he had! - and saw there was nowhere to go. We were in some kind of warehouse, big and shadowy, with a few grimy high-up windows and tall stacks of machine parts. I couldn’t remember how the ware...more
Opening lines: “The perp looked around - what nasty little eyes he had! - and saw there was nowhere to go. We were in some kind of warehouse, big and shadowy, with a few grimy high-up windows and tall stacks of machine parts. I couldn’t remember how the ware...more
I couldn't help myself, There it was under "new fiction" at the library, and I snapped it up much like Chet would snap up a Slim Jim - and I read it just as quickly as he'd devour said Slim Jim. Bernie Little runs the Little Detective Agency, Chet is his "highly trained" K9 - police dog trained - partner. The two of them make the best buddies I've ever come across. Of course, I'm a sucker when it comes to dogs. Bernie is a flawed and lovable human being with all the qualities of a good dog; Chet...more
This is the second of the Chet and Bernie mysteries. Chet is the dog detective, and Bernie is the human detective. The story is told from Chet's viewpoint which makes for an interesting take on the mystery, particularly since Chet does not always understand human slang. In this mystery, Chet and Bernie investigate threats made against a pretty, pampered show dog. The threats turn into a serious case when Princess and her owner are both abducted. Then, Bernie’s girlfriend, reporter Susie Sanchez,...more
The mystery in this second book of the series was a bit better than in the first - not surprising but a bit less obvious and straightforward. So, that was an improvement. Chet is actually a fun narrator; Quinn has done a good job of making a unique narrator, which is the real appeal of this series. Chet the dog is a narrator who actually presents the mystery and its solution in a different way than a "human" narrator would. While the crime set-up and resolution was only okay, presenting it throu...more
Private Investigators Chet (a dog) and Bernie are hired to find a missing showdog named Princess and her owner who have been kidnapped. Also missing is local newspaper reporter and very good friend, Suzie Sanchez. As Chet and Bernie dig further into the case, there seems to be a lot more going on than a missing showdog.
Quinn's Chet and Bernie books are great. The two work together and always manage to solve their quirky cases. In typical PI fashion, Bernie never has any money and tends to drink...more
Quinn's Chet and Bernie books are great. The two work together and always manage to solve their quirky cases. In typical PI fashion, Bernie never has any money and tends to drink...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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Mar 13, 2013 09:22am
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