When a local police lieutenant asks Bernie and Chet to play bodyguard to a pampered pooch named Princess, Bernie reluctantly accepts -- only to be fired shortly afterward by Princess' high-strung owner, Adelina Borghese, due to a minor indiscretion involving Chet and a treat meant for Princess. When Adelina and Princess are later kidnapped, Bernie decides to pursue the case on his own. But then Suzie Sanchez, a reporter chasing the story who also happens to be a special friend of Bernie's, goes missing, and now things get personal. As for Chet, he's only too happy to follow where Bernie leads. When the two are separated, however, Chet must rely on his own keen senses and animal intuition to help save Princess and get back to his beloved Bernie.

I have to admit I'm not a dog person. But I picked up the first book in this series, DOG ON IT, out of curiosity and was immediately charmed by Chet's dogs-eye-view of human idiosyncrasies and language, and his opinions about life in general. Funny and believable without being cutesy or making Chet some kind of superdog, the narration also provides readers some insights into Bernie -- even though the "narrator" isn't always aware of it. But Chet holds his own, too. The scenes where he is separated from Bernie are just as compelling as when he's with his partner. Whether he's sniffing out a perp or chilling with a chew strip, Chet is a unique and wonderful character, and that's high praise coming from an avowed cat lover.

Book Summary