"How hard can it be to find a missing elephant? Harder -- and more dangerous -- than you might think."

By: Spencer Quinn

Genres: Mystery Pet Lovers

Posted: September 9, 2010

Bernie Little takes a break from his work as a PI to visit a traveling circus with his son, Charlie, and his faithful dog, Chet. To Bernie's surprise and Charlie's disappointment, the elephant in the show, Peanut, has disappeared, along with her trainer, Uri DeLeath. Chet quickly picks up the elephant's unique scent, but the trail ends abruptly.

The police are called, but Popo the clown, who was in a relationship with DeLeath, doesn't think they are giving the case their full attention. So he hires Bernie and his "partner" Chet to do some looking around. The two soon discover that this particular circus is certainly not all fun and games; something more sinister is going on in the shadows away from the big top. Their investigation will lead them across the border into Mexico, and when they are separated, it's up to Chet to save Peanut while trying to find Bernie.

This third outing in a charming series is narrated as usual by Chet, who brings a distinctly doggie point of view to the proceedings. His observations of human behavior and his relationship with other animals are funny and often insightful, whether he realizes it or not; through him we also get a detailed portrait of his beloved Bernie, who is an interesting character in his own right. The narrative is amusing without becoming precious or cloying, and, in fact, the two detectives end up confronting some serious danger. I recommend this series to any mystery lover, no matter what your favorite animal is. I'm a devoted cat person, by the way, but I love spending time with Chet and Bernie.

Book Summary

In the third book in the brilliant New York Times bestselling series featuring a lovable and wise dog narrator, Chet and Bernie go under the big top to solve the most unlikely missing persons (and animals!) case ever.

“We were outnumbered, some big number against two. When it comes to numbers, two is as far as I go, but it’s enough, in my opinion....

‘Sit,’ Bernie said.

I sat. Bernie would think of something—he always did. That was one of the things that made the Little Detective Agency such a success, except for the finances part…”

Chet has smelled a lot of unusual things in his years as trusted companion and partner to P.I. Bernie Little, but nothing has prepared him for the exotic scents he encounters when an old fashioned traveling circus comes to town. Bernie scores tickets to this less-than-greatest- show-on-earth because his son Charlie is crazy about elephants. The only problem is that Peanut, the headlining pachyderm of this particular one-ring circus, has gone missing—along with her trainer, Uri DeLeath. Stranger still, no one saw them leave. How does an elephant vanish without a trace?

At first there’s nothing Bernie and Chet can do—it’s a police matter and they have no standing in the case. But then they’re hired by Popo the Clown, who has his own reasons for wanting to find out what has become of the mysteriously missing duo. After Chet takes a few sniffs in Peanut’s trailer and picks up her one of a kind scent, he and Bernie are in hot pursuit, heading far away from the bright lights of the traveling show and into the dark desert night.

Some very dangerous people would prefer that Chet and Bernie disappear for good and will go to any lengths to make that happen. Across the border in Mexico and separated from Bernie, Chet must use all his natural strength and doggy smarts to try and save himself—not to mention Bernie and a decidedly uncooperative Peanut, too.

To Fetch a Thief shows why readers everywhere have fallen head-over-paws in love with the Chet and Bernie mystery series. Top notch suspense, humor, and insight into the ways our canine companions think and behave combine to make this the most entertaining and irresistible book in the series yet.

To Fetch a Thief by Spencer Quinn

To Fetch a Thief

by: Spencer Quinn

Chet and Bernie #3

Atria
October 1, 2010
On Sale: September 28, 2010
Featuring:
320 pages
ISBN: 1439157073
EAN: 9781439157077
Hardcover

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