Of Mutts and Men is an entertaining crime story suitable for young adults as well as adults. The story is told by Chet, a dog who helps his master, Bernie Little, a private detective. It is an interesting perspective that makes it enjoyable. The locales supposedly were in Southern California, though they are fictional. One location was to San Dismas, which could possibly be the fictionalized version of San Dimas, since the book states that Bernie and Chet are heading to Mexico.
Overall, I liked the novel, but I found it geographically confusing. The changes in the settings are hard to follow in a couple of incidents. In the first, Chet has been kidnapped from a nursing home somewhere in the Valley. If the story does happen in Southern California, The Valley would be considered to be either the San Gabriel Valley or San Fernando Valley. Chet is taken directly to the deserted, which would be in an easterly direction.The kidnappers, however, supposedly took him south to Mexico. Chet was able to escape, but immediately Immediately he was back in the Valley and delivered safely to Bernie by Sheriff Beasley..
In another incident Bernie and Chet are visiting a prison. They leave and suddenly are in an office building downtown, which I assume was a section of the Valley. Describing more that movement would make those sections of the book more plausible.
I have not read any other novels by the author. I am curious if his writing style is the same in his other works. I will possibly though to satisfy my curiosity.
Would I recommend this book? I would to those who want a light read and, of course, is a dog lover because Chet’s comments are the foundation of the book and make it an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Forge Books for giving me a digital galley of this book in exchange for feedback.

The Chet and Bernie books are one of my favorite mystery series, and I'm happy to report that 'Of Mutts and Men' is as good as the ones that come before it - to be honest, I think it's the best recent one, better than the previous book in the series.

The thing that makes this whole series work for me is the narrative voice. Having a dog as the narrator is a gimmick that could get twee and irritating in the hands of a less skilled writer, but Quinn makes it work so well. Chet is very much a real dog, with an interest in sausages, an inability to understand the intricacies of human businesses, and an unquestioned devotion to Bernie. He's funny at the right times, sweet at the right times, and really is the whole point of these books.

In this one, a hydrologist has his throat cut in the desert. But who would want to murder a hydrologist, and why? Bernie's concern for the water supply has been well established in previous books, so I love that this one really makes that a central part of the plot.

The whole series is well worth reading, and if you already like them, you won't be disappointed in the latest book. If you haven't already read them, you could read this one - I think you'd still be able to follow it just fine without having read the previous books - but you might be happier starting with the first volume, which is 'Dog On It.'

Spencer Quinn's mystery novels never fail to entertain. They are always well-paced and thoroughly enjoyable. His novels are also a learning lesson. I had never heard of a hydrologist or aquifer prior to his story. He has an
easy flowing style of writing that captivates the readers attention. Obviously his dog Chet is an added bonus. Great read as usual.

I like books that have dogs in them—this one, part of the Chet and Bernie series, even has a canine narrator, Chet. Bernie is a PI and Chet is his partner in the Little Detective Agency. In this book, a potential client wants to meet with Bernie, but he is dead when Bernie and Chet show up. An incompetent law enforcement officer wants to close the case in the easiest way possible, but Bernie believes there is more to the case and keeps investigating. I have read all of the books in this series, but it’s starting to wear a little thin for me. Thanks to Netgalley and to the publisher for this ARC.

I was looking forward to reading this books as I love mysteries and have enjoy other authors who have used a dog as a narrator. When well written, seeing the story, characters and plot from the dog's perspective and be very entertaining and enlightening. I am reading a series by another author that does it very well - keeps me engaged and assumed. That author uses the dog as one perspective and narrator with humans as the other narrators. Reading this book with the dog as the sole narrator quickly became tedious and made it harder to read and enjoy. This was most true when the dog repeated that same observation (unrelated to the main story line) repeatedly. I really is only cute that the dog cannot count beyond two the first time. The forth and fifth time the author just appears lazy. All through the narrative there are segues in location of characters that are abrupt and confusing. I, multiple times, had to re-read a couple of paragraphs to understand what was happening and that the location or characters involved had changed, I thought I had accidentally skipped a paged. But I had not, the author just made an unexplained leap. An indication like a visual break might have avoided the confusion. I am hoping that the version I read is an early one, before the editor had read the book and made corrections.

Weak writing, poor style and hard reading causes me to avoid other titles by the same author. if I was not reading the book with the expectation of commenting on it, I would have put it down early and not bothered to finish it.

This series involving Chet the canine and his human Bernie, the private investigator, continues to be one of the less-known but terrific series for mysteries and suspense.

#10 in the series, Of Mutts and Men, shines as another amazing example of an excellent title, one taken from a classic literary work and gets morphed to match the dog-as-narrator motif. (Check out all the clever titles in this series!)

Action in this release is set once again in the desert Valley, the home of Bernie Little and all his wonderful friends and background. It seems that some of the more compelling books in this series take place in this setting.

This book stood out for me because of the clever plotting that wove together a murder, a climatological concern that recurs in the series, and character developments that gave more info about the individuals readers have come to care about, including some very satisfying relationship-building between unexpected characters, and a whole new twist in the Susie story (also strangely satisfying because of the skillful writing).

I really enjoyed this book, and I continue to appreciate the recurring character stories and just-right plot structures that have entertained me throughout the series. Put this on your Books To Buy list, with this one coming out July 7, 2020.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the chance to read one of my very favorites!

Of Mutts And Men by Spencer Quincy
Oh Chet and Bernie how I’ve missed you! This book is number 10 and the latest in this series. I really have enjoyed them all. This one does not disappoint! Chet is still our fun loving, Slim Jim eating narrator, with his equally lovable sidekick Bernie.
In this story, Chet and Bernie are to meet with Wendell Nero, a hydrologist, only to arrive and find him dead. Catching the assumed killer seems quick and easy until Bernie realizes he may be the wrong man. Danger and hilarity for Chet and Bernie continue through the story to the end. I can’t wait to see what’s next for them!
I received a complimentary copy from Macmillan-Tor/Forge through NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. The views expressed here are entirely my own.

dogs, private-investigators, murder-investigation, suspense

If you've never had a K-9 failure tell you about a difficult case he and his partner PI Bernie Little survived, you've missed a lot! Chet tells all from his own unique perspective. He doesn't understand what hydrology is or why it's important in the desert Southwest where they live, but he does know things that Bernie doesn't and that they have each others back no matter what. If I remember right, this one has even more plot twists and red herrings than usual, but all of the characters are engaging, interesting, and occasionally evil. Just not the good guys, sometimes they are a bit clueless, but never evil.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Macmillan-Tor/Forge Forge Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Pure Enjoyment! I have read all the Bernie & Chet books. I have really liked them all. The book gives this dog lover a good idea of how she imagines her dog's thought process. I had a dog much like Chet; loyal, lovable, mostly focused on his job, but also always focused on his guardians and food. In each book and this book is no exception, Chet gets in a jam that can be dangerous if he doesn't get out of the jam. For several pages I find myself anxious, wanting nothing bad to ever happen to Chet or Bernie. This is a good book for any reader who loves dogs and wants a bit of escapism. I like the theme of "water" and how it used and misused in more arid parts of the country that is woven through each book in the series.

Great to see another Chet and Bernie book after a long hiatus! Quinn still has that writing mojo. I love how these are the only dog mysteries written from the dog's point of view, with great description. I read in one night because it was so good!

This is the newest in the series, told from the perspective of a very intelligent canine (if he did flunk out of K9 school.). Chet’s love for Bernie and biscuits is apparent throughout this series.
In this book, we learn about the importance of aquifers in the West. More than that and you’d have to kill me. An enjoyable read!

OF MUTTS AND MEN is my first Spencer Quinn novel featuring Chet (the Jet) narrator of this tale and canine companion and partner of Private Eye Bernie Little of the Little Detective Agency. In addition to learning that this book is just the latest in a series of adventures featuring these two intrepid seekers of justice and that I have missed at least nine previous installments of their dogged pursuits (an oversight which I intent to correct) I also gleaned some interesting facts about hydrology and the fact that early settlers put silver and copper coins in stored water to keep it pure (the original ionization). Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

In this latest caper Chet and Bernie have been approached by a hydrologist named Wendell Nero with a meeting arranged for the following morning to discuss Wendell’s need for their services. When they arrive they discover their potential client is dead….his throat slit from ear to ear. With no payoff for their services in sight, most PI’s (and their partner) would call it a day …but not this dynamic duo.

What follows is an intriguing mystery and a lot of humorous mental gymnastics by Chet as he reads scents and body language as well as trying to decode the meanings of the many axioms that Bernie spouts on a regular basis. Chet’s favorite past-times appear to be reminiscing about previous cases, his devotion to Bernie, catching 40 winks whenever he can and of course food ( his favorite treats including, but not limited to Slim Jims, bacon and biscuits from Red Rover and Company).

Author Quinn, like his canine narrator, has a nose for unusual characters and amusing dialog that keeps his readers engrossed and entertained.

This is the perfect read for those dog days of summer which will be arriving before we know it.

Of Mutts and Men by Spencer Quinn makes this cold snowy Spring day better with a new Chet and Bernie book to curl up with.

Chet and Bernie are always fun to read about. I especially like that Chet is a typical dog and easily sidetracked by Cheetos, Slim Jims and crullers. His love for Bernie is so genuine, even if Bernie doesn't make the best business decisions. The mystery was twisty enough to hold interest and the characters are great. Just what is needed right now.

Bernie and Chet make an outstanding team when fighting against injustuce. To be honest, they're always a great team. Hearing the story from a dog's point of view is amusing as well as enlightening. This whodunit took a lot of turns that were unexpected to this reader but Bernie and Chet never gave up. Spencer Quinn must be a dog lover to give Chet a voice that always sounds so perfectly dog like. This is a solid mystery with well developed characters.
I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from Macmill-Tor/Forge through NetGalley. opinions expressed are entirely my own.
#OfMuttsandMen #NetGalley

Another great addition to the Chet and Bernie series. Lighthearted and fun especially hearing about the world through Chet, the dog’s eyes.

If I could spend all my reading time with Chet and Bernie I would. But I suppose Spencer Quinn takes longer to write than it takes us to read, sadly. Of Mutts and Men was equal to any of the other Chet and Bernie books by which I mean it was stellar. The plot moves quickly without getting overly complicated. The side characters are intriguing. I can even like the new boyfriend even though I hate him. This story is all about the aquifer, one of Bernie's passions. Nothing beats Chet's musings though. "I'm not the one to ask, deep thoughts not something I bring to the table. But there's a lot to be said for shallow thoughts, or even none at all." Or his philosopy, "Still, you could always hope and I always did."

Loved the direction and surprises in the plot, helped along by the observations and comments of the narrator, Chet.

Another fun Chet and Bernie mystery! A nice, light, quick read. Narrated from the dog's point of view adds a touch of whimsy, as well as allows for details to be held back to be uncovered later..

I wish to thank NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for this interesting, departure from the typical detective/dog team storyline. This partnership is comprised of Private Detective, Bernie Little, and his canine friend and faithful partner, Chet in investigations just outside of Phoenix.

This unique, witty crime series is narrated from the perspective of Chet. This clever look into a dog’s way of thinking was both believable and hilarious. He adores and idolizes Bernie with unconditional love. Chet can sometimes understand Bernie’s conversations but may misinterpret and be confused as to what is going on. His thoughts infuse the story with good humour. Chet is an obedient, and highly intelligent animal, but his energy and high spirits may interfere. He was set to graduate as a K-9 dog but failed his final test due to an unfortunate incident involving a cat. This was a happy day for Chet, as that was the time he met Bernie.

These two partners from the Little Detective Agency were meeting with a prospective client, Dr. Nero, a hydrologist. They were pleased they might have a new case to pursue. They found him murdered, and they have no idea why he wanted to consult with them. They discover that a local hoodlum, Florian Machado, visited Dr. Nero at approximately the time of the murder. He is quickly arrested for murder. Bernie visits him in prison and is convinced of his innocence. He is hired by Dr. Nero’s three former wives who are all arguing about his estate and wondering about the reason he was killed. The investigation takes Chet and Bernie to a wine-producing area and questioning the involvement of wealthy lawyers. Along the way, Chet is briefly kidnapped.

This was an entertaining read focusing on a positive relationship between a human and a dog in a working relationship. I was unfamiliar with the previous books in the series, but Chet’s brief mention of past criminal investigations made me curious to pursue some other books involving the Little Detective Agency. 3.5 Stars rounded up to 4.