Heart of barkness

In bestseller Quinn's delightful ninth Chet and Bernie mystery (after 2015's Scents and Sensibility), Chet, the series' good-natured, loyal, and exuberant canine narrator, and his partner and friend, Bernie Little, the owner and sole employee of the Little Detective Agency (based in an unnamed Western state), receive free passes to a performance at a local dive of country singer Lotty Pilgrim, whose megastar status is a thing of the dim and distant past. Bernie, saddened by the singer's reduced circumstances, slips a $100 bill into her tip jar, though he can ill afford to do so. He subsequently tackles the thief who tries to steal it, only to have it plucked from his hand by Lotty's shady manager. When her manager ends up dead and all clues point to Lotty as the murderer, Bernie offers his help, which she hotly refuses. Bernie and Chet, who won't take no for an answer, stumble on a web of murder, fraud, and blackmail, plus enough sorrow to inspire a ream of country tunes. There's no real detection, and Chet's short attention span can irritate, but Quinn eventually steers the meandering plot onto a satisfying course. Dog lovers won't want to miss this one. Agent: Molly Friedrich, Friedrich Agency. (July)