Up on the woof top

Chet, the canine half of the Little Detective Agency, usually holds up his end of the partnership by grabbing the guilty party by the pants leg. But when Bernie Little, the human half, accepts a job to locate a missing reindeer, Chet's not sure that will work. Chet narrates the story, with many asides and attempts to puzzle out the meaning of colloquialisms. Why would a cabin have wings, anyway? Rudy, the missing reindeer, is one of nine at best-selling author Dame Ariadne Carlisle's Kringle Ranch high in Colorado ski country. Hired by Ariadne's personal assistant, Chaz, Chet and Bernie drive to the plush ranch. While Bernie seemingly just makes small talk with Ariadne's staff and townspeople, Chet sniffs things out and puts people at ease so they tell Bernie more than they should. Bernie begins to sense that the small town is holding a dark secret that is connected to Rudy's disappearance, and his fears are confirmed when Chet and Bernie spot Chaz at the bottom of a ravine. The canine point of view will not be for everyone, but a well-crafted plot will be the reward.

In their 14th adventure (following Bark to the Future), Chet the dog and Bernie the human meet famous Christmas-mysteries writer Dame Ariadne Carlisle at a book signing and are contacted by her soon after. Rudy, one of the nine reindeer who roam Kringle Ranch, Ariadne's estate in the mountains, has disappeared, and Chet and Bernie are the perfect detectives to find him. The duo learns about the author's friends and hangers-on, as well as her tragic past in this small mountain town. As they search the estate, the two detectives find the body of Ariadne's personal assistant at the base of a cliff from which he has presumably fallen. When they learn it is also the site of a tragedy from Ariadne's youth, they wonder if it was an accident and if the two events are connected. With a Christmas deadline approaching, Chet and Bernie face dangers both natural and manmade to solve a case that becomes more complicated the deeper they dig. VERDICT Fans of the series will enjoy this latest case of Chet and Bernie's. Quinn continues to perfectly capture the inner voice of the canine detective, and the Christmas setting provides many opportunities for seasonal wordplay.--Dan Forrest