Dog On It

Dog On It was a book I read on a whim. I saw the title in Borders, read the jacket and thought, "What the hell, I need something light to read." I think I had just gotten through Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy and was just drained intellectually so I was in the mood for a book where I didn't have to analyze too much. That is exactly what the author intended and I loved the book. Now that I have a dog of my own, I find that I am very much looking forward to the sequel he has coming out or is already out. I am a little fuzzy on the details and didn't bother to research this, sorry.

Why You May Like It:

It is written from the point of view of the dog, which is obviously not the normal approach. It works for this set up though. He works in realistic dialogue between the human characters and engages our five senses as perceived through the canine detective effortlessly. I happened to like the narrative and could definitely see people that need a break from anything loving this book. It is a great escape read. Chet and Bernie are the new Holmes and Watson, at least for now.

Why You May Not Like It:

It is written from the point of view of the dog. No, this is not a typo; I just happen to know that some people are a bit fussy over what they "waste" their time doing and if you want a serious, academically pleasing novel, look elsewhere. This is just a fun book with a twist on the modern private eye detective thriller. If you take that genre more seriously than the author, you won't like what you find.

I personally thought that these books, if they become a series (and they probably will), will be great. Lots of heart in these and not just on the dog's behalf. I thought that the character of Bernie was likable and reasonable well developed. You do have to take into account that the dog is writing (telepathically I assume) to you so suspension of disbelief also plays a role here.

In short, it's a good, fun, fast read. Read on.