Dog on It

A Chet and Bernie Mystery

By: Spencer Quinn

Narrated by: Jim Frangione

Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Meet Chet, the wise and lovable canine narrator of Dog on It, who works alongside Bernie, a down-on-his-luck private investigator. Chet might have flunked out of police school ("I'd been the best leaper in K-9 class, which had led to all the trouble in a way I couldn't remember exactly, although blood was involved"), but he's a detective through and through.

In this, their first adventure, Chet and Bernie investigate the disappearance of Madison, a teenage girl who may or may not have been kidnapped, but who has definitely gotten mixed up with some very unsavory characters. A well-behaved, gifted student, she didn't arrive home after school and her divorced mother is frantic. Bernie is quick to take the case -- something about a cash flow problem that Chet's not all that clear about -- and he's relieved, if vaguely suspicious, when Madison turns up unharmed with a story that doesn't add up. But when she disappears for a second time in a week, Bernie and Chet aren't taking any chances; they launch a full-blown investigation. Without a ransom demand, they're not convinced it's a kidnapping, but they are sure of one thing: something smells funny.

Their search for clues takes them into the desert to biker bars and other exotic locals, with Chet's highly trained nose leading the way. Both Chet and Bernie bring their own special skills to the hunt, one that puts each of them in peril. But even as the bad guys try to turn the tables, this duo is nothing if not resourceful, and the result is an uncommonly satisfying adventure.

With his doggy ways and his endearingly hardboiled voice, Chet is full of heart and occasionally prone to mischief. He is intensely loyal to Bernie, who, though distracted by issues that Chet has difficulty understanding -- like divorce, child custody, and other peculiar human concerns -- is enormously likable himself, in his flawed, all-too-human way.

©2009 Spencer Quinn (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Dog on It has got more going for it than 50 of those cat cozies ... My sincere advice to you is to rush to your nearest bookstore and put your paws on this enchanting, one-of-a-kind novel." (Stephen King)

Go Chet!

Fun story. Read the book when it first published. Four stars on performance for long pauses.

Decent story....

I thought the storyline was decent, but I found myself getting tired of the dog point of view. I truly love dogs and there were times I laughed out loud just imagining that was what Chet was thinking, but after a while I just wanted the story without so much dog commentary.

Delightful Entertainment!

Easy to fall in love with these characters. Sometimes you get anxious, as with any mystery whodunit and sometimes it's just laugh out loud funny, as well as heart warming. I was so delighted with the story and the great performance by Mr. Frangione that i've purchased the next four titles. I'm happy that they are now in my library.

Funny and clever

The author did a great job of telling his story from the dogs point of view. I quite enjoyed how the story was told, especially when the dog would get distracted by things only dogs would be. It had a satisfying ending and was well narrated.

Chet is my Hero

So this book had me after to listening to the preview and finding out it was written from the Dogs 🐕 point of view - Chet! I was intrigued and that Jim Frangione was the narrator made it a must listen to. I have to admit, I wasn’t sure if Quinn the author could pull it off. Really tell a story only from the POV of a canine but he did it! I think this is a series and now I’m looking forward to more books to see what happens for Chet and his bestie!

If you are a dog lover and enjoy a who done it mystery I think you will enjoy this book. Plus you can’t go wrong listening to the wonderful Jim Frangione

Fun book.

Narrated exactly how a dog would think. Very fun listen with the perfect amount of unintended puns.

Dog done amazingly written book

This book is amazing and fun! A very well written and nicely moving story! I would recommend this especially for dog lovers!

Dog On It

This book is great fun. I could hardly put it down.

Cute for dog lovers!

This is a cute book especially if you are a dog lover. It tells the story of a man and dog detective agency, from the point of view of the dog. The narrator does a great job. Had a couple of laugh out loud moments. The author is pretty good at writing from the dog's limited perspective, yet you still find out what's going on with the mystery. Spoiler alert: I didn't like it when the bad people were mean to the dog, but it had a happy ending! This is a new series I'll be following!

If you like dogs and mysteries, GET THIS!

If you could sum up Dog on It in three words, what would they be?

Entertaining. Accurate behaviors. .

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the whole story: plot, character development and of course, Chet.

What about Jim Frangione’s performance did you like?

I really appreciated that Jim Frangione never over played any of the roles.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book made laugh out loud VERY often. My own German Shepherds enjoyed my reactions. I can't say they were actively LISTENING to the STORY, but one ran to the iPod when the story came to the end of the first download and the device went silent. (The same way that my alpha alerts me to phone calls that I miss). I listen to audio books when cleaning the house and doing chores, so my dogs follow me from room to room, helping carry items, putting things in the trash or dragging the laundry basket. Perhaps they liked this story because every time Spencer Quinn nailed one of Chet's reactions, I would smile and interact with my dogs.