Heart of Barkness

 Heart of Barkness by Spencer Quinn (2019) 299 pages

Every now and then, I just need to get my "Chet and Bernie" fix. Chet (a dog) is half of The Little Detective Agency, and it is his voice we hear as we read. His innocence is somewhat reminiscent of Amelia Bedelia's when it comes to processing idioms, but his canine intelligence and sensory data make him as important as Bernie in solving crime mysteries. Bernie is an army veteran who had been injured in the line of duty, and he has empathy, strength, and street smarts. His financial smarts are somewhat lacking, though.

As this story begins, Bernie is leaving the hospital after a long recovery. He and Chet go to a bar to hear Lotty Pilgrim, a formerly noted country singer perform. Bernie chases down a man who took tips out of her tip jar, and in doing so, gets to know Lotty and her manager/boyfriend, Clint. Clint appears to be rather controlling of Lotty, and after he is found murdered, Lotty is arrested and plans to plead guilty. Bernie and Chet travel the desert, including a few trips into Mexico, trying to figure out what happened decades ago in Lotty's life that is making her take the fall for the murder. The fast-moving plot is riveting.