The Sound and the Furry, by Spencer Quinn

The Sound and the Furry by Spencer Quinn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


For the 6th book in his Chet & Bernie series, Quinn takes his protagonists on a road trip to Louisiana to look into a missing persons case. The change of scenery adds a bit of freshness to the story that has been missing in the past couple of books. We get to see Chet and Bernie out of their familiar environment, dealing with the unique culture that is south Louisiana. And Quinn did get that culture right -- the mixture of friendliness and wariness about outsiders, the shady deals, the shadier police force, the centuries-old family feuds, and the oil industry that covers it all; literally, when it comes to the land and wildlife.

One aspect of the book that was a bit jarring to me: Chet's inner dialog. Perhaps it's because I more or less only skimmed books 4 and 5, but this go-round, Chet seemed to be "talking" much more. Reading through the text was much like a conversation with a bipolar friend during a mania phase, just one thing after another punctuated occasionally by a Squirrel! Not that he's a bad narrator -- Chet is one observative dog, even if he can't always remember what the observations mean. I wish I knew how to what extent Quinn has incorporated real research about dog cognition into how he develops Chet's dialog, to know how accurate it might be.

Anyway, in summary, The Sound and the Furry is a nice read, with comparatively little dog abuse this time (a bonk or two on the head and some prolonged dog-paddling), some new characters, and a fairly pleasant resolution. What more could you ask for in a canine cozy?



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