by Spencer Quinn (Get the Book)In their fifth outing, Chet, the pooch narrator, and Bernie, the human PI, have a brush with fame after they agree to do babysitting duty for a notoriously difficult movie star, Thad Perry, and his cat, Brando, as a favor to the mayor, who's working hard to promote the Valley as a movie-filming destination. But both Chet and Bernie suspect something deeper is going on with Thad's cousin and personal bodyguard and the mayor's head of security (an old acquaintance from the police force), especially after the pair is found sniffing around a murder scene. Nor does Chet like the drugs he often smells on Thad (Chet did really well at the drug-sniffing part of K-9 school; well, until there was that incident with the cat . . .). Quinn's ability to get inside Chet's head continues to be what gives this series its spark. Between Chet's insightful and humorous takes on human events, the fast-paced plot, and the wealth of fascinating secondary characters, this is a fine entry in a not-to-be-missed series. --Booklist
