Heart of Barkness
A Chet and Bernie Mystery #9
Spencer Quinn
Narrated by Jim Frangione
Recorded Books, July 2019
Downloaded Unabridged Audiobook
Forge Books, July 2019
ISBN 978-1-250-29772-3
Hardcover
From the publisher—
Chet the dog, “the most lovable narrator in all of crime fiction” (Boston Globe) and P.I. Bernie encounter heartache and much worse in the world of country music. They’re both music lovers, so when Lotty Pilgrim, a country singer from long ago, turns up at a local bar, they drive out to catch her act. Bernie’s surprised to see someone who was once so big performing in such a dive, and drops a C-note the Little Detective Agency can’t afford to part with into the tip jar. The C-note is stolen right from under their noses – even from under Chet’s, the nose that misses nothing – and before the night is over, it’s stolen again.
Soon they’re working the most puzzling case of their career, a case that takes them back in time in search of old border-town secrets, and into present-day danger where powerful people want those secrets to stay hidden. Chet and Bernie find themselves sucked into a real-life murder ballad where there is no one to trust but each other.
Spending time with two of my favorite detective partners is always such a pleasure and Chet and Bernie have not let me down this time (as if they ever do). This is more than just a man and his dog; this is a crime-fighting duo that is good at what they do because they’re so very much in tune with each other.
Speaking of being in tune, the country music world is at the heart of their latest case, specifically investigating a murder with the aim of proving someone’s innocence. Lotty’s career goes back decades and, as Bernie digs deeper with Chet’s unique brand of assistance, they unearth secrets and family issues she never wanted revealed but these long ago truths may be her only way out of jail.***
