Tender Is the Bite (Chet and Bernie Mystery #11)

 

Tender Is the Bite (Chet and Bernie Mystery #11)
by Spencer Quinn
Forge Books (Pub Date 06 Jul 2021)

This eleventh release in the Chet and Bernie series is excellent: the plotting is smooth and polished, and the read is a compelling one. (These books are always the kryptonite to my to-read pile: Everything comes to a halt so I can dive into their latest story. This one runs true to that pattern.)

The usual (and better than usual) humor is evenly embedded, the characters and the crimes are those readers care about without being uncomfortably gritty, and Bernie's relationships continue intriguing -- but satisfying as well. Tender is the Bite ends with Bernie (and Chet) comfortably situated and just ready for the next great adventure that author Quinn will share (soon, one hopes). The over-all feel of this release is comfortable: enough good moments, satisfying relationships, bad-guys taken care of, and the reader leaves feeling good for/about Bernie and Chet.

Chet the very-good dog's side narrative provides focus for humor as well as for keen insight into the greater human drama of the story. (Was there more of that monologue than usual? No, couldn't have been. This is Spencer Quinn, one of the best human story tellers around after all. So forget that thought.)

This books stands alone as a fun read, but it will be much richer for those who have read the earlier books in the series. Forge Books releases this title July 6 - you can have it in your hands in two days! Such a great read. Thanks to Forge and NetGalley for the chance to read an advance release copy.