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At first, with the Chet and Bernie novels, the titles – all punning – were meant to send the message that this series was comic not tragic, and dog-centric. But that struck me as a bit misleading, because these stories are not cozies. There’s darkness in them (although Chet, the canine narrator – not a talking dog! - snaps back quickly to his preset position which is all about joy in life). So lately I’ve been looking for funny titles where after you read the book you think, Hey, that really was about dog and man, thematically speaking. The title Of Mutts and Men was suggested by a reader. (Hint, hint.)
What's in a name?
Well, let’s take a look at Gudrun Burr, powerful lawyer – and much more, it turns out - at the white-shoe law firm Lobb and Edmonds in Of Mutts and Men. (Bernie, the detective, even remarks at one point, “A white-shoe firm if there ever was one.” That’s me underlining the joke for readers who don’t know that Lobb and Edmonds are two high-end shoe manufacturers.) But back to Gudrun Burr. Burr, of course, summons...[read on]
Coffee with a Canine: Peter Abrahams and Audrey (September 2011).
Coffee with a Canine: Peter Abrahams and Pearl (August 2012).
The Page 69 Test: The Dog Who Knew Too Much.
The Page 69 Test: Paw and Order.
The Page 69 Test: Scents and Sensibility.
The Page 69 Test: Bow Wow.
The Page 69 Test: Heart of Barkness.
Q&A with Spencer Quinn.
--Marshal Zeringue
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