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    Scents and Sensibility
    Scents and Sensibility
    Scents and Sensibility
    Audiobook9 hours

    Scents and Sensibility

    Written by Spencer Quinn

    Narrated by Jim Frangione

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    When a mysterious case of illegal cactus smuggling comes to their attention, Chet and his human P.I. companion, Bernie Little, find themselves in a prickly situation in this eighth book in the New York Times bestselling mystery series. In the latest entry in the immensely popular Chet and Bernie mystery series, Private Investigator Bernie Little and his canine companion Chet return home to encounter some alarming developments. First off, Bernie's wall safe-normally hidden behind the waterfall picture in the office-is gone, and with it Bernie's grandfather's watch, their most valuable possession. And next door, old Mr. Parsons is under investigation for being in possession of a saguaro cactus illegally transplanted from the desert. Bernie and Chet go deep into the desert to investigate. Is it possible that such a lovely old couple have a terrible secret in their past? Chet and Bernie discover bad things going on in the wilderness, far worse that cactus smuggling, and all connected to a strange but innocent-seeming desert festival called Arrow Bright. They unearth leads that take them back to a long-ago kidnapping that may not have been a kidnapping and threaten a ruthless and charismatic criminal with a cult following, a criminal who sees at once what Chet and Bernie mean to each other and knows how to exploit it. Every bit as "insightful" (Booklist), "humorous" (Library Journal), and "deliciously addictive" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) as Quinn's previous books, Scents and Sensibility is a drool-worthy mystery that will have readers everywhere begging for more.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJul 14, 2015
    ISBN9781490684116
    Author

    Spencer Quinn

    Spencer Quinn is the bestselling author of eight Chet and Bernie mystery series, as well as the #1 New York Times bestselling Bowser and Birdie series for middle-grade readers. He lives on Cape Cod with his wife Diana—and dogs Audrey and Pearl. Keep up with him by visiting SpenceQuinn.com.

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    Reviews for Scents and Sensibility

    4/5

    121 ratings19 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Easily my favorite of the series so far! Loved it!
    • 5/5
      Scents and Sensibility ( A Chet and Bernie Mystery, #8)By Spencer QuinnI have not been able to read these in order since I only have the prequel and the first one. I am at the mercy of my poor library! They have all of two! Ugh! This book ends in a dramatic fashion so I really want to get the next one! Will have to check thrift stores!This has such a wonderful plot and a new dog comes into play! It's non-stop action with plenty of suspense! Again, told by Chet the dog! Great plot and characters! I am sure we will be seeing this other dog again! Love this series!
    • 4/5
      Chet and Bernie are back, and Chet's romantic past catches up with him.

      The discovery of the puppy, Shooter, proves to be a small but critical clue in a mystery that, this time, starts with their neighbor, Daniel Parsons, owner of Chet's buddy, Iggy. Mrs. Parsons is in the hospital, Mr. Parsons is alone except for Iggy, and one day gets an unexpected gift from their son, Billy Parsons. It's saguaro, and not long after the arrival of the saguaro comes Agent Ellie Newberg, of the Arizona Dept. of Agriculture, in search of one stolen saguaro.

      Slowly, Bernie draws out the details from Mr. Parsons. Billy spent fifteen years in prison for kidnapping, although his father insists he just "fell in with bad people," and never did anything violent. But kidnapping is violent, by definition... He came home to visit his parents, and to borrow from the $20,000 to get a degree in forestry management, to get his life back on the right track.

      Okay, but there's that saguaro, which has a chip saying it's the stolen one Agent Newberg, and incidentally her puppy Shooter, who looks very much like Chet, are looking for. She wants the name of the person Mr. Parsons got the cactus from, but he doesn't want to incriminate his son. Bernie persuades Agent Newberg to back off temporarily, and goes looking for Billy, who isn't answering his phone.

      And so follows a confusing chase, one in which Chet keeps finding scent evidence that, if he could convey it to Bernie, would clear up a lot. Along the way, we meet the kidnap victim, a rather odd music studio owner, two muscle-bound and heavily tattooed identical twins, and an old foe of Bernie's, Police Detective Brick Mickles. He's the reason Bernie is no longer a cop--and Bernie is the reason he hasn't risen higher than he has. Mickles was also the cop who investigated that kidnapping, fifteen years ago.

      It's a nicely twisty story, told from Chet's delightful, observant, and utterly canine point of view. Quinn does very well presenting the viewpoint of a smart dog, who is still a dog and not a person in a dog suit, and it's one of my favorite thing about these books.

      Recommended.

      I bought this book.
    • 5/5
      #8 Chet & BernieAnother great entry in this series, this one dealing with the illegal cactus trade (and murder – of people, not of cacti).I think Quinn is tiring of this series. The writing and the mystery are still first-rate but the end of the book is a cliff-hanger that could most easily (and probably correctly) be construed to mean that Bernie dies.There was outrage by fans, and Quinn has been promising a sequel now for a couple of years. But I have a feeling this series is no longer his first love. I dread the end of it.4½ stars
    • 5/5
      It's been a while since I last visited Chet and Bernie, and I'm not quite sure why. What I do know is that I was in the mood for some literary canine companionship, and no one speaks dog as fluently as Spencer Quinn. Even cat lovers would love these tales told from the point of view of Bernie's dog, Chet, who can only count to two because two is the best number.Scents and Sensibility isn't all wagging tails and marking territory, however. Readers get to learn things like the laws involving the saguaro cactus here in Arizona and the tender way Bernie treats his elderly next-door neighbor (among many other things). The story is fast-paced and loaded with humor, danger, and even a tear or two. I don't know why I stayed away so long, but I know I won't be making that mistake again. Sorry, Chet!
    • 3/5
      I love this series and the relationship between private investigator Bernie Little and his canine sidekick, Chet. But this particular outing was not a favorite. For one thing there was an extended passage where Chet endures some cruel treatment from the criminals that wasn't pleasant to read (and yes, I know this is fiction, but I find cruelty to animals hard to bear in any guise). The other problem is the ending, which was so abrupt and startling it makes me wonder where the author intends to go with this series. Overall, the book left me feeling sad rather than entertained, as the rest of the series had.
    • 2/5
      I won this one from Early Reviewer as an audio book. I must have really be in a mood to request it, thinking it sounded just silly enough to lift me out of my book funk. Don't hold your breath .....I suspect even dog lovers won't be too fond of this one.I enjoy certain books that have talking animals in them, but a dog as a narrator, especially one who tries to be a wise-ass spokesman for the nation of something or other just doesn't do it for me. I made myself listen to the whole thing, since that was the deal with books received through the ER program, but unless you are really really hard over on talking doggies, I wouldn't recommend this one to anyone. Certainly not my cuppa.
    • 3/5
      This is the third or fourth Chet and Bernie mystery that I've read, this one beginning with the mysterious arrival of a saguaro cactus at a neighbor's house.I love Chet, a big, well-meaning dog who is enthusiastically optimistic, and whose person, Bernie, can do no wrong in his eyes. The stories are told from Chet's perspective, and I can imagine my dogs thinking like he does.This mystery is more about the characters than it is the mystery. It is not particularly bloody, although there is violence and murder, and one sad part about a dog being abused.Although you can get more of the backstory by reading these books in order, you don't miss too much if you read them as standalone stories. Sure, you may not understand a few references to what has happened in the past, but those aren't essential for understanding this story.The reason I didn't rate this book higher is because it, if you've read others in the series, is getting a bit old and repetitious. Sure, I still love Chet, and am happy that he and Bernie are such close buddies, but Chet's constant fawning over Bernie, the greatest person in the world in Chet's eyes, got a bit much. Sometimes it got a little too “cute,” even for someone who likes to occasionally read cute books. There is a big of a cliffhanger at the end. Enough to make me read the next one? I haven't decided.I listened to an audio edition. The reader, Jim Frangione, is very good, but I liked his voice a little more in the earlier books. In this one, there was a little too much drama in the reading for my tastes.This is fun entertainment, but I would start with the earlier ones in the series, and see how far you want to go with them before you get just a little tired of them, as I am. Maybe you won't; maybe you'll love them all.I was given an audio edition of the book by the publisher through LibraryThing.
    • 5/5
      Chet the Jet was in fine form and the book was funny as always. I wish I had read it though instead of listening to the audio version. It grated on my nerves to here Saguaro Cactus mispronounced all through the book.
    • 4/5
      On the surface, this is another Chet and Bernie Mystery. If you have ever wondered what your dog is thinking, Spencer Quinn paints an entertaining picture. The storyline twists and turns though illegal cactus smuggling, murder, and mayhem. I had the unabridged Recorded Book version of this fun novel. The narration by Jim Frangione brought the story to life. As I listened, I realized there was a lot more to Chet’s simplified observations. Maybe we should all quit struggling to find answers. Can it be as simple as appreciating a new bone and sharing a home with the hero of our life?
    • 3/5
      Received via LT Early Reviewers. Started listening to this one a 5 hour road trip, and managed about 2 hours before I had to turn it off. The narration was fine (not soporific or irritating), it was the story itself that made me want to shake someone. If you're unfamiliar with the series - which I was - this is old-fashioned noir meets cornball mystery, with what should be a lovable main character. The dog, Chet, relates the events. Which is all well and good, but the way he's characterized just flat didn't work for me. Possibly, if I'd been reading it rather than listening, I could have gotten through it, but not even being trapped in the car in a radio dead zone helped. Just not my cup of tea.
    • 4/5
      Ah, another Chet and Bernie book!! You gotta love Chet--the most unreliable, but yet wonderful, narrator of mystery novels ever! His hero worship of Bernie shines on in the current adventure--finally encountering the aquifer!! This installment is enjoyable as is all the rest of the series. Nothing too earthshaking, but that's okay: delivers an enjoyable, comic story, continuing the life of our characters just as I like--cozy, but not too cozy (and that's as far as I can take it).In addition, this was the first of the series that I listened to on audio. A nicely done job--although, my commute is a little too short, so it took me two weeks get get through 8 discs. Jim Frangione does a nice job of voicing Chet and spicing up the other characters voices. A solid performance.
    • 5/5
      I listened to the Recorded Books version of Scents and Sensibility. The Chet and Bernie books are really fun listening because the narrator does such a great job of voicing Chet's. This recording is no exception to that general rule. The book is a bit different from the usual C&B book because the scrapes the duo encounters are way more serious than normal. They are separated for a good bit of the book, and it is up to Chet to figure out how to deal with the situation. This stretches credulity a wee bit too much perhaps. The ending is also a bit of a cliff-hanger, leaving the reader anxious for the next installment to make sure our heroes are okay. So, a good read, but this reader prefers more togetherness for the pair.
    • 5/5
      I received this audio book, narrated by Jim Frangione, in exchange for my honest review. I've been a big Chet and Bernie fan since "Dog On It", the first book in this series. I've never been disappointed in any of these engaging and hilarious mysteries. Jim Frangione's voice characterizations are perfect, especially "Chet", who is the narrator of the stories. In this 8th book in the series, Bernie and Chet return home to find their wall safe, along with Bernie's grandfather's valuable watch, missing! Then, when visiting their elderly neighbor, Mr. Parsons, to retrieve their house key, the duo becomes involved in helping to uncover the mystery behind an illegal saguaro cactus, an apparent "gift" from the Parson's recently paroled son. The mystery only deepens when an Agricultural officer is murdered. The clues pile up, sending Bernie and Chet into many dangerous situations. The love and devotion between these two "partners" makes their adventures all the more exciting and engaging. Chet's observations and canine instincts add many laugh-out-loud moments. All in all, a fun mystery filled with action, adventure and maybe a stop or two along the way to visit a few trees or fire hydrants.
    • 5/5
      Even in the eighth book in the series, I love Chet the dog as a narrator. Yes, it's a dog, so his thoughts are often repetitive, and yet I still find it charming and endearing time and time. This time around the case has several twists and side stories and the ending will certainly have you desperately waiting for book 9. This is easily one of my favorite entries in the series (so far). I highly recommend the Chet and Bernie series for anyone who loves dogs and enjoys a good private investigator story. Always fun reads!
    • 5/5
      Chet and Bernie are off on a case, helping their neighbors find their recently paroled son before he gets into serious trouble. But the more Bernie digs into the case, the more extensive and complicated it becomes. The charm of this delightful series lies, of course, in the brilliant narration of the main character, namely Chet the Jet, canine extraordinaire. While Chet is dazzling as dogs go, sometimes idioms get the best of him, and his interpretations are often not quite right. But his loyalty to Bernie is undisputed and as Bernie’s partner in the Little Detective Agency, well, Bernie couldn’t ask for a better one. But both Bernie and Chet are in for a rough time, as they discover that the desert holds more dangers than the purloined cacti and when the partners are separated, things go from bad to worse. This audio version, expertly performed by Jim Frangione, just adds to the excitement. This mystery will keep you entertained from beginning to end and wishing for the next novel in this series.
    • 4/5
      Bernie Little is a private eye and owner of Little Investigations. Chet is his canine companion and narrator of the story."Scents and Sensibility" opens with Bernie returning home and finding his wall safe missing and his prized possession, his grandfather's watch gone.Bernie's next door neighbor, Daniel Parsons, is elderly and forgetful. Bernie asks him if he still has the house key that Bernie gave him but Parsons can't remember.In questioning Parsons further, Bernie learns that his son, Billy, was recently released from prison for kidnapping. Billy served fifteen years but Parsons tells Bernie that Billy is a good person who just got involved with the wrong people.There is a new saguaro cactus plant on Parsons' front lawn. While Bernie is still at Parsons home, a representative of the Department of Agriculture arrives. She has followed the chip in the cactus and questions Parsons about how he came to receive it. Did he know it's against the law to move a saguaro cactus from public land and replanting it on private land? Parsons is brought in for questioning and hires Bernie to find out about the cactus.When Bernie and Chet travel to the area of the desert where the Agricultural officer claims the cactus came from. They come upon a murder victim and the story moves to another level.The story is told in a liesurly manner as Chet relates what is happening. It is fascinating to see how a dog could solve certain difficulties. Some of this fun comes from the dog wondering what was the meaning of various statements like raining cats and dogs. Of course, Chet would love to see rain like that.As the investigation progresses, more facts about the kidnapping come to light, other people are questioned and part of the search is for the $500,000 in ransom that was never recovered.There is a wonderful segment when Chet gets into a difficult position but another dog, Shooter, is able to help. There is a trip back from the desert that reminded me of a scene from "The Lady and a Tramp.''The story is told in such a manner that the reader could imagine the events to be true, stretched a good bit, but true.I received a copy of this book in return for my honest review.
    • 5/5
      I received an advance review e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was a fun read. Chet as the narrator gives the reader a view of a dog’s life. I love how concrete Chet is. This is the first time I have read about Chet, Bernie, and the Little Detective Agency. I had lots of laughs and really enjoyed this book. I must read the next book to find out how Bernie recovers from his injuries.
    • 3/5
      As this story opens Chet and Bernie have just returned home to the desert. Chet starts looking around to find their safe removed from the wall and missing, along with it Bernie’s' most prized possession, a pocket watch.Unable to find any signs of breaking and entering, Bernie head over to his neighbors, the Parsons, to see if they heard anything. Not long after Mr Parsons gets a visit from Ellie Newburg concerning an endangered cactus planted in his yard. From this point the story takes off and before long both Bernie and Chet are in danger of losing their lives.Overall, I enjoyed reading this installment in the series. The characters are likable and realistic, with the same everyday problems we all have in our lives. Even though Chet and Bernie have a side story at times, it works well within the mystery itself, making you want to read the other seven stories. The only time I felt the story to be a little long winded was when Chet was tied up in the desert and finally escapes.