Wednesday, August 22, 2012

TAHOE DEATH FALL by Todd Borg

I hate to gush over a book but this is truly gush-worthy.  I have fallen head over heels in love with the hero's dog, a Great Dane named Spot.  Unlike some series where the hero has a pet, Spot doesn't solve crimes.  His owner, former cop and current P.I. Owen McKenna, is the crime solver.  Spot is simply a dog, a Harlequin otherwise known as "your largeness."  As a former owner of two fawn Danes, I can attest to the fact that Todd Borg obviously owns and loves a Great Dane because he has Great Danehood down pat.  

Now that we have the gushing over with, I totally enjoyed the mystery in this volume.  When twins Melissa and Jennifer Salazar were only six years old and out hiking with their very stern German gramma, Melissa somehow went over a cliff and died.  It has been considered a tragic accident until the brilliant Jennifer is 14 and tries to hire Owen to find out who murdered her sister.  She has always thought it was murder and now she's old enough to do something about it.  Although Owen can't be hired by a minor, he is intrigued by the story, particularly when he sees two people following Jennifer as she leaves his office.  He agrees to look into it unofficially.

Very soon he realizes that not only was Melissa's death probably a murder, Jennifer is apparently also in great danger because she's poking into it.  Owen's girlfriend Street watches over the girl, Spot too of course, as Owen sets off on an investigation that takes some wild twists and turns.  I suspected who murdered the girl but there were other aspects to the story that were surprising to me.  Regardless, I couldn't put the book down.

The other characters in the book are well-drawn and realistic.  I could picture each one easily.  I loved the setting too, mainly in the area of Lake Tahoe, a place I have never been but would love to visit. 

Highly recommended reading for crime lovers and dog lovers.
Source:  gift from friend who knows I love Great Danes. 

6 comments:

  1. Oh man, there's nothing like a great dog in a book!

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  2. Barbara...this sounds like a good mystery. DO you own a Great Dane?

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  3. This sounds good, even though the dog is simply a dog! LOLOL

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  4. I am soooooooooo glad you liked this book! (And anyone who doesn't love His Largeness is suspect in my book! LOL)

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  5. Diane, I used to own two Great Danes. The male, Duke, was the runt of his litter but still a huge dog. Poor thing got every skin disease known to mankind, but he loved the vet's assistants and would happily sprawl across their exam table. The female, Duchess, was a clown and a drooler. She was the spirit of happiness. I lost Duke to a brain tumor and Duchess to a car accident within two months. After that devastation, I got a mutt from the Humane Society who had been abused and just need to love and be loved.

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  6. This one has a very intriguing plot line! I'll definitely keep my eye out for it.

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