A DOG-FRIENDLY TOWN

Three clever but remarkably quirky siblings and two of their friends take on an infamous and crafty jewel thief.

Epic, interested in robotics and facing the challenging transition from a tiny private academy to a large public middle school, is often tasked with keeping an eye on his younger brother, Rondo, who takes detecting very seriously, and Elvis, his little sister, who’s just as focused on famous movie-star dog Sir Bentley. Her dream is coming true: Sir Bentley is coming to stay at their parents’ dog-centric bed-and-breakfast, Perro del Mar, in the titular “dog-friendly town” of Carmelito, California. Unfortunately, in the middle of the night someone steals Bentley’s valuable, jewel-studded collar, and the crime is quickly publicized on dog-focused celebrity blogs. The B&B is full of plausible jewel-thief candidates, most in town for the season’s biggest doggie bash, Puppy Picnic. Epic, in his believably (and yet humorously) angst-wracked narration, reports the riveting, evolving developments in a mystery that is thick with red herrings. Short chapters and a breathless pace make this a clever, engrossing plot-driven tale with plenty of unusual, well-developed characters—even the dogs. Epic and his family are white, and opening illustrations indicate that much of the rest of the cast is diverse.

Thoroughly entertaining—mystery fans and dog lovers will lap this one up.