The Department of Lost Dogs

February 15, 2023
A stand-alone, high-stakes mystery set in "America's #1 Dog-Friendly Town." Sixth grader, middle child, and Houdini admirer Rondo McDade was hoping for a relaxing spring break, but instead, his family's B&B, the Perro del Mar in Carmelito, California, is serving as a filming location for the reboot of TV series Bentley Knows, and the canine star has been dognapped. Rondo's mom and dad are busy, and Rondo is at odds with older brother Epic and younger sister Elvis. He needs to solve the mystery of the missing canine actor or his favorite TV show will be cancelled, but he's going to need to work with, not against, his annoying siblings and 9-year-old Denver Delgado-Doyle, his neighbor's nephew from out of town who is also a fan of magic. Together the kids try to solve a crime with many possible suspects, including a dog trainer, an actress, and the BarkAngels, who claim to be able to communicate psychically with dogs but who Rondo is convinced are frauds. Transcripts of the Daily Dog Dish podcast give readers extra insights into the celebrity dog world and help with pacing. A tight time frame of less than a week, an observant first-person narrator, and a large cast of family members and suspects make for an entertaining whodunit perfect for animal lovers. The McDades read White; names and some charming full-page illustrations cue ethnic diversity in the supporting cast. A fun, fast-paced mystery. (Mystery. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 15, 2023
Grades 3-6 It's been two years since the McDade kids collared a thief in the dog-obsessed town of Camelito, but due to a dearth of mysteries, their detective agency has since disbanded. Eleven-year-old Elrond "Rondo" McDade, an introverted Houdini expert, is looking forward to a quiet spring break despite the family B&B having been temporarily turned into the set of his favorite canine-detective TV show. The increasingly busy family is growing distant, and the siblings, including older Epic and younger Elvis, aren't as close as they once were. But when dognapping incidents threaten to halt the production, the kids find themselves at the heart of another mystery and pull back together to stop a canine cast member from disappearing. The hilarious whodunit works splendidly on its own, and fans of A Dog-Friendly Town (2020) will be thrilled to reunite with familiar characters from a different child's perspective. Brisk pacing, interspersed podcast transcripts, and dog puns aplenty keep the proceedings compelling for younger readers. Supersleuths and dog lovers will lap up this clever caper.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.