{Synopsis} – There is trouble brewing in the Louisiana swamp — Bowser can smell it. Bowser is a very handsome and only slightly slobbery dog, and he can smell lots of things. Like bacon. And rawhide chews! And the sweat on humans when they're lying.
Birdie Gaux, the girl Bowser lives with, also knows something is wrong. It's not just that her grammy's stuffed prize marlin has been stolen. It's the weird rumor that the marlin is linked to a missing treasure. It's the truck that seems to be following Birdie and the bad feeling on the back of her neck.
When Birdie and Bowser start digging into the mystery, not even Bowser's powerful sniffer can smell just how menacing the threat is. And when the danger comes straight for Birdie, Bowser knows it up to him to sic 'em.
{My thoughts} – I had never heard of Spencer Quinn until I received this book through scholastic. I have to say I wasn’t disappointed one bit. This book is a wonderful introduction to mystery for children and middle schoolers.
Bowser is a rescue dog that Birdie gets for her birthday from her Grammy. Birdie is a sweet little girl that has had a hard life. She lost her dad in the line of duty when she was very young and her mom works out of town. That leaves her with just her Grammy for the most part and sporadic video calls with her mom from time to time of the computer.
When the book first begins a theft takes place at the fish and bait shop that Birdie’s family owns. Bowser and Birdie get on the case right away. They try to figure out who did what and why did they do what they did. Sometimes it looks like they are getting close to some real answers and other times it’s like they are so far off. If you want to know if they solve the case you will need to read the book.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Birdie is a smart, well mannered child that has a lot of potential. Bowser is a sweet dog that any child could easily fall in love with. One of the things I loved most about this book is that it is written in Bowsers point of view. If I ever wondered what a dog was thinking at any given time, I’d have to say that Mr. Quinn wrapped it up nicely in this book.
I highly recommend this book for any child that loves animals and mystery. I promise they won’t be disappointed.
Final Conclusion: 5 Star Rating.
