The Highly Effective Detective Duo

My 85-year-old mother belongs to a mystery book club, and gets 5 or 6 books a month, most of them by people I've never heard of. Or crummy writers. But on my last visit with her, she presented me with 5 new books, two favorites (Ruth Rendell) and one unknown - which I fell delightedly in love with. (PARDON my GRAMMAR - I am not a writer, and failed English.) The author, Richard Yancey? Who the heck is he? Teddy Ruzak? What kind of a name is that for a character? I thought it was going to be a Monk-wannabe, and I was a huge fan of Monk. But Teddy, Teddy Ruzak, swept me away. No he is definitely not even close to being Monk. Thank goodness. He's Teddy, not so plain and never simple. In spite of his verbal self-abasement, Mr Ruzak has a unique take on things -- on everything! His rambling asides are charming, and make sense. Which is scary when you think about it. His explanations start you off straight down the street, then suddenly you're over on that corner, then across town, up a mountain, and just as suddenly back in the neighborhood and the entire journey of Teddy's thoughts have a strange and convoluted logic. And all that could just be in his answer to a simple question. I loved it. The plots are simple, and Teddy's evolution as a detective is as slow as his coming of age. Because he stops to consider everything - the man can't answer a phone without reflecting on its moral and ethical implications. Some people may hate this aspect of Teddy's character, I found it fascinating. Teddy doesn't know it, but he is an original, untutored philosopher; or one in the making. His lack of his own sense of worth is deceptive: his character is brilliant, and brilliantly put together. I wondered about the author, and found out he wrote some kids books. Haven't seen them, as my kid is way grown up. But I really really enjoyed the Highly Effective Detective Duo book. I'm just not sure if it really exists.... The end of the Dog book made me laugh out loud. I won't give away anything, though. Maybe I'm weird, but I thought both stories were very good. And by the way: I really hate those cutesy books my mom usually gets - you know the kind where the titles are puns, or involve different kinds of pies... Teddy Ruzak is a much "real-er" character than any of those aforementioned books. Or is he...????????