The Long Good Boy: A Rachel Alexander and Dash Mystery

Carol Lea Benjamin has been a dog trainer and private investigator. Her heroine, Rachel Alexander, a dog-trainer-turned-PI, comes from a traditional Jewish family that disapproves of both her occupations. Like Rachel's family, and like Rachel herself, we readers find ourselves asking, "How did she get into this?" The Long Good Boy is sixth in the series featuring Rachel and her sidekick Dashiell, a superbly trained pit bull, with guide dog certifications that let him stay close to Rachel wherever she goes. And Rachel needs help when she enters Manhattan's meat-packing district to help three transvestite hookers find out who murdered one of their friends -- and whether one of them might be the next victim. Rachel learns that another murder took place nearby, just the night before "Rosalinda" was murdered. Coincidence? Not likely. Determined to unearth the connection, Rachel goes undercover in a part-time sales job at Saks, finds creative ways to, um, release the files she needs from the meat company, and takes to the streets for a brief but memorable stroll. Benjamin always plays fair. Dogs don't talk or solve crimes. Any top-dog trainer could turn Chi-Chi's tiny dachsund, Clint, into a competent burglar when Dashiell turns out to be the wrong size. Dog lovers will recognize Clint's expression after the first training session: "Thank goodness somebody finally realized I have a brain." Benjamin's vividly depicts a world most readers would just as soon not know about: "tranny" hookers trying to earn money for dope, getting into strange cars, negotiating with "pimps" who are not much into employee relations. Yet the characters are portrayed three-dimensionally, sympathetically but not sentimentally. And somehow Benjamin manages to maintain the style of a "cozy" mystery in this totally un-cozy setting -- the sign of an author who is very much on top of her craft.

Rachel Alexander suffers from insomnia, which leads to an unusual job with transsexual prostitutes who are concerned about the murder of a fellow working girl. Shadowy intrigue and urban noir mingle in this mystery which offers many twists and turns.

Carol Lea Benjamin has written a crime novel that excels in many dimensions. It is a brilliantly plotted thriller that will keep your heart pounding up until the last word; her characters are so distinctive and quirky that you'll wish they were real and you had the chance to know them; her usual humor is as evident as ever; and, of course, the dog stuff is as informative as it is appropriate to the story. This is Ms. Benjamin's grittiest novel to date and a good read for any mystery lover.

Carol Lea Benjamin really puts the pedal to the metal in her sixth Rachel and Dash novel. Highly atmospheric and fully charged right ffrom the opening paragraph, Benjamin reveals the world of the transvestite hookers who work the north-western edge of Greenwich Village with objectivity and compassion, a rare combination. The hookers are marvelously and individually rendered, La Donna especially. Their essential humanity is at the core of this novel. The above elements, all by themselves, would be enough to recommend The Long Good Boy. But there's a bonus here, a well- plotted story that effortlessly transports the reader from the first page to the last. Highly recommended.