The Wrong Dog

I love mysteries, and if you do, and if you love dogs, you'll enjoy these books by Carol Lea Benjamin. This series is not as much "fun" as Susan Conants, nor Laurien Berensons dog/mystery series, but the mystery is a bit more intense. There also is not as much "dog" information in this series, either, in my opinion, compared to the other two series. All in all, though, a good read!

Sophie Gordon, a woman with epilepsy who teaches the deaf has a wonderful pet therapy/aide dog. Her dog is alert to whenever she has a seizure. She loves and depends on her dog.Enter P.I. Rachel Gordon and her sidekick, Dash. Dash has the trademark anvil shaped head that distinguishes the English bull terrier from the pit bull. Rachel and her anvil headed dog crack the case and yet you wonder -- is Sophie's dog really a clone?

Sophie Gordon was an epileptic. She used a seizure alert dog to tell her when she was going to have a seizure. The dog was getting old, so when someone approached her in the dog park proposing to clone her dog, she jumped at the chance to have a dog just like Blanche. In due time, she received Bianca, who looked exactly like Blanche. One problem, she did not alert. Sophie wanted to find the people who cloned her, to tell them that the alert trait that they were looking for wasn't there. Enter Rachel Alexander, private investigator and former dog trainer. Sophie hires her and Dash the pitbull to find the organization, so she can inform them. Not long after, Sophie is found dead of a seizure, or was it? There are alot of strange circumstances in this case and Rachel is determined to find out why Sophie died and to place Bianca and Blanche.Each one of Benjamin's books seems to be better than the last. I just couldn't put this book down. It was very exciting in parts, lots of action, and a very satisfying ending.

Sophie Gordon arranged to meet private investigator Rachel Alexander at the Washington Square Park dog run. There, Sophie explains why she needs a sleuth. The School of the Deaf teacher uses a service dog to help her by alerting her when she is going into a seizure. This allows Sophie the time to insure her safety. Her canine Blanche died, but before she did, the Side by Side agency cloned the dog. However, the canine Sophie received, Bianca, is unable to detect seizures. Sophie worries that the other clones will also fail to perform that task and wants the agency to warn their owners. However, the agency seems to have vanished off the planet.Not to long after that meeting, Sophie dies conspicuously from a seizure. Rachel wonders about the questionable coincidence that her new client should die shortly after she tells the sleuth her tale, especially because Sophie was very careful with her ailment. Rachel feels obligated to find the Side by Side people and accompanied by Dash begins to make inquiries without yet realizing the danger she places herself and Dash in at the hands of unscrupulous individuals.THE WRONG DOG is an exciting mystery filled with intelligence, humor, and a dash of Manhattan. The enjoyable yet educating story line is fun to read as the plot centers on cloning, disabilities, and an exhilarating investigation by one of the better female detectives as well as one of the better animal detectives in a current series. Fans will want to read Carol Lea Benjamin's other well-written canine tales.Harriet Klausner