Mystery Book Reviews

Book Review: Dog in the Manger

By Sandy Amazeen Nov 20, 2012, 2:07 GMT

Hired to investigate the disappearance of a Westminster winner Eli Paxton stumbles into a web of intrigue.A dog is missing. Not just any dog. The number one Weimaraner in the country and current Westminster winner.Down-on-his-luck private eye Eli Paxton is hired to find him. Not exactly an elite assignment, but better than nothing. Maybe it will help him pay his rent.It turns out to be anything but a routine case. ...more

Baroness, the Weimaraner that took Best in Show at Westminster is missing and honest but down on his luck ex-cop Eli Paxton is hired by the dog’s handler to find out what happened to her. What should have been a simple lost and found case rapidly accelerates into something much larger as everyone connected with the flight Baroness was shipped off on turns up dead. Worse, someone is beginning to take shots at Paxton and he has no idea what could be so important about this dog that would justify so much mayhem. With the only living lead in Mexico, Paxton sets off across the border and is quickly caught up in something really big. Too bad he can’t put the pieces together and figure out what it is because if he doesn’t get the answers very soon, he could be the next casualty in this new non-stop detective series.

Fast paced and action packed, Resnick’s Eli Paxton Mystery delivers a cunning, high stakes tale while providing an inside view of the world of show dogs. Drug smuggling, murder, deception and a touch of romance provide plenty of red herrings as Paxton stumbles along. The antagonist is as elusive as he is powerful and our hero will have to get the assistance of the big boys if he is to bring this case to a close gaining the Westie sidekick in the process. There is the bonus of a Paxton short story at the end which proves even if the good guy wins, they can still get screwed.