The Dog Who Knew Too Much Review
The Dog Who Knew Too Muchby Carol Lea Benjamin
Walker & Co., Oct., 1997.
Hardcover, 256 pages.
ISBN: 0802733123.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
New York private investigator Rachel Alexander and her faithful
canine companion Dashiell are back in this second installment of
Carole Lea Benjamin's medium boiled detective series. This time
Rachel is called upon by her aunt and uncle to investigate the
death of their daughter and Rachel's cousin, Lisa. Lisa apparently
committed suicide in front of her black Akita by jumping from the
window of the dojo where she was studying the marital art of t'ai
chi after leaving a cryptic suicide note which read "I'm sorry.
Lisa." But the more Rachel finds out about her seemingly perfect
cousin and the odd behavior of the Akita, the less she believes
that she willingly leapt out of the dojo window that night. So
Rachel decides to step into Lisa's shoes to discover the truth.
Living in her apartment, wearing her clothes and jewelry and even
falling for her ex-boyfriend, Rachel soon discovers that a lot of
people could have had it in for Lisa. When Rachel's ex boyfriend
is found dead and a mysterious figure starts stalking Rachel and
sending her bouquets of roses she realizes that she too may be in
danger from whoever killed her cousin. It's up to Rachel and her
newfound insights from the study of t'ai chi to solve the baffling
mystery and to protect her own life from a crazed killer.
The Dog Who Knew Too Much is a satisfying follow-up to This Dog For Hire. Rachel and Dash are an appealing duo. The psychological studies of the people who surrounded the ill-fated Lisa are well-drawn and the mystery is intriguing. A treat for dog lovers and mystery lovers alike.
Return to the January 1998 issue of The IWJ.
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