Mutt Mysteries

I love pets, and I'm drawn to mysteries and thrillers that have pet characters. My sidekicks are two crazy Jack Russell Terriers, Disney and Riley. Disney's been the model for Darby in my story, "Diggin’ up Dirt," ( To Fetch a Thief ) and Bijou in a cozy mystery that I'm working on. I started listing authors who have pets in their mysteries. I found lots with cats and dogs. And only one with a hamster. And I found lots to add to my TBR (To Be Read) piles. Dogs ·          Robert B. Parker's Sunny Randall and Rosie the miniature American Bull Terrier ·          Ellery Adams' Olivia Limoges and Captain Haviland the Standard Poodle ·          Robert B. Parker's Spenser and Pearl the Wonder Dog ·          Rita Mae Brown's Tee Tucker, a Corgi ·          Spencer Quinn's Chet and ...

I’m watching the televised US House of Representatives Impeachment inquiry hearing and hoping many of these witnesses and interrogators have dogs in their lives. For some people dogs provide companionship and comfort. For others, I realize, dogs do not play positive roles, or any roles, in their lives. They may have a fear of dogs, may have other pets or not pets by choice or necessity, or they may find care of their current canines a chore. I find real solace in dogs. Even thinking of dogs relaxes me. The stress, rancor, and gravity of the impeachment hearings bespeak the seriousness of those proceedings. I am transfixed. My attention lags as I watch these because of the heavy tone. To counter this, my imagination steps in to provide relief. How much better would this all be if each of these witnesses held a dog in his/her lap during testimony? I picture a dog lying next to each congressional member’s (and staff) seat on the dais. The audience? In my mind, the room is already cr...