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Rachel Alexander & Dash #3
A Hell of a Dog
At a dog trainer's convention in New York, it's the humans that need to be housebroken. From animal psychics to shock-treatment disciplinarians, every method of dog training is represented in an atmosphere of extreme jealousy. When one of the trainers ends up dead, it's up to Rachel and Dash to collar the murderer before pandemonium breaks loose.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
44 people are currently reading
179 people want to read
About the author
Carol Lea Benjamin
38 books50 followersA noted dog trainer and former detective, Carol Lea Benjamin is the author of books on canine behavior and training as well as the Rachel Alexander and Dash mystery series. She has been honored by the International Association of Canine Professionals with her election to their Hall of Fame. Ms. Benjamin lives in Greenwich Village with her husband and their dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 29 reviews
January 14, 2026
My wife and I listened to ‘The Dog Who Knew Too Much‘ on our long post-Christmas drive north to family. We enjoyed it so much that we decided to listen to the next book, ‘A Hell of a Dog‘ (1998), on the way back home. We didn’t manage to finish it, so we listened to it together on our first evening at home.
This was also fun but very different from the previous book. The first book was sad and introspective. This one was quite raucous by comparison. In ’The Dog Who Knew Too Much’, dogs were peripheral to the story. In ‘A Hell of a Dog’, dogs and the people who train them were at its heart.
'A Hell of a Dog' is a murder mystery, set in a week-long dog training symposium being run at a posh Manhattan hotel opposite Central Park. Rachel, an ex-dog trainer turned unlicensed PI, is working undercover, posing as a guest speaker on dog training, to identify and neutralise any unpleasantness between the other speakers. Some of the speakers hate each other and have been known to sabotage one another. Her task becomes more challenging when the speakers start to die. At first, the deaths seem accidental, but Rachel believes that the speakersmay be being murdered and sets out to find the murderer.
Rachel is faced with a pool of a dozen suspects/potential victims, some of whom she knows well. The dog people are larger-than-life individuals who are strong on self-promotion, passionate about their own dog training method, and dismissive of everyone else’s. They argue endlessly, prank one another habitually, drink to excess, and see their stay in a conference hotel as unleashing them from their marriage vows. Vanity, infidelity, and dominance games power the plot.
Then the presenters start to die. The manner of each of their deaths, while seeming accidental, echoes/ridicules their preferred dog training method. This leads to some very creative kills.
Carol Lea Benjamin was a professional dog trainer who published half a dozen books designed to help novices train their dogs. Her knowledge of dogs and the dog world shone through, grounding this book firmly in reality. The descriptions of the trainers, their methods, and their idiosyncrasies were as entertaining as the mystery.
I recommend the audiobook version of 'Hell of a Dog'. Dina Pearlman's narration brought the whole thing to life. Click on the YouTube link below to hear a sample.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LmUCKv...
This was also fun but very different from the previous book. The first book was sad and introspective. This one was quite raucous by comparison. In ’The Dog Who Knew Too Much’, dogs were peripheral to the story. In ‘A Hell of a Dog’, dogs and the people who train them were at its heart.
'A Hell of a Dog' is a murder mystery, set in a week-long dog training symposium being run at a posh Manhattan hotel opposite Central Park. Rachel, an ex-dog trainer turned unlicensed PI, is working undercover, posing as a guest speaker on dog training, to identify and neutralise any unpleasantness between the other speakers. Some of the speakers hate each other and have been known to sabotage one another. Her task becomes more challenging when the speakers start to die. At first, the deaths seem accidental, but Rachel believes that the speakersmay be being murdered and sets out to find the murderer.
Rachel is faced with a pool of a dozen suspects/potential victims, some of whom she knows well. The dog people are larger-than-life individuals who are strong on self-promotion, passionate about their own dog training method, and dismissive of everyone else’s. They argue endlessly, prank one another habitually, drink to excess, and see their stay in a conference hotel as unleashing them from their marriage vows. Vanity, infidelity, and dominance games power the plot.
Then the presenters start to die. The manner of each of their deaths, while seeming accidental, echoes/ridicules their preferred dog training method. This leads to some very creative kills.
Carol Lea Benjamin was a professional dog trainer who published half a dozen books designed to help novices train their dogs. Her knowledge of dogs and the dog world shone through, grounding this book firmly in reality. The descriptions of the trainers, their methods, and their idiosyncrasies were as entertaining as the mystery.
I recommend the audiobook version of 'Hell of a Dog'. Dina Pearlman's narration brought the whole thing to life. Click on the YouTube link below to hear a sample.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LmUCKv...
November 6, 2017
One of my favorite series. In this book, Rachel Alexander is hired by a woman who is putting together a conference featuring famous dog trainers, who she knows will be at each other's throats, so she hopes Rachel will help keep things running smoothly. What's most fun about the book is the way the author makes fun of the ferocity with which each trainer advocates for their method. We meet trainers who train with food, with electric shock, with alpha dog domination, and even a pet psychic who will tell you what your dog thinks. But aside from that, the dogs (who all have people names so it's hard to tell the trainers from the dogs and to figure out which dog goes with which trainer) don't have big roles to play in this book. Several murders occur and they all relate to the way the trainers train (the electric-shock trainer is killed by being electrocuted, the food-oriented trainer is killed by a food allergy, etc.). But I did have a hard time believing that the conference organizer wasn't more upset with Rachel for not doing her job. It seemed like the conference would have been shut down after three trainers in a row are killed.
October 8, 2014
This mystery is set at a dog training symposium in New York, with PI Rachel Alexander and her pit bull Dash hired to run security. Each of the featured trainers brings his or her own dog along, so the reader enjoys a feast of dog behaviour and demonstrations of training techniques.
The people are all distinct characters, skilfully drawn so we have no trouble remembering who is whom. There is a dog who, on a hand signal, stealthily makes her way around the room sniffing in everyone's pockets and bags for drugs; a trainer who believes in food rewards even when a dog has brought a ball back and is begging for it to be thrown again; a man who uses a shock collar to discipline his pointer; a Russian called Boris with a big Rottweiler called Sasha. Because of this, the inevitable murder takes something of a back seat, until suddenly three men are dead, all of whom had engaged in romance at the hotel.
Rachel finds ingenious ways to search everyone's room, hoping for a clue as to whether the extra-curricular activities provided someone with a motive. The organiser however is a perky woman who insists that misplaced underwear must be her own, and that people are lonely and need company. Rachel isn't sure what she's gotten into and the presence of her former boyfriend at the symposium doesn't make life easier.
Benjamin must have had tremendous fun putting this carefully constructed story together, and as a dog trainer herself she brings the whole scene to life with staggering ease. By the end we know she is having a laugh, and the contrast with some of her more depressingly located stories couldn't be greater.
The people are all distinct characters, skilfully drawn so we have no trouble remembering who is whom. There is a dog who, on a hand signal, stealthily makes her way around the room sniffing in everyone's pockets and bags for drugs; a trainer who believes in food rewards even when a dog has brought a ball back and is begging for it to be thrown again; a man who uses a shock collar to discipline his pointer; a Russian called Boris with a big Rottweiler called Sasha. Because of this, the inevitable murder takes something of a back seat, until suddenly three men are dead, all of whom had engaged in romance at the hotel.
Rachel finds ingenious ways to search everyone's room, hoping for a clue as to whether the extra-curricular activities provided someone with a motive. The organiser however is a perky woman who insists that misplaced underwear must be her own, and that people are lonely and need company. Rachel isn't sure what she's gotten into and the presence of her former boyfriend at the symposium doesn't make life easier.
Benjamin must have had tremendous fun putting this carefully constructed story together, and as a dog trainer herself she brings the whole scene to life with staggering ease. By the end we know she is having a laugh, and the contrast with some of her more depressingly located stories couldn't be greater.
June 3, 2014
Number three in the Rachel Alexander and Dash mystery series...be sure to read the first two as character development builds.
Rachel and her pit bull Dash are hired to maintain harmony when a group of canine experts gather at a hotel in New York city across from Central Park. Egos run high and arguments accompany every meal. The first death seems like a quirky accident. However Rachel is hyper aware and her suspicions rise when there is an unexplained suicide.
If you like dogs, you'll love this series. They get as much coverage as the dog experts and the villain.
Keep reading, Carol Lea Benjamin gets better with each book. So enjoy.
Rachel and her pit bull Dash are hired to maintain harmony when a group of canine experts gather at a hotel in New York city across from Central Park. Egos run high and arguments accompany every meal. The first death seems like a quirky accident. However Rachel is hyper aware and her suspicions rise when there is an unexplained suicide.
If you like dogs, you'll love this series. They get as much coverage as the dog experts and the villain.
Keep reading, Carol Lea Benjamin gets better with each book. So enjoy.
March 6, 2013
Excellent thriller set at a dog conference with a variety of dog trainers presenting their different methods. Then, they start dying! I found the dog training comparisons interesting but they are really a sideline to the story. Keeps you on your toes. Nice twist at the end.
September 23, 2017
I like this series but it remains 3 stars for me. This third book was too confusing with multiple characters and their dogs who all had normal human names. Chip, Betty, Jeff, Cecelia, Martin. Which are the dogs? Which are the people? By the end I was still having trouble keeping them straight. It also has that disappointing aspect of there being no way to figure out what's really going on until the murderer conveniently confesses everything. Still, somehow, there's enough that I like that I'll continue on, having found the next couple in the series on sale for the Kindle.
April 27, 2018
My least favorite of the four Rachel Alexander and Dash mysteries I've read so far. The plot was a bit weak, there were dog terms I didn't understand (felt like an outsider in a group of dog people), and I often had a hard time figuring out who was speaking during conversations. And Dash played a much smaller part. I really think that Rachel's relationship with Dash is one of the winning attributes of the series and it was missing in this one.
But there must be something about the series because I intend to read another one now.
But there must be something about the series because I intend to read another one now.
July 20, 2017
I can usually finish a book this size in a weekend- this one took me two months because it just wasn't fun to read. Too many human characters with dog-sounding names and dog characters with human-sounding names. Also- would it have been so hard to have included a mixed breed dog? Just one?
April 21, 2023
great writing
And a lot about dogs! Although murder mysteries are considered “genre” writing, Carol Benjamin puts the lie to that. Descriptions, plotting, dialogue, personalities—it’s all there.
And a lot about dogs! Although murder mysteries are considered “genre” writing, Carol Benjamin puts the lie to that. Descriptions, plotting, dialogue, personalities—it’s all there.
March 20, 2018
I am really enjoying this series. This one gives an inside look at the dog training gurus, with some really funny moments despite the murder aspect.
March 17, 2020
The best in the series yet!
January 24, 2021
Not quite as good as first one I read. But still packs an entertaining punch into a short easy read. 3.5 stars.
May 22, 2023
Loved this book! It's what got me back into reading last year!
April 27, 2025
Give me a book with a dog or a cat and I'm happy. This is a mystery with a dog. Thoughtful and good.
May 8, 2019
Rachel Alexander is trainer-turned-detective who solves crimes with her pit-bull, Dashiell. Her job is to find out who is offing dog trainers at the New York symposium. Rachel takes more liberties than many detectives would and there is some suspension of belief but the mystery is fine and the reading is low key. Dogs play a large part in the plot and it brought a novel approach to the story line. I haven't read any of her other novels.
Amazon.com
Who do you call when you're hosting a New York symposium of dog trainers who seem less likely to throw sticks for their charges to fetch than to use them to beat each other to death? The obvious choice is trainer-turned-shamus Rachel Alexander and her pit bull Dashiell (The Dog Who Knew Too Much, 1997, etc.), so symposium organizer Samantha Lewis offers the pair a hefty fee, free room and biscuits at the Ritz, and a couple of panels to provide cover for their snooping activities. And snoop they do. When Alan Cooper, the aversive-therapy guru ofInstant Obedience, is electrocuted in his bathtub, Rachel's response is to pinch crucial evidence from his room (leaving unanswered the question of how the cops could've missed a pair of leopard-print bikinis tangled in the bedclothes). She then tries to pinch a passkey that'll let her into everybody else's digs as well. Amid amusingly unfettered debates about different training techniques (the luminaries Sam has gathered include a grandmotherly BBC veteran, a dog psychic, a couple of foodies, a yank-'em-spank 'em authoritarian, a behaviorist to the stars, and one of Rachel's most desirable ex lovers) casualties continue to mount. The most interesting characters make such early exits that the likely suspects are ciphers. Even if you pass up the mystery, you won't want to miss the dog-eat-dog snapshots of the alphas who attempt to bring man's best friend to heel.
Amazon.com
Who do you call when you're hosting a New York symposium of dog trainers who seem less likely to throw sticks for their charges to fetch than to use them to beat each other to death? The obvious choice is trainer-turned-shamus Rachel Alexander and her pit bull Dashiell (The Dog Who Knew Too Much, 1997, etc.), so symposium organizer Samantha Lewis offers the pair a hefty fee, free room and biscuits at the Ritz, and a couple of panels to provide cover for their snooping activities. And snoop they do. When Alan Cooper, the aversive-therapy guru ofInstant Obedience, is electrocuted in his bathtub, Rachel's response is to pinch crucial evidence from his room (leaving unanswered the question of how the cops could've missed a pair of leopard-print bikinis tangled in the bedclothes). She then tries to pinch a passkey that'll let her into everybody else's digs as well. Amid amusingly unfettered debates about different training techniques (the luminaries Sam has gathered include a grandmotherly BBC veteran, a dog psychic, a couple of foodies, a yank-'em-spank 'em authoritarian, a behaviorist to the stars, and one of Rachel's most desirable ex lovers) casualties continue to mount. The most interesting characters make such early exits that the likely suspects are ciphers. Even if you pass up the mystery, you won't want to miss the dog-eat-dog snapshots of the alphas who attempt to bring man's best friend to heel.
February 5, 2014
"A Hell of a Dog" is my introduction to the works of Carol Lea Benjamin. AHOAD is the 3rd book that features Rachel Alexander and her dog Dashiell. This book is well written and it can be read and enjoyed without reading books one and two. I did not figure out who was responsible for the murders at the dog trainers' seminars before former dog trainer, now private investigator Rachel.
I will be reading more of Carol Lea Benjamin's books.
I will be reading more of Carol Lea Benjamin's books.
August 28, 2015
I read this book because it was discussed on a dog site. This is the site that is for people who train dogs, and I have fantasies of working with cadaver dogs or search and rescue dogs. Anyway, the site is great and this book was OK. I figured out who did it, and didn't really care. High stakes, sort of, but a kind of oh well feeling to it. I might read the first in the series; it won a Shamus (I think).
November 28, 2016
Interesting look at various means of training dogs ... good and bad. Rachel is hired by the organizer of a training symposium to attend and be a presenter. Rachel is a former dog trainer s0 it is "killing" two birds with one stone. There's a lot of bitterness and rivalry between the participants. While the organizer doesn't expect trouble, she would someone on hand -- just in case. And a good thing -- after the third murder things start to fall into place.
October 2, 2011
This book was ok and I did want to know who the murderer was and why, but the building of anticipation just wasn't there. I did like the fact I couldn't guess who the murderer was until I was told. Rachel the dog trainer turned private investigator was hired to a dog training conference to make sure nothing untoward happened. She didn't suceed, but she did find out who did the killing and why.
January 19, 2016
I didn't enjoy the 3rd Rachel and Dash book as much as the other two. It may have been partly due to the fact that I'm sick right now, but mainly because it was more confusing than the other 2. There were too many characters - plus they almost had a dog whose character was discussed as well.
Nonetheless, I look forward to the next book in the series.
Nonetheless, I look forward to the next book in the series.
October 4, 2016
I had a hard time getting into this book, more my problem than the story, distracted by too many other things. The beginning is filled with lots of important information but the last half was a faster read for me and it kept my attention. Will continue with the series.
November 4, 2007
A good whodunnit, brain candy type book, like most dog mysteries. Pretty clean, F word is used a few times, but could recommend to those that want a cleaner type read.
September 30, 2008
This series just keeps getting better. Can't wait for the next one.
April 27, 2009
A light read. Reminded of a few dog training details I had forgotten. Enjoyable due to fact we just adopted a nine year old Sheltie mix. Might recommend to dog guardians.
August 28, 2009
Rachel Alexander #3
November 8, 2012
It was fun for me to read a murder mystery about dog trainers, a novel idea. :-) Mediocre writing, however.
August 26, 2016
DNF just couldn't get into this one.
Read
April 25, 2017This was one h*e*l*l of a good book. Again Dash is my favorite. Really need to teach my Rosie some of the tricks he does.
Borrowed from my public library.
Borrowed from my public library.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 29 reviews