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Barking Detective #1
Dial C For Chihuahua
"I am Pepe. But you can call me el Jefe."
Pepe may have soft white fur, big brown eyes, and mucho attitude--but he's no furry fashion fad. Pepe can talk--even if his new owner, Geri Sullivan, seems to be the only person who can understand him.
When Geri takes on her first assignment for a quirky investigator named Jimmy G and stumbles over a Seattle millionaire's corpse, Pepe proves to be worth his weight in liver treats. Suspicion falls on the not-so-grieving widow, who wants to finance a reality TV show, Dancing With Dogs.
Normally, Pepe wouldn't be caught muerte in a sparkly costume. However, he has to sniff out the real killer and keep Geri safe. Lesser dogs might flinch. But Pepe isn't the kind to turn tail and run. . .
Pepe may have soft white fur, big brown eyes, and mucho attitude--but he's no furry fashion fad. Pepe can talk--even if his new owner, Geri Sullivan, seems to be the only person who can understand him.
When Geri takes on her first assignment for a quirky investigator named Jimmy G and stumbles over a Seattle millionaire's corpse, Pepe proves to be worth his weight in liver treats. Suspicion falls on the not-so-grieving widow, who wants to finance a reality TV show, Dancing With Dogs.
Normally, Pepe wouldn't be caught muerte in a sparkly costume. However, he has to sniff out the real killer and keep Geri safe. Lesser dogs might flinch. But Pepe isn't the kind to turn tail and run. . .
343 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
106 people are currently reading
1154 people want to read
About the author
Waverly Curtis
12 books128 followersWaverly Curtis is the joint byline for the mystery writing team Waverly Fitzgerald and Curt Colbert.
Waverly Fitzgerald is the author of three historical romances under the name Nancy Fitzgerald. She has taught writing classes at the UCLA Writers Program, the University of Washington Extension, and regional conferences. She currently teaches at Richard Hugo House, the literary arts center in Seattle. She lives in Seattle with her daughter, Shaw, and Shaw’s Chihuahua, Pepe.
Curt Colbert is the author of the Jake Rossiter and Miss Jenkins mysteries. A Seattle native, Curt is also a poet and an avid history buff. Curt and his wife, Stephanie, live in a Seattle suburb under the thrall of their cat, Esmeralda.
Waverly Fitzgerald is the author of three historical romances under the name Nancy Fitzgerald. She has taught writing classes at the UCLA Writers Program, the University of Washington Extension, and regional conferences. She currently teaches at Richard Hugo House, the literary arts center in Seattle. She lives in Seattle with her daughter, Shaw, and Shaw’s Chihuahua, Pepe.
Curt Colbert is the author of the Jake Rossiter and Miss Jenkins mysteries. A Seattle native, Curt is also a poet and an avid history buff. Curt and his wife, Stephanie, live in a Seattle suburb under the thrall of their cat, Esmeralda.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 217 reviews
March 5, 2019
Dial C for Chihuahua by Waverly Curtis is the first book in the Barking Detective Mystery series. Geri Sullivan finds that her newly adopted chihuahua Pepe can talk, although she seems to be the only one that can understand him. On her first assignment as a private investigator for Jimmy G, she stumbles across a dead body and when the police accuse her, she and Pepe investigate. I enjoyed this book very much and I loved Pepe. The investigation and mystery was a bit weak but still a lot of fun and very entertaining.
April 5, 2013
This book is somewhat entertaining and not bad if you’re looking for something light, but it does have some believability problems. Oddly enough I’m not referring to the talking Chihuahua. I did after all choose to read a book about a talking dog, so I had to be willing to accept this aspect of the story. Pepe the Chihuahua was actually the most realistic character in the story. His personality was well developed and his reactions to events in the story were reasonable. If a Chihuahua could talk, it would be Pepe. The heroine however, did not show appropriate emotions. I don’t believe in giving away any of the plot, but since it’s a mystery it’s safe to assume there will be a corpse or two. Your average person (she is not really a pi after all) would have some kind of emotion, a bit of revulsion at the very least, but Geri had no more reaction to a murder victim than a hardened homicide detective might. Other aspects of Geri’s personality needed a bit of explaining too, but this is a series so maybe that will come later.
October 16, 2012
I found this book to be a charming fantasy detective novel. The simple fact that this vulnerable young woman, divorced and unable to move easily onwards in her life, desperately needing a paying job, and being advised by counselor and friends to get herself a companion dog, accepts almost without question a rescue Chihuahua that talks, took me easily into the world of fantasy and I found myself loving the tale.
Pepe, the Chihuahua who is delighted having a surname of Sullivan, after Geri Sullivan adopts him, is very much like the commercial of a copyrighted beer, he has done everything. Pepe has been in the Mexican Circus, worked for the Federales, been a pocket-dog for a movie starlet, and more. Pepe has taught himself many languages, so Spanglish is easy for him. Pepe is the real detective, which is why this novel is the debut for 'A Barking Detective Mystery.'
Geri lands a job as a private investigator over the telephone. Having just adopted Pepe, they both go on the case and find a dead body! Pepe, who watches a good deal of crime shows on television, tries to guide his companion but it is hard going.
Meanwhile, the widow wants to train Pepe to join a Dog Dancing with the Owners conceptual reality show. Pepe who has an eye for good-looking Pomeranian lady dogs agrees immediately.
This book was a funny and yes, a fantasy delight to explore. It is not for those that want a strict by the book murder mystery, but it is a murder mystery book. I will be looking for the future novels as I love a good laugh and can afford to leave reality once in awhile.
Pepe, the Chihuahua who is delighted having a surname of Sullivan, after Geri Sullivan adopts him, is very much like the commercial of a copyrighted beer, he has done everything. Pepe has been in the Mexican Circus, worked for the Federales, been a pocket-dog for a movie starlet, and more. Pepe has taught himself many languages, so Spanglish is easy for him. Pepe is the real detective, which is why this novel is the debut for 'A Barking Detective Mystery.'
Geri lands a job as a private investigator over the telephone. Having just adopted Pepe, they both go on the case and find a dead body! Pepe, who watches a good deal of crime shows on television, tries to guide his companion but it is hard going.
Meanwhile, the widow wants to train Pepe to join a Dog Dancing with the Owners conceptual reality show. Pepe who has an eye for good-looking Pomeranian lady dogs agrees immediately.
This book was a funny and yes, a fantasy delight to explore. It is not for those that want a strict by the book murder mystery, but it is a murder mystery book. I will be looking for the future novels as I love a good laugh and can afford to leave reality once in awhile.
July 19, 2019
This book was so much fun! I mean, who doesn't wish that their dog would really talk to them in a normal voice, right? Pepe was so adorable not to mention smart and well-educated. He and his adopted owner Geri set out to be investigators and ended up cracking open not only the murder but another scheme that had been going on. Geri's PI boss Jimmy G cracked me up! It'll be interesting to see if he's in the next book, and if Geri continues dating Felix who she met when Pepe was terrorizing a dog he'd been training. If you want a fun fantasy mystery, this is a great start for this older series!
November 24, 2014
I really wanted to love this book, a cozy mystery featuring a dog as one of the main leads - totally something I could get into. Unfortunately it didn't live up to it's potential. I mean considering this book features a talking Chihuahua I was prepared to forgive/ignore quite a bit in terms of realism. But this book just pushed it too far. I lost count of how many times I sat for a few moments in stunned disbelief (and not in a good way).
The characters were either one dimensional and boring or completely and utterly baffling and unbelievable. Let's start with Geri our main female lead and Pepe's new companion. She is a divorced 32 year old who just adopted Pepe (the dog) at the start of this book. And it is apparent very early on she is not very bright. She gets a job working for a P.I. named Jimmy G (Of course, she doesn't actually go over her job, have proper credentials or get any signed contracts or anything because that would be logical) and on her first case:
'"This must be the murder weapon," I said, picking it up.'
Because, you know the thing to do when you find a murder victim is pick up the murder weapon. Beyond the sheer absurdity of this was the distinct emotional disconnect - she didn't scream or panic or go into shock - she dealt with it like a pro, detached and calm (well up until the whole picking up the murder weapon thing). She does eventually deal with her emotions but it didn't feel right.
Geri is perhaps the stupidest female lead I've seen in a while, and I don't say this lightly. Pepe is her brain. There were times I was convinced she is just a human parrot so that Pepe may communicate with the outside world. I do mean this quite literally - Pepe often told her what questions to ask, and in fact did most of the investigating. We also have Geri taking on cases (including those with a very distinct conflict of interest), despite not being a licensed P.I. or remotely qualified and often times failing (until Pepe saves the day).
And don't get me started on Rebecca (who is amazingly, even more clueless than Geri). This is after all the widow who goes from accusing Geri of murder to inviting her into her home in the span of three pages and then goes on to hire her. There is a whole host of utterly forgettable side characters - including a potential love interest, snobby family members, highly incompetent police (who didn't even take Geri's clothes the first time - evidence), and a villain I couldn't even hate, he was so boring.
The most realistic and interesting characters were Pepe - the talking dog, and Albert the giant (non-talking) cat. This book gets bumped up a star just for them.
I could've enjoyed the book more (even with it's very dim-witted characters because some of them do have their own charm and heart) if the story were better written. There were just things that didn't make sense both major and minor, though it is mostly a lot of little things that kept cropping up that bothered me. The ending was abrupt and left some things unresolved and didn't tie up as well as I would've liked.
Overall it wasn't for me. I'm sure some people will love it, but I'm not one of them. It did have it's moments when it entertained and amused me, but it also had equally (if not more) moments when I shook my head in disbelief. I may give the second book a shot (but only because I already have it).
The characters were either one dimensional and boring or completely and utterly baffling and unbelievable. Let's start with Geri our main female lead and Pepe's new companion. She is a divorced 32 year old who just adopted Pepe (the dog) at the start of this book. And it is apparent very early on she is not very bright. She gets a job working for a P.I. named Jimmy G (Of course, she doesn't actually go over her job, have proper credentials or get any signed contracts or anything because that would be logical) and on her first case:
'"This must be the murder weapon," I said, picking it up.'
Because, you know the thing to do when you find a murder victim is pick up the murder weapon. Beyond the sheer absurdity of this was the distinct emotional disconnect - she didn't scream or panic or go into shock - she dealt with it like a pro, detached and calm (well up until the whole picking up the murder weapon thing). She does eventually deal with her emotions but it didn't feel right.
Geri is perhaps the stupidest female lead I've seen in a while, and I don't say this lightly. Pepe is her brain. There were times I was convinced she is just a human parrot so that Pepe may communicate with the outside world. I do mean this quite literally - Pepe often told her what questions to ask, and in fact did most of the investigating. We also have Geri taking on cases (including those with a very distinct conflict of interest), despite not being a licensed P.I. or remotely qualified and often times failing (until Pepe saves the day).
And don't get me started on Rebecca (who is amazingly, even more clueless than Geri). This is after all the widow who goes from accusing Geri of murder to inviting her into her home in the span of three pages and then goes on to hire her. There is a whole host of utterly forgettable side characters - including a potential love interest, snobby family members, highly incompetent police (who didn't even take Geri's clothes the first time - evidence), and a villain I couldn't even hate, he was so boring.
The most realistic and interesting characters were Pepe - the talking dog, and Albert the giant (non-talking) cat. This book gets bumped up a star just for them.
I could've enjoyed the book more (even with it's very dim-witted characters because some of them do have their own charm and heart) if the story were better written. There were just things that didn't make sense both major and minor, though it is mostly a lot of little things that kept cropping up that bothered me. The ending was abrupt and left some things unresolved and didn't tie up as well as I would've liked.
Overall it wasn't for me. I'm sure some people will love it, but I'm not one of them. It did have it's moments when it entertained and amused me, but it also had equally (if not more) moments when I shook my head in disbelief. I may give the second book a shot (but only because I already have it).
September 4, 2013
I'm not hugely into talking animals. I prefer to my animal heroes to be more realistic in nature. And I'm not a big fan of chihuahuas. So I expected to hate this book, though I love the author. I was more than pleasantly surprised. This book is light-hearted, easy to read, and pleasantly believable for a book with a talking dog. If you like dogs, if you like mysteries, if you like Chihuahuas, if you like Seattle--you'll love this book.
Thanks, Waverly Curtis for such a fun read!
Thanks, Waverly Curtis for such a fun read!
December 8, 2022
A budding PI who owns a talking chihuahua.
Geri Sullivan has been divorced by her husband. She finds new love at the dog pound.
Together with Pepe, her talking Mexican chihuahua, she solves a murder.
I was drawn to this book because my little buddy is a chihuahua. My Bella is smart but no talker.
😉🐕
3 stars
Geri Sullivan has been divorced by her husband. She finds new love at the dog pound.
Together with Pepe, her talking Mexican chihuahua, she solves a murder.
I was drawn to this book because my little buddy is a chihuahua. My Bella is smart but no talker.
😉🐕
3 stars
January 27, 2018
A fun, fast-paced mystery.
Ok, I admit it. I almost didn’t read this book. Dogs aren’t really my thing, and I’m not particularly fond of my neighbor’s chihuahuas. But someone suggested I really must read it — and besides, big admission, I know Waverly Curtis (or rather the two authors who combine to be this pseudonym). And so I read it.
And I *loved* it. The book is fast-paced. Geri Sullivan is desperately seeking a job and finds herself at the Gerrard Agency applying to be a private investigator — or perhaps a Girl Friday. She also has a brand new, to her, canine companion Pepe, and they are all about learning each others’ needs. It turns out they are a natural pair, and their communication — Geri understands every word he says, though nobody else does — feels natural and comes off hilarious in all the right moments. Add to that a dead body and a twisted net of connections between characters. I was hooked. I am hooked.
It doesn’t hurt that this book is set in Seattle, picking up nuances of neighborhoods I have walked through all my life. While the descriptions of streets, parks, and other landmarks are brief, they made me feel the essence and tensions inherent in each. (One caveat — the reader of the audiobook pronounces names of parks, neighborhoods, and lakes just wrong enough to know she isn’t from here; for locals, I strongly recommend reading rather than listening.)
I look forward to reading more about the adventures of Geri and Pepe — Sullivan and Sullivan.
Ok, I admit it. I almost didn’t read this book. Dogs aren’t really my thing, and I’m not particularly fond of my neighbor’s chihuahuas. But someone suggested I really must read it — and besides, big admission, I know Waverly Curtis (or rather the two authors who combine to be this pseudonym). And so I read it.
And I *loved* it. The book is fast-paced. Geri Sullivan is desperately seeking a job and finds herself at the Gerrard Agency applying to be a private investigator — or perhaps a Girl Friday. She also has a brand new, to her, canine companion Pepe, and they are all about learning each others’ needs. It turns out they are a natural pair, and their communication — Geri understands every word he says, though nobody else does — feels natural and comes off hilarious in all the right moments. Add to that a dead body and a twisted net of connections between characters. I was hooked. I am hooked.
It doesn’t hurt that this book is set in Seattle, picking up nuances of neighborhoods I have walked through all my life. While the descriptions of streets, parks, and other landmarks are brief, they made me feel the essence and tensions inherent in each. (One caveat — the reader of the audiobook pronounces names of parks, neighborhoods, and lakes just wrong enough to know she isn’t from here; for locals, I strongly recommend reading rather than listening.)
I look forward to reading more about the adventures of Geri and Pepe — Sullivan and Sullivan.
October 16, 2012
It is not safe for Pepe the Chihuahua to be around los ninos (children) because they love him too much -- which is understandable! Pepe is a cutie getting into trouble hiding evidence in the cat litter and dialing the phone, all while helping his owner, Geri, investigate crimes. This book is a charmer!
April 26, 2017
I have waited too long to start this series. Geri Sullivan has decided to adopt a pet. She adopts a Chihuahua named Pepe, who she is able to talk to. Geri takes Pepe on her first assignment for a PI job and finds a dead body. The police think Geri had something to do with the crime. With Pepe's help, Geri finds clues and starts to investigate.
I loved Pepe so much. He has so much personality and the banter between him and Geri had me laughing. I loved hearing his stories of previous owners and how he got his knowledge of crime scenes. I can't wait to continue with this series.
I loved Pepe so much. He has so much personality and the banter between him and Geri had me laughing. I loved hearing his stories of previous owners and how he got his knowledge of crime scenes. I can't wait to continue with this series.
March 26, 2013
I am on page 3 and am giving it 4 stars. You had me at "de nada". Now lets see if it can live up to my premature enjoymentation.
ok all finished a couple days later and I have some observations but not changing my rating. It is an awesome cute fun book!
a) it was well edited for a Kindle book, it had very few spelling/grammar blips.
b) I was so hoping for an epilogue or a little "after" bit.
c) Felix was unexpected. I still found him artificial. What i was hoping for was some cop action instead. Or maybe ive come to expect that from these quirky mysteries.
(and awwww, the Caprice moment in the preview of the next book, how hearbreaking. ..)
Oh I got this book for free on Amazon and highly reccommend the Top 100 free list, the free Kindle app, and freebooksy (google it) for bringing my attention to books I dont normally pick up. Thanks to the author for making this selection available for free for a while.
ok all finished a couple days later and I have some observations but not changing my rating. It is an awesome cute fun book!
a) it was well edited for a Kindle book, it had very few spelling/grammar blips.
b) I was so hoping for an epilogue or a little "after" bit.
c) Felix was unexpected. I still found him artificial. What i was hoping for was some cop action instead. Or maybe ive come to expect that from these quirky mysteries.
(and awwww, the Caprice moment in the preview of the next book, how hearbreaking. ..)
Oh I got this book for free on Amazon and highly reccommend the Top 100 free list, the free Kindle app, and freebooksy (google it) for bringing my attention to books I dont normally pick up. Thanks to the author for making this selection available for free for a while.
January 23, 2014
I bought this in an airport because I like chihuahuas. It was a fast read, but a number of elements left me cold, particularly the protagonist-centred morality, and the ethnic stereotyping used for the dog. Tighter editing was needed in places, particularly when the protagonist and the dog were conversing while another person was in the room; several times the dog’s dialogue had bearing on the responses or actions of someone who couldn’t understand him, and that broke the suspension of disbelief for me. Equally, characterisation seemed inconsistent and thin, even in main characters. There were definitely cute moments, but overall this was not a winner for me.
December 12, 2014
Since I have a Chihuahua that looks like Pepe, it is easy for me to personalize his actions. Pepe's human, Geri is able to hear him talk and together they have taken on solving murders. I love the characters in this series and it is fun, fun, fun to read. This is becoming one of my favorite series.
April 19, 2015
Absolute nonsense, and I loved every second of it! A talking Chihuahua with a colorful past finds a new home and a new career. I'm reading the follow-up, CHIHUAHUA CONFIDENTIAL, right now.
January 28, 2023
2.5 stars rounded down because so many things annoyed me
These are my ramblings—please forgive any auto-correct issues.
The good stuff first: it was entertaining enough despite all the problems that I read it in literally one sitting. I didn’t even get up to eat or use the bathroom. the dog is pretty funny with his ridiculous stories and opinions although him being actually Mexican is trite. As a dog he’s believable. I also mostly like the MC’s sense of style for clothing. And the hiding place she had for evidence was brilliant. There was also at least one really funny line because it’s apparently true:
“Did you know that chihuahuas have the highest brain to body ratio of any dog breed?”
I also agree that using “bitch” pejoratively is a gross offense to dogs everywhere.
The MC Geri is an idiot. The dog is way smarter then she is. She’s emotionless until at one point she cried on the shoulder of her live interest out of the blue. She makes one comment about how weird that her chihuahua is talking to her and then later says, “this is too much,” which doesn’t even remotely cover it and sounds antiquated anyway. She never brings it up again.
(Since it’s a new dog, maybe she hasn’t had a dog before, so I’ll forgive her for feeding him only canned Alpo. And for thinking it weird someone to take their dog if they went away for a week.)
When she finds the body, it’s face down if she can tell there’s writing on his t-shirt that can’t be read because it’s “mottled in brown stains.” Not blood necessarily but brown stains. Face down. In a pool of blood that’s been described as red. So many things wrong there… There are so many things like that in the book: standing in line when something happens then immediately grabbing her shopping bag and running outside. Pushing the dog down I her purse then a woman putting him down.
oh and the police are shocked a dog has been there even though she had already mentioned the dog leaving a trail of bloody footprints.
Dogs are not colorblind. They are red green colorblind but can still see color.
She was doing so well with Seattle info, really great working in Seattle neighborhoods and colloquialisns like “u-dub” for the university of Washington, and “the Ave” for university way but then there are misses like she said the u district was deserted on Easter Sunday. It’s never deserted. Most stores are open on Easter in Seattle—we are not a religious city. Easter is a weekend for sales. (Except for the evil Hobby Lobby which is closed every Sunday.)And there are tenants above the stores who need to park.
then she took the freeway from Laurelhurst to Greenlake. The freeway is practically in the opposite direction! You’d take 25th to 65th and head on through. The freeway would take longer and it would only be one exit. There isn’t a Greenlake exit. It’s 65th or 80th depending on which way you’re going. And the floating bridge doesn’t just seem to float, it does float hence the name. It’s as if she did a lot of research on Seattle, maybe visited, but never lived here. But that’s okay, she really tried. Reading h err acknowledgements at the end, I do think she lives in the Seattle area just maybe a fairly recent transplant.
Why does she think it’s weird that someone immediately got rid of the rug stained with her murdered husbands blood instead of just closing the door? I’ve been in a similar situation and as soon as the police are done you need to call in hazardous waste cleaners. For us they had to remove part of the floor and it had only been a few hours. It was my bedroom and even though the stain was gone, I couldn’t sleep in there for weeks. I can’t imagine how I would have felt if the blood stayed there.
Her best friend is a gay man—a LGBTQIA character!—but Oh my god he’s a stereotype and barely in the book.
I’m not even going to go into the holes in her investigation or that the police tell her everything they know while interrogating her.
The ending is very abrupt. I was shocked.
These are my ramblings—please forgive any auto-correct issues.
The good stuff first: it was entertaining enough despite all the problems that I read it in literally one sitting. I didn’t even get up to eat or use the bathroom. the dog is pretty funny with his ridiculous stories and opinions although him being actually Mexican is trite. As a dog he’s believable. I also mostly like the MC’s sense of style for clothing. And the hiding place she had for evidence was brilliant. There was also at least one really funny line because it’s apparently true:
“Did you know that chihuahuas have the highest brain to body ratio of any dog breed?”
I also agree that using “bitch” pejoratively is a gross offense to dogs everywhere.
The MC Geri is an idiot. The dog is way smarter then she is. She’s emotionless until at one point she cried on the shoulder of her live interest out of the blue. She makes one comment about how weird that her chihuahua is talking to her and then later says, “this is too much,” which doesn’t even remotely cover it and sounds antiquated anyway. She never brings it up again.
(Since it’s a new dog, maybe she hasn’t had a dog before, so I’ll forgive her for feeding him only canned Alpo. And for thinking it weird someone to take their dog if they went away for a week.)
When she finds the body, it’s face down if she can tell there’s writing on his t-shirt that can’t be read because it’s “mottled in brown stains.” Not blood necessarily but brown stains. Face down. In a pool of blood that’s been described as red. So many things wrong there… There are so many things like that in the book: standing in line when something happens then immediately grabbing her shopping bag and running outside. Pushing the dog down I her purse then a woman putting him down.
oh and the police are shocked a dog has been there even though she had already mentioned the dog leaving a trail of bloody footprints.
Dogs are not colorblind. They are red green colorblind but can still see color.
She was doing so well with Seattle info, really great working in Seattle neighborhoods and colloquialisns like “u-dub” for the university of Washington, and “the Ave” for university way but then there are misses like she said the u district was deserted on Easter Sunday. It’s never deserted. Most stores are open on Easter in Seattle—we are not a religious city. Easter is a weekend for sales. (Except for the evil Hobby Lobby which is closed every Sunday.)And there are tenants above the stores who need to park.
then she took the freeway from Laurelhurst to Greenlake. The freeway is practically in the opposite direction! You’d take 25th to 65th and head on through. The freeway would take longer and it would only be one exit. There isn’t a Greenlake exit. It’s 65th or 80th depending on which way you’re going. And the floating bridge doesn’t just seem to float, it does float hence the name. It’s as if she did a lot of research on Seattle, maybe visited, but never lived here. But that’s okay, she really tried. Reading h err acknowledgements at the end, I do think she lives in the Seattle area just maybe a fairly recent transplant.
Why does she think it’s weird that someone immediately got rid of the rug stained with her murdered husbands blood instead of just closing the door? I’ve been in a similar situation and as soon as the police are done you need to call in hazardous waste cleaners. For us they had to remove part of the floor and it had only been a few hours. It was my bedroom and even though the stain was gone, I couldn’t sleep in there for weeks. I can’t imagine how I would have felt if the blood stayed there.
Her best friend is a gay man—a LGBTQIA character!—but Oh my god he’s a stereotype and barely in the book.
I’m not even going to go into the holes in her investigation or that the police tell her everything they know while interrogating her.
The ending is very abrupt. I was shocked.
August 5, 2024
When Geri Sullivan adopts a chihuahua from the shelter, she doesn't realize she can understand what he's saying until she gets him home. This causes no end of misunderstandings, for although he can certainly understand her, that doesn't mean Pepe will listen. Geri's work as an interior decorator isn't going well, so she takes a job as a private investigator, which pretty quickly lands her as the prime suspect in a murder. But fortunately, with Pepe's superior nose and overconfidence, she might be able to unmask the real killer before it's too late.
Some cozy mysteries are sweet. Others are frightening. Still others are a little too ridiculous. This one has a nice balance of all three, and it's clear that the author(s) have experience with chihuahuas. There might be too many personalities in this book, but it's certainly unforgettable. I'm looking forward to book 2!
Some cozy mysteries are sweet. Others are frightening. Still others are a little too ridiculous. This one has a nice balance of all three, and it's clear that the author(s) have experience with chihuahuas. There might be too many personalities in this book, but it's certainly unforgettable. I'm looking forward to book 2!
June 30, 2019
Genius concept. The novella excerpts stood out for my friends, but it's hard to fall under Pepe's spell. This book is charming, light-hearted, and full of blood.
March 16, 2020
This had me chuckling. Loved the sassy dog. A lovely easy read with fun characters.
January 8, 2018
Geri has rescued a soft white furred, big brown eyed chihuahua who has a few special talents. The first is his ability to talk! At least Geri can understand what he is saying. He also has an incredible life story...according to Pepe himself.
Geri also has to find a job that will help increase her income. Staging interiors for homes for sale is just not bringing in the funds. She applies and is immediately hired as a PI. Doesn't matter that she has no background or training, Jimmy G thinks she will be just fine.
With Pepe at her side, she arrives at her first case and finds a dead body. It doesn't make matters any better when she contaminates the scene by being found by the arriving police holding the murder weapon in her hand and there are paw prints from Pepe.
Her second case is a down-right dirty dog deal. Again, Pepe is there to assist.
Smart talking, tall tale telling Pepe and Geri keep it light but with fast action. There is no slow down in the action and the dialogue.
A fun and fast read, it is the first in the series. I think I will keep my eye out for a few more books.
Geri also has to find a job that will help increase her income. Staging interiors for homes for sale is just not bringing in the funds. She applies and is immediately hired as a PI. Doesn't matter that she has no background or training, Jimmy G thinks she will be just fine.
With Pepe at her side, she arrives at her first case and finds a dead body. It doesn't make matters any better when she contaminates the scene by being found by the arriving police holding the murder weapon in her hand and there are paw prints from Pepe.
Her second case is a down-right dirty dog deal. Again, Pepe is there to assist.
Smart talking, tall tale telling Pepe and Geri keep it light but with fast action. There is no slow down in the action and the dialogue.
A fun and fast read, it is the first in the series. I think I will keep my eye out for a few more books.
February 3, 2013
This is the first of a new series. It is a pretty standard cozy mystery with the typical curly-haired female with money trouble as the lead who finds herself investigating a murder she ends up being accused of. The twist in this series is that she has a partner and that partner happens to be a talking chihuahua. It felt to me that too much of the book focused on the fact the dog talked. The murder seemed to come secondary to the story. It wasn't too difficult to figure out who the murderer was, but the authors did a decent job of redirecting your attention a few times. I think I will give the second book a chance when it comes out to see if the focus becomes more about the murder/crime or if it stays on the "this dog can talk isn't that amazing" track.
September 7, 2017
I couldn't deal with the chihuahua relying on ethnic stereotypes or the "gay best friend" who has no role except to be the sounding board for the female character. Stop relying upon stereotypes as the framework for your characters' personalities and identities.
Also, the author calls the chihuahua a "therapy dog" (but means it is a service dog) and claims it is covered by the ADA in order to get into locations. As someone with an actual service dog it is frustrating when people take fake service dogs and bring them places. Advocating this, even in a fantasy, makes it worse for actual service dog handlers who deal with constant questions and frustrating situations because of these types of fakes in real life.
In summary: this book is worth ignoring even if you get a free copy.
Also, the author calls the chihuahua a "therapy dog" (but means it is a service dog) and claims it is covered by the ADA in order to get into locations. As someone with an actual service dog it is frustrating when people take fake service dogs and bring them places. Advocating this, even in a fantasy, makes it worse for actual service dog handlers who deal with constant questions and frustrating situations because of these types of fakes in real life.
In summary: this book is worth ignoring even if you get a free copy.
October 25, 2019
I loved this book.
What could be more delightful than a little, shivering, tough talking (yes! he speaks fluent English & Spanish) private investigating Chihuahua detective dick that is carried around in his owners handbag?
And don’t even think about dressing him up with silly costumes. How undignified!
And to think he must tolerate Albert, his owner’s curtain shredding orange tabby cat!
All of that aside, Pepe can hunt and rescue evidence in the smallest of places.
“Readers will sit up and beg for more.”
Not a bad mystery either 😉
What could be more delightful than a little, shivering, tough talking (yes! he speaks fluent English & Spanish) private investigating Chihuahua detective dick that is carried around in his owners handbag?
And don’t even think about dressing him up with silly costumes. How undignified!
And to think he must tolerate Albert, his owner’s curtain shredding orange tabby cat!
All of that aside, Pepe can hunt and rescue evidence in the smallest of places.
“Readers will sit up and beg for more.”
Not a bad mystery either 😉
September 5, 2015
First in a new series. Pepe is the star, a cute little talking chihuahua. But he only talks to his new owner, Geri Sullivan. Together they establish a detective agency. Mystery was fun, book had humor. Would read the rest of the series if I come across but there's so much out there to read instead! Cute.
March 17, 2013
I really liked the colorful characters.. Pepe is adorable and hilarious! He has all kinds of crazy stories about his past,and gets into funny situations. However, the mystery was easy to solve and the book wasn't very suspenseful.
Can't wait for the next one!
Can't wait for the next one!
March 28, 2013
I was concerned that the story would wind up cheesy because of the talking dog, but Pepe quickly grew on me. This was a fun, fast read.
dnf
June 9, 2014It was cute for a couple of chapters but I didn't think the humor was going to hold me for the rest of the book. No rating since I didn't finish.
July 31, 2018
Outstanding
This was a great book. It kept you on the edge of the seat. Definitely for upper middle school kids.
This was a great book. It kept you on the edge of the seat. Definitely for upper middle school kids.
August 18, 2018
Here’s another new (to me, anyway) cozy mystery series by Waverly Curtis: The Barking Detective. Yep, another dog detective, and this one is a talking chihuahua. In the first installment, Dial C For Chihuahua, down on her luck recent divorcee Geri Sullivan adopts a chihuahua, part of a shipment of tiny dogs from Los Angeles, where the fad for purse pups has apparently run its course.
Imagine Geri’s surprise when little Pepe starts talking to her—and she understands every word. Well, nearly every word—her Spanish isn’t that great, so Pepe switches, mostly, to English. Geri has bigger things to worry about than possible sanity questions. She’s almost out of money, desperate enough to apply for a job with a private detective of questionable repute. In between recounting wild stories of his previous careers (as a search and rescue dog, a bull fighter, a circus performer, and a starlet’s pet, the last one possibly true), Pepe proves to be a surprising asset in the detecting business.
Given the ridiculous premise, Waverly Curtis (actually a two-person writing team) did a dog-gone good job of pulling me into the story. Pepe is such a charmer, dragging Geri into one loony situation after another (not to mention his swaggering interactions with other dogs), that I’ll be following his further adventures.
Imagine Geri’s surprise when little Pepe starts talking to her—and she understands every word. Well, nearly every word—her Spanish isn’t that great, so Pepe switches, mostly, to English. Geri has bigger things to worry about than possible sanity questions. She’s almost out of money, desperate enough to apply for a job with a private detective of questionable repute. In between recounting wild stories of his previous careers (as a search and rescue dog, a bull fighter, a circus performer, and a starlet’s pet, the last one possibly true), Pepe proves to be a surprising asset in the detecting business.
Given the ridiculous premise, Waverly Curtis (actually a two-person writing team) did a dog-gone good job of pulling me into the story. Pepe is such a charmer, dragging Geri into one loony situation after another (not to mention his swaggering interactions with other dogs), that I’ll be following his further adventures.
March 3, 2019
The first in the Barking Detective series and this is where Geri Sullivan and Pepe - the talking chihuahua - adopt each other as well as starting work as private investigators.
Their new boss - Jimmy G - is a bad imitation of Bogart's Sam Spade. So cliched, he is funny, chauvinistic and aggravating all at the same time.
Geri's first case has our duo literally stumble over the corpse of a millionaire even as his wife is returning from Hollywood talks with producers of her prospective show: Dancing with Dogs. We have the spouse, the housekeeper, groundskeeper, lawyer, jimmy G's investment brother and his secretary, Geri's ex-husband and new significant other as well as a couple male fiends of Geri's - one who is brand new. So there are lots of options on who the murderer could be and the prospective suspect changed so many times.
A fun and fluffy read especially Pepe relating his numerous jobs and experiences over his short life. There is only one sad part which is when Pepe and the actress Caprice meet - supposedly his former owner. Caprice doesn't recognize him and rejects the small chihuahua. The devastation is heart-rending.
2019-034
Their new boss - Jimmy G - is a bad imitation of Bogart's Sam Spade. So cliched, he is funny, chauvinistic and aggravating all at the same time.
Geri's first case has our duo literally stumble over the corpse of a millionaire even as his wife is returning from Hollywood talks with producers of her prospective show: Dancing with Dogs. We have the spouse, the housekeeper, groundskeeper, lawyer, jimmy G's investment brother and his secretary, Geri's ex-husband and new significant other as well as a couple male fiends of Geri's - one who is brand new. So there are lots of options on who the murderer could be and the prospective suspect changed so many times.
A fun and fluffy read especially Pepe relating his numerous jobs and experiences over his short life. There is only one sad part which is when Pepe and the actress Caprice meet - supposedly his former owner. Caprice doesn't recognize him and rejects the small chihuahua. The devastation is heart-rending.
2019-034
July 1, 2017
Dial C for Chihuahua by Waverly Curtis is a laugh-out-loud mystery. A cozy mystery that pulls readers into the book. I was hooked. Intriguing from the first page to the last. I can't remember laughing so much....Pepe is the dog to go to for solving mysteries. He's a Chihuahua that while tiny is a brilliant companion for his human, Geri. Geri is dumped by her husband who already has another woman in his life. Her original job as a stager is coming to an end. She needs another job fast. She finds Pepe in a shelter and takes him home with her. From there, she finds he can talk. But only she can hear him. To everyone else, he's just another dog barking. Pepe is funny, cute, and all male. He makes this tale sweet, engaging, and exciting. I love animals. Dial C for Chihuahua is indeed a perfect cozy mystery. Danger, risks, and murder inside...
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