Let Sleeping Dogs Die

Simon Bognor #4

by Tim Heald

Heald's first non-fiction book ("It's a dog's Life" - see non-fiction) was a study of the bizarre relationship between the British and their dogs. This is the fictional spin-off in which Simon Bognor finds himself investigating the death of a champion poodle and much else besides.

Genres: Mystery

190 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Tim Heald (b. 1944) is a journalist and author of mysteries. Born in Dorchester, England, he studied modern history at Oxford before becoming a reporter and columnist for the Sunday Times. He began writing novels in the early 1970s, starting with Unbecoming Habits (1973), which introduced Simon Bognor, a defiantly lazy investigator for the British Board of Trade. Heald followed Bognor through nine more novels, including Murder at Moose Jaw (1981) and Business Unusual (1989) before taking a two-decade break from the series, which returned in 2011 with Death in the Opening Chapter.

Reviews

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is fun and a quick read, but Heald is a bit formulaic and the plot, despite a few effective surprises, is a bit ho-hum. It's a fairly effective send-up of the dog show field, though not nearly as memorable as the movie "Best in Show" (2000) which starred Eugene Levy and should not be missed.

We have here an almost uniformly unappealing set of seedy, ragged or sleazy characters, mostly pretty well-drawn. A high point is the name of the characters (Coriander, Percy, Cecil, Edgar) and especially the dogs ("Tiresome Terrapin" is the winner in that respect).

Bognor is his usual muddled and impetuous self, though he is actually more competent than the book claims he is. As usual, you see him taking risks you know will not pan out. His relationship with Monica, his long-time live-in girlfriend, is a bit warmer this time out.

A diverting read, but not a consequential one in any way.

[Belinda Avdek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Simon Bognor book. Interesting book on dog smuggling and as usual, colorful characters but a very abrupt ending. He’s not a real successful investigator but a darn lucky one.