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Golden Retriever Mystery #5
Whom Dog Hath Joined
Reformed computer hacker Steve Levitan still gets a thrill from snooping into places online where he shouldn’t be. When his golden retriever Rochester discovers a human bone at the Friends Meeting during the Harvest Days festival, these two unlikely sleuths are plunged into another investigation. They will uncover uncomfortable secrets about their small town’s past as they dig deep into the Vietnam War era, when local Quakers helped draft resisters move through Stewart’s Crossing on their way to Canada. Does that bone Rochester found belong to one of those young men fleeing conscription? Or to someone who knew the secrets that lurked behind those whitewashed walls? Steve’s got other problems, too. His girlfriend Lili wants to move in with him, and his matchmaking efforts among his friends all seem to be going haywire. Whether the death was due to natural causes, or murder, someone in the present wants to keep those secrets hidden. And Steve and Rochester may end up in the crosshairs of a very antique rifle if they can’t dig up the clues quickly enough.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 9, 2014
457 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
About the author
Neil S. Plakcy
244 books651 followersI have been a voracious reader all my life, mostly in mystery, romance, and science fiction/fantasy, though a college degree in English did push a lot of literary works into my list of favorites.
Quick note: sign up for my newsletter at plakcy.substack.com to get free prologues, epilogues and short stories.
I began writing seriously in high school after an inspiring assignment with A Separate Peace by John Knowles. I didn't know I was gay then, but I knew I was longing for an emotional connection with a best friend. That desire shows up across my writing, from romance to mystery to adventure. I am lucky to have found my special person, and I want to inspire readers to make those connections, to one person or a found family.
It took getting an MFA in creative writing to kick-start my career. That's where I honed my technical skills and began to understand what kind of storyteller I am.
I remember reading Freddie the Detective about a very smart pig inspired by Sherlock Holmes. I’ve always believed that dogs make the best detectives. They notice what humans miss — a faint scent, a subtle shift in body language, the hidden treat in your pocket. That belief inspired my Golden Retriever Mysteries, where Rochester helps his human, Steve Levitan, nose out the truth.
My passion is telling stories where community, loyalty, and sometimes love solve problems just as much as clues do. Whether it’s a cozy mystery in Bucks County, a thriller on the streets of Miami, or a romance unfolding under the Mediterranean sun, I want readers to feel the heartbeat of the place and the people.
I write because stories helped me feel less alone growing up, and now I want to give readers that same feeling: a companion, a puzzle, and maybe a laugh.
When I’m not writing, I’m probably walking one of my own goldens, teaching writing, or daydreaming about my next story.
Since then I've written dozens of books, won a couple of treasured awards, and enjoyed the support of readers.
Every place I’ve lived has made its way into my fiction: the rolling hills of Bucks County, the neon heat of Miami, the beaches of Hawaii, the cobbled streets of Europe. I love exploring how communities work — from a café where dogs guide healing, to a fraternity house in South Beach, to a police unit in Honolulu.
My goal is simple: to write stories that feel grounded in real people and real places, but with enough twists, romance, or danger to keep you turning pages late into the night.
I hope you'll visit my website, where you can sign up for my occasional newsletter, and also follow my author page on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/neil.plakcy.
Quick note: sign up for my newsletter at plakcy.substack.com to get free prologues, epilogues and short stories.
I began writing seriously in high school after an inspiring assignment with A Separate Peace by John Knowles. I didn't know I was gay then, but I knew I was longing for an emotional connection with a best friend. That desire shows up across my writing, from romance to mystery to adventure. I am lucky to have found my special person, and I want to inspire readers to make those connections, to one person or a found family.
It took getting an MFA in creative writing to kick-start my career. That's where I honed my technical skills and began to understand what kind of storyteller I am.
I remember reading Freddie the Detective about a very smart pig inspired by Sherlock Holmes. I’ve always believed that dogs make the best detectives. They notice what humans miss — a faint scent, a subtle shift in body language, the hidden treat in your pocket. That belief inspired my Golden Retriever Mysteries, where Rochester helps his human, Steve Levitan, nose out the truth.
My passion is telling stories where community, loyalty, and sometimes love solve problems just as much as clues do. Whether it’s a cozy mystery in Bucks County, a thriller on the streets of Miami, or a romance unfolding under the Mediterranean sun, I want readers to feel the heartbeat of the place and the people.
I write because stories helped me feel less alone growing up, and now I want to give readers that same feeling: a companion, a puzzle, and maybe a laugh.
When I’m not writing, I’m probably walking one of my own goldens, teaching writing, or daydreaming about my next story.
Since then I've written dozens of books, won a couple of treasured awards, and enjoyed the support of readers.
Every place I’ve lived has made its way into my fiction: the rolling hills of Bucks County, the neon heat of Miami, the beaches of Hawaii, the cobbled streets of Europe. I love exploring how communities work — from a café where dogs guide healing, to a fraternity house in South Beach, to a police unit in Honolulu.
My goal is simple: to write stories that feel grounded in real people and real places, but with enough twists, romance, or danger to keep you turning pages late into the night.
I hope you'll visit my website, where you can sign up for my occasional newsletter, and also follow my author page on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/neil.plakcy.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
March 14, 2017
Rochester is at it, again At a Quaker Fund Raiser, he finds a tennis shoe attached to a bone. Rick begins to call Rochester a Death Dog. Steve wanting to help Rick finds information on the shoe that dates it back to the 1960's. The Friends were running an underground network helping draft dodgers reach Canada. There is a lot of information about the Quaker way. Steve must decide if he wants Lil to move in with him. He plays matchmaker and intro Rick to Hannah and her son. He works to convince Mick to give Joey a chance. Who is the dead boy? Steve looks for an answer, was an accident or murder? I recommend this book and series.
July 6, 2021
Excellent book
There is a 40 year old murder to solve and to solve it without hacking. It is fun to watch the characters evolve…Rick and Steve growing into themselves. New relationships new characters
There is a 40 year old murder to solve and to solve it without hacking. It is fun to watch the characters evolve…Rick and Steve growing into themselves. New relationships new characters
September 29, 2019
Great action story
Loved the way the main character Steve realizes that you have to be honest to yourself if you want to be happy with your life.
Learned a lot of history about the people who lived in this part of Pennsylvania.
Hope that the author continues to write more stories.
Loved the way the main character Steve realizes that you have to be honest to yourself if you want to be happy with your life.
Learned a lot of history about the people who lived in this part of Pennsylvania.
Hope that the author continues to write more stories.
August 14, 2021
Critique
Make up your mind whether the gun is a rifle or shotgun and don’t refer to as a rifle when it is a shotgun
Make up your mind whether the gun is a rifle or shotgun and don’t refer to as a rifle when it is a shotgun
November 7, 2021
This is the fifth book I've read in this series, all within the past week or so, and is probably the last I'll read for a while. I suspect that, although I enjoy the series, it could become like Evanovich's Stephanie Plum -- too much for too long. I can in this plan come back in six months or so to read another few.
I've loved this series, with the exception of a *glaring* error that, given my background, overshadows so much of the good of this series. Steve Levitan is a fantastic character: he is always willing to learn; he has a genuine concern for those around him, even if they're strangers; he is intelligent and caring. His friend Rick is also an all-round good guy. Their interactions play well.
The glaring error is that Plakcy, and by extension Steve and Rick, hasn't done his homework. His firearm and his felony knowledge isn't researched, and it causes a HUGE plot hole.
Steve is a felon. He's done time in prison, and is out on parole. Felons *cannot* vote or own firearms or use firearms without a legal proceeding restoring their rights. I can see (book 1) where ignoring the presence of the pistol but eventually turning it over to a friend could be overlooked in the big scheme of things, though Rick could rightly have sent Steve back to prison at the time. That would end the series at one book, though.
When Steve completes parole, he is still legally a felon. Without the court order, he may not vote or own a firearm. Legally, he's a prohibited person. The fact Rick nonchalantly takes Steve to the gun range, and with no documentation at all returns his pistol, is ludicrous. Even the rookiest of police know better. While a friend/cop might hold the gun, s/he WILL NOT return it without a court order. Nor will s/he take a felon to a shooting range. The nature of the felony is irrelevant under the law.
Further, Steve's actions to place the gun in a messenger bag (carrying concealed without a permit) is not legal in Pennsylvania. And *most* colleges and universities prohibit carry on campus; Eastern may be a great school, but unless it's a Liberty University, it's more likely than not to have an enforceable prohibition written into its policies.
When Steve is shot, Rick drops into a shooting stance to try to imagine ballistic trajectory. Then the discharged firearm turns out to be a shotgun. Nope. Nope. Nope. Shotguns and pistols sound *very* different, and use different shooting stances. This entire plot line reeks of ignorance.
It's a shame, because the series is fantastic! Love the names, including in this volume Vera Lee Isay and Juan Tanamera.
I've loved this series, with the exception of a *glaring* error that, given my background, overshadows so much of the good of this series. Steve Levitan is a fantastic character: he is always willing to learn; he has a genuine concern for those around him, even if they're strangers; he is intelligent and caring. His friend Rick is also an all-round good guy. Their interactions play well.
The glaring error is that Plakcy, and by extension Steve and Rick, hasn't done his homework. His firearm and his felony knowledge isn't researched, and it causes a HUGE plot hole.
Steve is a felon. He's done time in prison, and is out on parole. Felons *cannot* vote or own firearms or use firearms without a legal proceeding restoring their rights. I can see (book 1) where ignoring the presence of the pistol but eventually turning it over to a friend could be overlooked in the big scheme of things, though Rick could rightly have sent Steve back to prison at the time. That would end the series at one book, though.
When Steve completes parole, he is still legally a felon. Without the court order, he may not vote or own a firearm. Legally, he's a prohibited person. The fact Rick nonchalantly takes Steve to the gun range, and with no documentation at all returns his pistol, is ludicrous. Even the rookiest of police know better. While a friend/cop might hold the gun, s/he WILL NOT return it without a court order. Nor will s/he take a felon to a shooting range. The nature of the felony is irrelevant under the law.
Further, Steve's actions to place the gun in a messenger bag (carrying concealed without a permit) is not legal in Pennsylvania. And *most* colleges and universities prohibit carry on campus; Eastern may be a great school, but unless it's a Liberty University, it's more likely than not to have an enforceable prohibition written into its policies.
When Steve is shot, Rick drops into a shooting stance to try to imagine ballistic trajectory. Then the discharged firearm turns out to be a shotgun. Nope. Nope. Nope. Shotguns and pistols sound *very* different, and use different shooting stances. This entire plot line reeks of ignorance.
It's a shame, because the series is fantastic! Love the names, including in this volume Vera Lee Isay and Juan Tanamera.
November 24, 2024
Omg, do they really keep this reader for all the audiobooks in this series?! He emotes pretty well, & differentiates the characters well, but the basic pronunciation! Still! This many books in! Doesn't the author or editor LISTEN to what he says?! Or did he get a contract for X number of books? Or is he a friend of the author? Is it not possible to redo a sentence/section/chapter to fix the errors? I stopped bothering to "bookmark" every minor error, there are too many. (e.g. Poconos said with emphasis on the last syllable.)
Things I bookmarked:
•"home & hearth" said like earth not harth
•Padlock said "Padalock"
•"The CALVARY is here now" Ugh. CAV-AL-RY. "Men come to save the day", not the hill where people where executed nailed to crosses!
•"L-O-A-S". Is that supposed to be Laos? On the POW bracelet. He says it says the soldier's name, rank, date & location of disappearance. Writing or reading error?
•"neatly coifed gray hair" said "coyf'd" not "kwahf'd"
•A "STATUE of limitations" 🤦♀️ statuTe. As Erin Reagan once said on the tv show Blue Bloods, talking about just this thing to her investigator: "A statute is a law; a statue is a big metal sculpture-y thing."
•Another silly name that I can only guess at the spelling: Vera Leigh Isay (verily I say)
•"Something overly AUTHORATIVE about his bearing". Is that "like an author"?? Or did they mean authoriTAtive, as in "with authority"? Reader or writer error?
•"My wife's at work or I'd offer you something." Seriously?! He can't pour a drink?! (My criticism of the writer here.)
•"Amos" said with a long "o" rather than like rhyming with "famous"
•"realitors" 😣 Re-al-tors. Just like it's spelled. No vowel between the L & the T. This guy probably says nu-kyoo-ler too.
•"a lonely, almost FUNERAL feel". Funereal, I assume? Fyoo-NEAR-ee-uhl. Like a funeral, but a different word, with a different pronunciation.
Despite this reader driving me nuts, I like the series. I might like it better as a print book, but I need something to listen to in the car.
The jump back in history to the Vietnam War & draft dodgers slipping into Canada was interesting.
Things I bookmarked:
•"home & hearth" said like earth not harth
•Padlock said "Padalock"
•"The CALVARY is here now" Ugh. CAV-AL-RY. "Men come to save the day", not the hill where people where executed nailed to crosses!
•"L-O-A-S". Is that supposed to be Laos? On the POW bracelet. He says it says the soldier's name, rank, date & location of disappearance. Writing or reading error?
•"neatly coifed gray hair" said "coyf'd" not "kwahf'd"
•A "STATUE of limitations" 🤦♀️ statuTe. As Erin Reagan once said on the tv show Blue Bloods, talking about just this thing to her investigator: "A statute is a law; a statue is a big metal sculpture-y thing."
•Another silly name that I can only guess at the spelling: Vera Leigh Isay (verily I say)
•"Something overly AUTHORATIVE about his bearing". Is that "like an author"?? Or did they mean authoriTAtive, as in "with authority"? Reader or writer error?
•"My wife's at work or I'd offer you something." Seriously?! He can't pour a drink?! (My criticism of the writer here.)
•"Amos" said with a long "o" rather than like rhyming with "famous"
•"realitors" 😣 Re-al-tors. Just like it's spelled. No vowel between the L & the T. This guy probably says nu-kyoo-ler too.
•"a lonely, almost FUNERAL feel". Funereal, I assume? Fyoo-NEAR-ee-uhl. Like a funeral, but a different word, with a different pronunciation.
Despite this reader driving me nuts, I like the series. I might like it better as a print book, but I need something to listen to in the car.
The jump back in history to the Vietnam War & draft dodgers slipping into Canada was interesting.
October 7, 2022
My review is for the Kindle edition—the latest version as of September 2022.
An egregious editing error was made somewhere along the way, where someone did a horrific search and replace mistake, and replaced most instances of the name “Breaux” with the name “Bobeaux”. It’s not too much of a spoiler to say that these are two names for the same person at different points in their life. The result is utter confusion for us readers. It leads to nonsensical passages such as…
“If your real name is Peter Bobeaux,” I said. “Not Peter Bobeaux.”
This is where the character was meant to be confronted with having changed their name from “Breaux” to “Bobeaux”, but the book’s editor takes that away from of us and leaves us to figure out the meaning on our own.
Apart from this, the story isn’t bad. Maybe even better than the previous entries in the series. But the glaring name confusion is hard to overlook.
An egregious editing error was made somewhere along the way, where someone did a horrific search and replace mistake, and replaced most instances of the name “Breaux” with the name “Bobeaux”. It’s not too much of a spoiler to say that these are two names for the same person at different points in their life. The result is utter confusion for us readers. It leads to nonsensical passages such as…
“If your real name is Peter Bobeaux,” I said. “Not Peter Bobeaux.”
This is where the character was meant to be confronted with having changed their name from “Breaux” to “Bobeaux”, but the book’s editor takes that away from of us and leaves us to figure out the meaning on our own.
Apart from this, the story isn’t bad. Maybe even better than the previous entries in the series. But the glaring name confusion is hard to overlook.
November 6, 2022
free ebook i really like this series
they went to the harvest festival and the dog found a skeleton in a tennis shoe
he is helping his cop friend find out who the body is and who killed him. they were hiding people on the way to canada during viet nam war and they think it was one of the boys
his girlfriends lease is up and she wants to know if she can move in with him. hes thinking about it, hes not sure. they have been dating 6 months
he is off parole and got his laptop and dads gun back from the cop who was holding them for him
he figured out who the dead boy is and contacted the family
he found out the boy accidentally hit his head on a branch and died of a concussion later that night
he decided to let his girlfriend move in with him
they went to the harvest festival and the dog found a skeleton in a tennis shoe
he is helping his cop friend find out who the body is and who killed him. they were hiding people on the way to canada during viet nam war and they think it was one of the boys
his girlfriends lease is up and she wants to know if she can move in with him. hes thinking about it, hes not sure. they have been dating 6 months
he is off parole and got his laptop and dads gun back from the cop who was holding them for him
he figured out who the dead boy is and contacted the family
he found out the boy accidentally hit his head on a branch and died of a concussion later that night
he decided to let his girlfriend move in with him
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2025
This is one of those series that get better with each subsequent book. On the negative side, though, the audio reader makes some pretty bad mispronunciations of common words and names. And the author's idea of humor is having characters with names like Very Lee Isay (not sure how he spells it since I'm listening to an audio version) and banter between Steven and Ray. I'm not a fan of banter. On the plus side, the case is interesting, and there's some mild suspense but very little violence and virtually nothing that puts me off. Of course the biggest plus is the dog.
January 19, 2021
This was a tough read for me
Steve, our narrator and main protagonist, is the most insecure and negative character I’ve yet experienced in a book. The author takes you into Steve’s thoughts and fears and it was definitely TMI for me. His carping internal narrative wore me out. The story has what should be a happy ending, but I’m not confident that is possible given the evidence of the rest of the book.
Steve, our narrator and main protagonist, is the most insecure and negative character I’ve yet experienced in a book. The author takes you into Steve’s thoughts and fears and it was definitely TMI for me. His carping internal narrative wore me out. The story has what should be a happy ending, but I’m not confident that is possible given the evidence of the rest of the book.
May 16, 2021
Where Rochester goes, trouble follows
It took no time at all for Rochester to uncover another body! And there we have it, another wellspun yarn, of the evolving life of Steve and Rochester. I adore this author's type of story telling which brings us right to the heart of things. And this time bringing a mysterious death back in time to the 60s opens so much more to the story. Everyone should enjoy this book, truly splendid writing.
It took no time at all for Rochester to uncover another body! And there we have it, another wellspun yarn, of the evolving life of Steve and Rochester. I adore this author's type of story telling which brings us right to the heart of things. And this time bringing a mysterious death back in time to the 60s opens so much more to the story. Everyone should enjoy this book, truly splendid writing.
May 7, 2023
Steve, Lilli and Rochester are visiting the local Harvest Festival when Rochester digs up an old tennis shoe with a foot attached at the town's Friends Meeting house. Who is it, how long has it been there, and how will this find effect the town & Steve. A bit slow at times and the introduction of a gay couple did nothing for the story, just seem to be there because the author thought he should have one. For me, the language at times is a bit crude but I do love Rochester!
November 3, 2019
Good light read, Rochester the Golden Retriever is the dog detective that seems to have a nose for finding clues in a murder, as well as a knack for finding dead bodies. His owner Steve works with the police solving this crimes. Steve is working hard not to hack, he spent a year in prison for hacking and is trying to reform. It is a good entertaining book. Fun to read.
August 7, 2021
Another great mystery in this series! Plakcy does a wonderful job of building upon the previous stories, developing the characters, and showing their evolution. This mystery, like all the others, kept up the suspense with every twist and turn along the way. I canno0t wait to read the next book in the series.
November 6, 2022
Interesting storyline. Took some getting used to an obsessive addicted personality being the lead character. Way too much inner obsessive thinking for the reader to plow through, although I'd say it's pretty accurate for a thinking addict. His lady-love was cool, though. And it was a pretty rocky relationship between the lead character and the friendly cop. All in all, worth reading.
May 27, 2023
Poor editing and/or proofreading reduced this book's rating from a 4 to a 3. Starting at about the 40% point, the surnames Boboeaux and Breaux started being used almost interchangeably, leading me to assume that the author might be giving the readers a clue as to the murderer's identity. (Not the case.)
September 15, 2019
Loved it. He tells a great story. I'm starting on the next. There are 10.
Loved it. He tells a nice and entertaining story
I'm starting on the next. There are 10. At the moment. Rochester the golden retriver is adorable. A good sleuth.
Loved it. He tells a nice and entertaining story
I'm starting on the next. There are 10. At the moment. Rochester the golden retriver is adorable. A good sleuth.
October 11, 2020
This is a 5th book in this series and you can read them as stand alone but you will want to read them all. Steve and his golden retriever Rochester are cute, funny amateur sleuths who seems to find plenty of dead bodies in their small town. Enjoyable read.
July 28, 2022
Light reading. However, Plakcy is beginning to use cut and paste with some of his pat phrases. Does he think the reader doesn't remember how many times the same phrase is used throughout his books? But, the books are fun and interesting.
November 22, 2022
A Golden Retriever Detective
Rochester, the golden retriever, and his master always seem to discover the clues necessary to solve the crime. There is mystery, comic moments and true love and romance all bundled together to make a good read.
Rochester, the golden retriever, and his master always seem to discover the clues necessary to solve the crime. There is mystery, comic moments and true love and romance all bundled together to make a good read.
May 16, 2025
I highly recommend this book! once I start reading I don’t want to stop!
I thought I had read all of Neil’s books, but I somehow missed this one!! He writes his books so you feel you are right in the story!!
I thought I had read all of Neil’s books, but I somehow missed this one!! He writes his books so you feel you are right in the story!!
October 29, 2020
Great book I just love this series
January 14, 2021
Love this series!
January 15, 2021
What a fun read. Great characterizations, engaging plotline, and just plain fun to read. Will continue to read this series. Looking forward to so.e relaxing times to lower my blood pressure.
January 23, 2021
Loved it
Great book. Loved how it ended. Enjoyed all the research done. Highly recommend it. If you read it. Let me know
Great book. Loved how it ended. Enjoyed all the research done. Highly recommend it. If you read it. Let me know
Read
February 27, 2021Another good book!
April 25, 2021
Enjoyable reading, books with dogs joining in with searches is always a good read.
April 30, 2021
Fun Read
Love the Rochester book series and this one lived up to the others. It was a fun and entertaining read.
Love the Rochester book series and this one lived up to the others. It was a fun and entertaining read.
July 3, 2021
Enjoying this series.
November 9, 2021
Rochester finds another body, this time hidden in a secret room in a Quaker meeting hall once used for the Underground Railroad. The victim was possibly a draft dodger from the Vietnam war era.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews