Double Identity

Good Dog, Bad Dog #2

by Dave Shelton

Kirk Bergman and Duncan McBoo are on the case again - this time, at Wiener Bros studio. When the canine detectives arrive on set to talk to adored actor Dunstan Bassett, they are expecting to find out more about the threatening letters he's been receiving, but instead they witness a terrible accident. As shooting for Dunstan's scene begins, an explosion goes off. Stunt dog Bump Henderson has taken the fall, and it looks like someone is serious about getting to Dunstan..





Will the doggy duo be able to find the killer before they strike again? Will Bergman be distracted by the romantic advances of young, female director Ada Volpino? And how many star signatures will McBoo be able to collect before they solve the case?! Sniff the answers out, in this case of Double Identity.

64 pages, Paperback

First published March 6, 2014

About the author

Dave Shelton is the author of Thirteen Chairs. His UK debut novel for children, A Boy And A Bear In A Boat, was shortlisted for numerous awards in the UK and won the Branford Boase Award, an award given to an outstanding children's or young adult novel by a first-time writer. He's also the creator of the UK comic strip "Good Dog, Bad Dog." He lives in Cambridge, England, with his family.

Reviews

[Simon Chadwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dogs. The city is full of them. And we get to follow two of their finest, a pair of cops called Bergman and McBoo as they aim to keep the streets of Muttropolis clean. It’s a city with a thriving movie business, based in Collie-wood, and there’s trouble at the Wiener Bros studio. Somebody has been sending threatening letters to one of it’s fading stars and Bergman and McBoo are investigating. However, what they don’t expect to find is an exploding dog, an evasive movie studio boss, and a giant lobster actor that has them both chasing their tails. A murder has taken place, another life is threatened and somebody just might be missing.Like an interesting smell on a gate post, these are mysteries that need investigating.

Essentially this is anthropomorphic crime noir, with dogs. I think it’s fair to say it’s not in the same vein as Blacksad, but God Dog, Bad Dog knows its audience so it’s playing it for laughs while the action and suspense rattles along at a healthy pace. It’s from the brooding, serious Bergman (he goes home to get changed for a date by changing his collar and his date almost fails to recognise him) to the ever-hungry, seemingly-simple-but-full-of-surprises McBoo, that we get the Good Dog, Bad Dog of the title, and they make a great crime-fighting duo. There are laughs, silliness, and a genuine tale of intrigue that keeps the story unfolding and the pages turning until the end of the book. Loads of dog related puns too, not least with the dog actors such as Brad Pitbull, Kirk Dogleash, and my favourite, Richard Grrr!

I’d not heard of the characters before, but you can enjoy this from cover to cover without needing to have read what precedes it, although I suspect if you’re like me you’ll be looking to get a copy. Also, it’s a Phoenix Presents book, which not only is a good badge of quality, but like with all of their strips that tends to mean that it has very broad appeal across age groups. In other words, it’s great for kids, but the witty writing and fun cartoons deliver an engrossing and chucklesome book that big kids will love too.

I’d be more than happy to read some more Good Dog, Bad Dog. Release the hounds!

[Vincent Ripley · Rating 5 out of 5]

So funny, five star brilliance!