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Who Sleuthed It?
Fingers and feelers and paws and wings,
Solving thrillers and chillers and secretive things!
In which animals help their animal friends, or human sidekicks, solve diabolical crimes and whimsical mysteries in 19 stories by Australian, American and Irish authors.
Solving thrillers and chillers and secretive things!
In which animals help their animal friends, or human sidekicks, solve diabolical crimes and whimsical mysteries in 19 stories by Australian, American and Irish authors.
- GenresShort StoriesMystery
340 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2021
9 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 17, 2022
I do enjoy anthologies! I like that I can read a short story here and there and it's instant gratification.
Who Sleuthed It? is a collection of stories connected by the theme of animal sleuths.
It did include a wide range of sub-genres within the crime genre and I am not a fan of paranormal however there were 19 stories in all so don't be put off by the fact some may be a genre you don't read. A short story may also be a good way to give something different a try.
All stories had a mystery at their core. I enjoyed more the stories where the animals retained their animal mannerisms, but could communicate with each other, over the stories where the animal characters took on human mannerisms.
Many of the stories included an element of humour which always appeals to me. Because the stories are so short it is quick to move on to the next one if one doesn't appeal.
Overall my rating averaged out to 4 stars over the 19 stories and there were plenty of 5 star reads in there.
Who Sleuthed It? is a fun collection of stories that will appeal to animal lovers and crime readers alike. I also discovered a few new authors that I am now keen to seek out their full length novels.
*I received a copy from the publisher
Who Sleuthed It? is a collection of stories connected by the theme of animal sleuths.
It did include a wide range of sub-genres within the crime genre and I am not a fan of paranormal however there were 19 stories in all so don't be put off by the fact some may be a genre you don't read. A short story may also be a good way to give something different a try.
All stories had a mystery at their core. I enjoyed more the stories where the animals retained their animal mannerisms, but could communicate with each other, over the stories where the animal characters took on human mannerisms.
Many of the stories included an element of humour which always appeals to me. Because the stories are so short it is quick to move on to the next one if one doesn't appeal.
Overall my rating averaged out to 4 stars over the 19 stories and there were plenty of 5 star reads in there.
Who Sleuthed It? is a fun collection of stories that will appeal to animal lovers and crime readers alike. I also discovered a few new authors that I am now keen to seek out their full length novels.
*I received a copy from the publisher
October 29, 2021
Who Sleuthed It? is an engaging anthology of nineteen short stories where pampered pets and animated animals help each other, or their human sidekicks, solve crimes.
There are fact-finding felines and clever canines including British Shorthairs, Sherlock and Watson, in Fin J Ross’s ‘A Rascal in Academia’, and a ‘smiley, loyal, obedient Golden Retriever’ in ‘When the Chips Are Down’ by Louisa Bennett (aka LA Larkin). Scotland Yard’s finest, Reggie Starling, flies into action when the Crown Jewels are stolen in a tale by Kat Klay; CJ McGumbleberry (a non de plume) writes of a Great Horned Owl who is bamboozled by a clever chipmunk; and a motivated magpie helps a policewoman to solve both a murder and a massacre in ‘The Tidings’ by Tor Roxborough.
I’m familiar with the work of several of the contributing authors, including Kerry Greenwood who offers a tale of theft featuring the indomitable Phryne Fisher and her pets, Ember and Molly, in ‘La Gazza Ladra’; Meg Keneally’s ‘The Flotilla’ is set at the turn of the 20th century in and around the quarantine station on Sydney Harbour, near a colony of Little Penguins; and a retired police dog is a protective watchman in ‘The Tiger Mothers of Bethlehem Maternity’ by Vikki Petraitis.
Most of the authors contributing to the anthology are Australian, while a few are from the UK or USA. The settings vary in period and place, including Victorian London and modern day Melbourne. Humour is common to most of the stories, while a few have a supernatural element.
Whimsical, inventive and canny, Who Sleuthed It? offers an eclectic collection of mystery tales that are sure to delight animal lovers.
There are fact-finding felines and clever canines including British Shorthairs, Sherlock and Watson, in Fin J Ross’s ‘A Rascal in Academia’, and a ‘smiley, loyal, obedient Golden Retriever’ in ‘When the Chips Are Down’ by Louisa Bennett (aka LA Larkin). Scotland Yard’s finest, Reggie Starling, flies into action when the Crown Jewels are stolen in a tale by Kat Klay; CJ McGumbleberry (a non de plume) writes of a Great Horned Owl who is bamboozled by a clever chipmunk; and a motivated magpie helps a policewoman to solve both a murder and a massacre in ‘The Tidings’ by Tor Roxborough.
I’m familiar with the work of several of the contributing authors, including Kerry Greenwood who offers a tale of theft featuring the indomitable Phryne Fisher and her pets, Ember and Molly, in ‘La Gazza Ladra’; Meg Keneally’s ‘The Flotilla’ is set at the turn of the 20th century in and around the quarantine station on Sydney Harbour, near a colony of Little Penguins; and a retired police dog is a protective watchman in ‘The Tiger Mothers of Bethlehem Maternity’ by Vikki Petraitis.
Most of the authors contributing to the anthology are Australian, while a few are from the UK or USA. The settings vary in period and place, including Victorian London and modern day Melbourne. Humour is common to most of the stories, while a few have a supernatural element.
Whimsical, inventive and canny, Who Sleuthed It? offers an eclectic collection of mystery tales that are sure to delight animal lovers.
October 27, 2021
‘I am smug, snug and contented.’
I feel confident that I can say, after sharing my life with him for almost 17 years, that the late, great, Sir Bruce the Battle Rat would have loved these stories. Sir Bruce, an inquisitive Jack Russell, solved more than a few mysteries during his time on this earth. Alas, he was not always impartial.
Sir Bruce as quick to blame any cat within range for any misdemeanour as well as his younger companion, Max, also known as Sir Other Little Dog. Max, a Tenterfield Terrier who lived to the great age of 17 years and 6 months, was suspicious of all other creatures. He’d have made a great detective. So, in my home, dogs ruled. Now that I’ve made that clear (channelling Sir Bruce and Max) I can move onto the stories in this delightful collection.
Lindy Cameron has edited a collection of nineteen different stories featuring an eclectic collection of animal heroes. Sir Bruce would be shocked to think that cats could be heroes but would be delighted to hear about a weredog. I, as the responsible human trying to be objective, loved Fin J Ross’s story about Mrs Hudson’s cats: Sherlock, and Watson. And I particularly enjoyed the role played by the little penguin in Meg Keneally’s story about the bubonic plague in Sydney in 1900.
Other stories include hawks, rats, mice, pigs, foxes, chipmunks, bears, spiders, and Great Horned Owls. Their roles differ: some actively solve crimes; others act as intermediaries. I enjoyed watching the stories unfold, seeing the part each protagonist had to play in solving the crime.
If you like animals, if you enjoy whimsical stories then you may enjoy this as much as I did. Although crime is the focus, these are gentle stories. And I really must mention the beautiful cover and illustrations by Judith Rossell.
While I am familiar with other work by seven of the authors (Fin J Ross, Kerry Greenwood, Lindy Cameron, Kerry Greenwood, LJM Owen, Meg Keneally and Narrelle M Harris), I’ve added the other authors to my reading list (Atlin Merrick, Chuck McKenzie, CJ McGumbleberry, Craig Hilton, David Greagg, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, GV Pearce, Jack Fennell, Kat Clay, Livia Day, Louisa Bennet, Tor Roxburgh and Vikki Petraitis).
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
I feel confident that I can say, after sharing my life with him for almost 17 years, that the late, great, Sir Bruce the Battle Rat would have loved these stories. Sir Bruce, an inquisitive Jack Russell, solved more than a few mysteries during his time on this earth. Alas, he was not always impartial.
Sir Bruce as quick to blame any cat within range for any misdemeanour as well as his younger companion, Max, also known as Sir Other Little Dog. Max, a Tenterfield Terrier who lived to the great age of 17 years and 6 months, was suspicious of all other creatures. He’d have made a great detective. So, in my home, dogs ruled. Now that I’ve made that clear (channelling Sir Bruce and Max) I can move onto the stories in this delightful collection.
Lindy Cameron has edited a collection of nineteen different stories featuring an eclectic collection of animal heroes. Sir Bruce would be shocked to think that cats could be heroes but would be delighted to hear about a weredog. I, as the responsible human trying to be objective, loved Fin J Ross’s story about Mrs Hudson’s cats: Sherlock, and Watson. And I particularly enjoyed the role played by the little penguin in Meg Keneally’s story about the bubonic plague in Sydney in 1900.
Other stories include hawks, rats, mice, pigs, foxes, chipmunks, bears, spiders, and Great Horned Owls. Their roles differ: some actively solve crimes; others act as intermediaries. I enjoyed watching the stories unfold, seeing the part each protagonist had to play in solving the crime.
If you like animals, if you enjoy whimsical stories then you may enjoy this as much as I did. Although crime is the focus, these are gentle stories. And I really must mention the beautiful cover and illustrations by Judith Rossell.
While I am familiar with other work by seven of the authors (Fin J Ross, Kerry Greenwood, Lindy Cameron, Kerry Greenwood, LJM Owen, Meg Keneally and Narrelle M Harris), I’ve added the other authors to my reading list (Atlin Merrick, Chuck McKenzie, CJ McGumbleberry, Craig Hilton, David Greagg, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, GV Pearce, Jack Fennell, Kat Clay, Livia Day, Louisa Bennet, Tor Roxburgh and Vikki Petraitis).
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
July 1, 2022
This book's editor, Australian writer, Lindy Cameron, invited 18 other writers in Australia, Ireland, and the USA, to contribute short stories in which non-human, talking creatures solve crimes. These "creatures" include dogs, cats, penguins, ravens, foxes - and more - and go about their sleuthing in a very businesslike manner. The creativity of the authors and their depictions of the animal/bird/insect
protagonists is incredible, transporting the reader to a whole new dimension of reading enjoyment.
protagonists is incredible, transporting the reader to a whole new dimension of reading enjoyment.
October 10, 2021
I'm so delighted to be included in an anthology with so many fun and engaging stories, some of them with such unexpected twists!
December 26, 2021
Of the nineteen short stories, I liked 9. Maybe it was the wrong time of the year to read them, as was busy leading up to Christmas. The ones that I liked however ensured that I finished the book. If I had a choice, probably would have given 3.5 stars.
January 8, 2022
Varies too much in genre and quality. None of the stories are particularly memorable. If you like animals outsmarting humans or stories from their viewpoint, suggest you borrow this from somewhere.
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October 10, 2021I'm not generally a fan of short stories or of animals. I mean I don't 'hate' animals in some psychopathic way... I'm just not particularly enamoured of them. I am aware of course cozy (cosy) mysteries often feature them in some form, and know many readers who adore anything involving cats or dogs or the like.
In this collection of bestial-themed mysteries we are offered a plethora of animal options... so, not just cats and dogs but also rats and penguins and owls.
In terms of the quality of the whodunnits here it's probably a bit of a mixed bag. Some are quirky - such as A Rascal in Academia featuring a feline Sherlock Holmes, complete with Watson and Moriarty, and others offer a bit of the fantastic.
I particularly enjoyed The Flotilla by Meg Keneally which was set in 1900 against a backdrop of a life-threatening plague and quarantine stations (deja'd that vu!). Not to mention penguins. And of course as a Miss Phryne Fisher fan it was great to see her pop up in Kerry Greenwood's La Gazza Ladra.
Amateur sleuths - animal lovers in particular - will undoubtedly enjoy this eclectic selection of 'tails' (#sorrynotsorry).
In this collection of bestial-themed mysteries we are offered a plethora of animal options... so, not just cats and dogs but also rats and penguins and owls.
In terms of the quality of the whodunnits here it's probably a bit of a mixed bag. Some are quirky - such as A Rascal in Academia featuring a feline Sherlock Holmes, complete with Watson and Moriarty, and others offer a bit of the fantastic.
I particularly enjoyed The Flotilla by Meg Keneally which was set in 1900 against a backdrop of a life-threatening plague and quarantine stations (deja'd that vu!). Not to mention penguins. And of course as a Miss Phryne Fisher fan it was great to see her pop up in Kerry Greenwood's La Gazza Ladra.
Amateur sleuths - animal lovers in particular - will undoubtedly enjoy this eclectic selection of 'tails' (#sorrynotsorry).
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews