What do you think?
Rate this book
A Pug's Tale
Hope McNeill has worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for years, but this is the first time she's been able to bring along her pug, Max (without sneaking him in in her tote bag). The occasion is a party for an Animals in 19th-Century Art exhibit, but the evening ends badly when a small but important painting seems to be missing. The Met needs Hope's-and Max's-help. And Hope has to keep it all a secret from her beloved, Manhattan DA Ben Brown.
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2011
14 people are currently reading
569 people want to read
About the author
Alison Pace
28 books108 followersI'm the author of the novels If Andy Warhol Had a Girlfriend, Pug Hill, Through Thick and Thin, City Dog and A Pug's Tale . My essays have been included in several anthologies including Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume, and Howl: A Collection of the Best Contemporary Dog Wit.
My memoir, You Tell Your Dog First, just came out.
I live in New York City where I teach creative writing. I'd love to hear from you at alison@alisonpace.com.
My memoir, You Tell Your Dog First, just came out.
I live in New York City where I teach creative writing. I'd love to hear from you at alison@alisonpace.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
February 27, 2016
This was originally going to get a solid 3 stars, until I found this passage on page 191:
"She held her aloft in almost exactly the same way that Mustafa held Simba aloft at the start of The Lion King, except Daphne held Madeline facing toward her as opposed to outward in the direction of, for the sake of this scenario, the pride lands."
First of all, it's Mufasa!
Secondly, it was Rafiki—not Mufasa—who showed off Simba to the Pride Lands (which, yes, should be capitalized).
I realize I probably take Disney films more seriously than most, but would it really kill the author AND the copy editors to check these facts on IMDB? Seriously, it would take you two seconds to do that!
P.S.--The opening scene to The Lion King is even available on YouTube.
"She held her aloft in almost exactly the same way that Mustafa held Simba aloft at the start of The Lion King, except Daphne held Madeline facing toward her as opposed to outward in the direction of, for the sake of this scenario, the pride lands."
First of all, it's Mufasa!
Secondly, it was Rafiki—not Mufasa—who showed off Simba to the Pride Lands (which, yes, should be capitalized).
I realize I probably take Disney films more seriously than most, but would it really kill the author AND the copy editors to check these facts on IMDB? Seriously, it would take you two seconds to do that!
P.S.--The opening scene to The Lion King is even available on YouTube.
February 9, 2019
Hope works at the Metropolitan Museum with the artwork. She regularly brings her pet pug to work. On a day when there is a pug-themed party for a prominent donor – a donor who loves pugs, herself – a valuable painting is stolen and a fake left in its place. Hope discovers it and lets her boss know. One other employee, who was in charge of the night’s party, also discovers it. Between them, they decide not to go to the police, but to hire a private investigator to see if they can figure out what happened themselves.
The book was ok. Hope’s pug, Max, was cute. I did find pretty much all of Hope’s social interactions a bit awkward, especially with the donor, as they became “friends”. I just didn’t see the friendship. Overall, just an ok read.
The book was ok. Hope’s pug, Max, was cute. I did find pretty much all of Hope’s social interactions a bit awkward, especially with the donor, as they became “friends”. I just didn’t see the friendship. Overall, just an ok read.
February 11, 2015
This is by far Alison Pace's best book to-date. Her quick wit and penchant for writing humorous tales revolving around dogs and art have come together in this magnum opus.
While I loved and adored Pug Hill, what left me wanting more from that story was that the pugs of Pug Hill were not in it enough. A Pug's Tale most certainly remedies the problem of not enough pugs. While Hope is the protagonist of this story, her pug Max is most certainly the star, for without Max, it would be impossible for her to solve the strange mystery of the Fantin-Latour painting that has gone missing from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
And what Pace has mastered so beautifully is her ability to make a non-talking, non-narrating dog feel like a real character. Max is just a dog in this book. He has no special powers (well, other than intuitiveness) and yet, there would be no book without Max.
I don't think I've ever read an author describe the mannerisms and spirit of a pug so deftly as Alison Pace has. The whole book is full of perfectly pugnacious passages like this:
"I left the envelope on the desk and carried the contents with me back to the couch and say back down next to Max, who snorted at me. Spend as much time with your pug as I have and you will one day be able to differentiate between all their different snorts. This last one was not appreciative like the one before it but much more along the lines of, "Um, excuse me?" (277)
There are so many different hats this book can wear for different types of book lovers. If you love mysteries, you'll love this book. If you love chick lit, you'll love this book. If you love dog books, you'll love this book. Heck, if you loved From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler as a kid, you'll love this book as a grown up. Just go out and read it. More than likely it will appeal to who you are as a reader because there are so many different types of readers it will appeal to.
While I loved and adored Pug Hill, what left me wanting more from that story was that the pugs of Pug Hill were not in it enough. A Pug's Tale most certainly remedies the problem of not enough pugs. While Hope is the protagonist of this story, her pug Max is most certainly the star, for without Max, it would be impossible for her to solve the strange mystery of the Fantin-Latour painting that has gone missing from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
And what Pace has mastered so beautifully is her ability to make a non-talking, non-narrating dog feel like a real character. Max is just a dog in this book. He has no special powers (well, other than intuitiveness) and yet, there would be no book without Max.
I don't think I've ever read an author describe the mannerisms and spirit of a pug so deftly as Alison Pace has. The whole book is full of perfectly pugnacious passages like this:
"I left the envelope on the desk and carried the contents with me back to the couch and say back down next to Max, who snorted at me. Spend as much time with your pug as I have and you will one day be able to differentiate between all their different snorts. This last one was not appreciative like the one before it but much more along the lines of, "Um, excuse me?" (277)
There are so many different hats this book can wear for different types of book lovers. If you love mysteries, you'll love this book. If you love chick lit, you'll love this book. If you love dog books, you'll love this book. Heck, if you loved From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler as a kid, you'll love this book as a grown up. Just go out and read it. More than likely it will appeal to who you are as a reader because there are so many different types of readers it will appeal to.
March 12, 2011
I was so excited to receive this follow-up book to Alison Pace’s Pug Hill and I was not disappointed! A Pug’s Tale was everything I was expecting and more. I love the combination of the art world, New York’s Central Park, and of course the pugs. Readers will not be left out in the cold if they haven’t read the first book featuring art restoration expert Hope McNeill. This is a great story on it’s own with minimal references to the first. However, I am sure that new readers will fall in love with Hope and Max and want to stay in their world a little while longer (so I encourage them all to read Pug Hill as well). A Pug’s Tale is a fun light read yet has the perfect amount of intrigue to keep you guessing. The combination of Hope and her intuitive pug Max is unstoppable. I don’t want to give away anything, but the ending is set nicely for a potential follow-up in the series. I know I won’t want to miss it.
July 11, 2011
I read this book while on vacation and loved it! It is a light and fun mystery to read.
Hope first meets Daphne, a fellow pug owner, at a pug party at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where Hope works in the art restoration department. When an important painting goes missing the night of the party and the fake ends up in the art restoration office, Hope's boss decides not to go to the authorities and takes matters in his own hands. Hope feels sure that she is a suspect and decides she must solve the mystery herself (with a little help from her pug.)
With her boyfriend Ben in Africa with Lawyers without Borders, Hope doesn't have anyone to confide in, and after a few random meetings, she ends up confiding in Daphne, who is thrilled with the idea of a mystery that needs to be solved.
Pace brings the mystery to a wonderful conclusion. A feel-good novel that will suit any reader seeking some fun!
Hope first meets Daphne, a fellow pug owner, at a pug party at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where Hope works in the art restoration department. When an important painting goes missing the night of the party and the fake ends up in the art restoration office, Hope's boss decides not to go to the authorities and takes matters in his own hands. Hope feels sure that she is a suspect and decides she must solve the mystery herself (with a little help from her pug.)
With her boyfriend Ben in Africa with Lawyers without Borders, Hope doesn't have anyone to confide in, and after a few random meetings, she ends up confiding in Daphne, who is thrilled with the idea of a mystery that needs to be solved.
Pace brings the mystery to a wonderful conclusion. A feel-good novel that will suit any reader seeking some fun!
May 27, 2011
I was excited to receive a copy of A Pug's Tale by Alison Pace (June 7) for review!
Hope McNeill has a good life, complete with an amazing boyfriend (Ben), an adorable pug (Max), and an incredible job at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Though she's been sneaking Max to work for a while, she finally has an opportunity to officially bring him to the museum for "Pug Night," an event honoring a very wealthy donor. Amidst classical music, champagne flutes, and a fully-stocked buffet table, the pugs are running wild around the museum, sliding across floors, and staking out the food.
When Max gets a little more boisterous than usual, Hope takes him out of the party and into her office where she discovers that a very famous painting by a French artist has been stolen and replaced with a fake.
The museum wants to keep it under wraps and not get the police involved.
Hope wants to solve the mystery and erase her name from the list of possible suspects.
It isn't long before she starts receiving mysterious emails that lead her on a scavenger hunt through the museum, exploring famous works of art and looking for clues. But she's not alone. While investigating, Hope gets unexpected help from a fellow pug enthusiast, a shady private investigator, and even Max. In fact, Max is very good at communicating and problem-solving. You know, for a pug.
It wasn't difficult to figure out who had stolen the painting, but the journey was playful and amusing. I loved the setting. I was wildly entertained by the cast of eclectic characters. And I really loved the dogs.
A Pug's Tale was a delightful, charismatic story with a little something for everyone -- dogs, art, museums, a big city backdrop, and a mystery. I had so much fun reading it!
This was the first Alison Pace novel I had ever read, but it definitely will not be the last.
ETA: You can check out my special Friday Five interview with Alison Pace @ my blog:
http://andreasforthereading.blogspot....
Hope McNeill has a good life, complete with an amazing boyfriend (Ben), an adorable pug (Max), and an incredible job at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Though she's been sneaking Max to work for a while, she finally has an opportunity to officially bring him to the museum for "Pug Night," an event honoring a very wealthy donor. Amidst classical music, champagne flutes, and a fully-stocked buffet table, the pugs are running wild around the museum, sliding across floors, and staking out the food.
When Max gets a little more boisterous than usual, Hope takes him out of the party and into her office where she discovers that a very famous painting by a French artist has been stolen and replaced with a fake.
The museum wants to keep it under wraps and not get the police involved.
Hope wants to solve the mystery and erase her name from the list of possible suspects.
It isn't long before she starts receiving mysterious emails that lead her on a scavenger hunt through the museum, exploring famous works of art and looking for clues. But she's not alone. While investigating, Hope gets unexpected help from a fellow pug enthusiast, a shady private investigator, and even Max. In fact, Max is very good at communicating and problem-solving. You know, for a pug.
It wasn't difficult to figure out who had stolen the painting, but the journey was playful and amusing. I loved the setting. I was wildly entertained by the cast of eclectic characters. And I really loved the dogs.
A Pug's Tale was a delightful, charismatic story with a little something for everyone -- dogs, art, museums, a big city backdrop, and a mystery. I had so much fun reading it!
This was the first Alison Pace novel I had ever read, but it definitely will not be the last.
ETA: You can check out my special Friday Five interview with Alison Pace @ my blog:
http://andreasforthereading.blogspot....
July 3, 2011
I won A PUG'S TALE by Alison Pace from GoodReads, and I'm so glad I did! It was sweet and fun, pretty much everything I could ask for in a summer read. The main character, Hope McNeill, works in the restoration department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Her boyfriend is away for three months doing legal work across the globe, and Hope's dog-sitting with his pug, Max. The story begins to unfurl at a museum bash for a wealthy patron named Daphne, also a pug owner (her "gorgeous, gorgeous girl" is named Madeline). Hope discovers that, on that same evening, a painting in the gallery has been switched for a forgery. Then she begins finding clues throughout the museum as to where the painting may be (kind of like a scavenger hunt). In the process of figuring out who made the switch, she gets more help from Max (well, in her dreams!) and from seemingly flaky Daphne. If you're a pug owner, I don't see how you can resist reading A PUG'S TALE. And even if you aren't--or you're a cat person, like me--you surely will enjoy this delightful story.
April 10, 2012
It started out very cute and i plunged through the first 150 pages very quickly, but it kind of hits a wall once you get the concept and the characters, and then it becomes kind of limited. It's a mystery, but only loosely so. There's very little forward movement in the plot, it's just kind of the main character being paranoid and possibly being toyed with by a wealthy museum patron. Ultimately I didn't really care what happened to her, the dogs, the other characters or the painting, so i stopped reading. I wished there was more "inside at the Met" kind of stuff, as long as the Met was the setting. Ultimately, it was just kind of "inside the head of a cute amusing young Yuppy," and it wasn't enough to hold my attention.
Read
July 19, 2018There was some definite tail-wagging at my house when this book arrived. I've read and enjoyed Alison Pace's other books (although I'm keeping my copy of If Andy Warhol Had a Girlfriend unread and waiting for a rainy day when I know I need a good read), and when I won a copy of her latest months before its release, I may have danced in glee.
A Pug's Tale was a charming, enjoyable read. It was a love song for a girl and her dog as well as for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, wrapped up in a scavenger hunt type of mystery that made me think of this as (I suppose this might be too much information, so the book title is under the spoiler tag) for adults.
The quick summary: Hope, a painting conservator at the Met, investigates the theft of a painting (Pansies) before she can be implicated in its disappearance. Anonymous clues lead her on her hunt, but most importantly, her burgeoning friendship with a society heiress (and said heiress's pug) helps Hope with both her mystery and her personal misgivings. Are things that are missing or at least out of sight (whether paintings or long distance boyfriends) actually lost? How do you know? Just as the museum hides secrets and clues about the theft, Hope's apartment is full of signs of her boyfriend's love (the art and, um, gravel he sends home to her from Africa), and Hope does, eventually, find that her head and her heart can lead her see what's right in front of her.
"Cozy mystery" is probably the best genre fit, but alas, that doesn't incorporate the book's selling point: the dogs. No question, no one writes dogs as wonderfully as Alison Pace does. She describes them lovingly and vividly, and what's more, all the dogs she writes seem to have voices and personalities of their own. That's some great characterization there.
I'm still trying to puzzle through what I thought about the transition of Hope's world to something quite literary chick lit (in Pug Hill) to that of a mystery. I loved Pug Hill! I reread it in anticipation for this one, and I reveled again in Pace's ability to make a book all about a young woman learning confidence and conquering loneliness by learning to be brave. That book was very, very interior, mostly about Hope's slow process of being brave and facing conflict and putting herself out there. It was a gentle and tender book, and I felt the same tone in this book, despite the genre switch, but I still missed the interior depth of that book. It's definitely the same Hope in this book, and I was so pleased to see that she was still being consciously assertive (and not relapsing into unrequited love for Elliot, ha!), but I missed having that kind of character arc and that kind of internal depth, especially knowing how well Pace writes that sort of thing. The mystery and its resolution did work for me, but I was a little frustrated that Hope's breakthroughs came through via dreams, which was a little too deus ex machina for my taste.
Overall, this was a very appealing read, and I think fans of cozy mysteries and non-ditzy chick lit (and, of course, pugs) will enjoy it. I don't think reading Pug Hill first is necessary, but having gone on that book's journey with Hope, I think it'd still definitely be worthwhile to read first (or afterward!). I'll keep mulling over what I thought about the transition to a mystery, and maybe by the time the book releases in June (and I can buy a copy), I'll have solidified my thoughts. :)
Note: I received a review copy of this book for free from the publisher via the First Reads program here at Goodreads.
A Pug's Tale was a charming, enjoyable read. It was a love song for a girl and her dog as well as for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, wrapped up in a scavenger hunt type of mystery that made me think of this as (I suppose this might be too much information, so the book title is under the spoiler tag) for adults.
The quick summary: Hope, a painting conservator at the Met, investigates the theft of a painting (Pansies) before she can be implicated in its disappearance. Anonymous clues lead her on her hunt, but most importantly, her burgeoning friendship with a society heiress (and said heiress's pug) helps Hope with both her mystery and her personal misgivings. Are things that are missing or at least out of sight (whether paintings or long distance boyfriends) actually lost? How do you know? Just as the museum hides secrets and clues about the theft, Hope's apartment is full of signs of her boyfriend's love (the art and, um, gravel he sends home to her from Africa), and Hope does, eventually, find that her head and her heart can lead her see what's right in front of her.
"Cozy mystery" is probably the best genre fit, but alas, that doesn't incorporate the book's selling point: the dogs. No question, no one writes dogs as wonderfully as Alison Pace does. She describes them lovingly and vividly, and what's more, all the dogs she writes seem to have voices and personalities of their own. That's some great characterization there.
I'm still trying to puzzle through what I thought about the transition of Hope's world to something quite literary chick lit (in Pug Hill) to that of a mystery. I loved Pug Hill! I reread it in anticipation for this one, and I reveled again in Pace's ability to make a book all about a young woman learning confidence and conquering loneliness by learning to be brave. That book was very, very interior, mostly about Hope's slow process of being brave and facing conflict and putting herself out there. It was a gentle and tender book, and I felt the same tone in this book, despite the genre switch, but I still missed the interior depth of that book. It's definitely the same Hope in this book, and I was so pleased to see that she was still being consciously assertive (and not relapsing into unrequited love for Elliot, ha!), but I missed having that kind of character arc and that kind of internal depth, especially knowing how well Pace writes that sort of thing. The mystery and its resolution did work for me, but I was a little frustrated that Hope's breakthroughs came through via dreams, which was a little too deus ex machina for my taste.
Overall, this was a very appealing read, and I think fans of cozy mysteries and non-ditzy chick lit (and, of course, pugs) will enjoy it. I don't think reading Pug Hill first is necessary, but having gone on that book's journey with Hope, I think it'd still definitely be worthwhile to read first (or afterward!). I'll keep mulling over what I thought about the transition to a mystery, and maybe by the time the book releases in June (and I can buy a copy), I'll have solidified my thoughts. :)
Note: I received a review copy of this book for free from the publisher via the First Reads program here at Goodreads.
May 29, 2011
Hope McNeill works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She is caring for her boyfriend’s pug, Max, while he is gone.
Tonight in honor of famous celebrity and philanthropist, Daphne Markham; the museum is hosting “Pugs Night”. This will be the first time that “officially” Hope will get to bring Max to the Met. Though, if it was not for this party and the fact that Hope got to bring Max, she would be at home. Hope is more of a home body. After a disastrous situation involving Max and Daphne’s pug, Hope and Max are excused form the party. On her way out of the Met, Hope uncovers a lost painting. It is up to Hope and Max to solve the mystery of the lost painting.
I have not read any of the other pug novels by author Alison Pace. Though, I enjoyed getting to know Hope and Max. I felt that Max is the star and Hope is his sidekick. Hope started out timid but as the story progressed, she emerged out of her shell. She was trying to be a modern date Nancy Drew, only her best friend was a pug. Not to give away the ending but I did feel a little sorry about the way things ended for Hope. She is naïve but Hope has a heart of gold. A Pugs Tale is a nice cozy mystery read. It brings the bark without the bite.
Tonight in honor of famous celebrity and philanthropist, Daphne Markham; the museum is hosting “Pugs Night”. This will be the first time that “officially” Hope will get to bring Max to the Met. Though, if it was not for this party and the fact that Hope got to bring Max, she would be at home. Hope is more of a home body. After a disastrous situation involving Max and Daphne’s pug, Hope and Max are excused form the party. On her way out of the Met, Hope uncovers a lost painting. It is up to Hope and Max to solve the mystery of the lost painting.
I have not read any of the other pug novels by author Alison Pace. Though, I enjoyed getting to know Hope and Max. I felt that Max is the star and Hope is his sidekick. Hope started out timid but as the story progressed, she emerged out of her shell. She was trying to be a modern date Nancy Drew, only her best friend was a pug. Not to give away the ending but I did feel a little sorry about the way things ended for Hope. She is naïve but Hope has a heart of gold. A Pugs Tale is a nice cozy mystery read. It brings the bark without the bite.
June 7, 2011
A bubbly unique tale of suspense, intrigue and Pugaliscious delight.
Oh the sweetness of this unique tale! I loved this story from the beginning and Hope the main character has the cutest personality ever. I love how Hope was in love with her boss Elliott, yet tries to convince herself she no longer is. Well Hope does have a boyfriend, even if he is half way across the world. Pace has a easy going smooth writing style that had me flying through this book in no time at all, or was it that I couldn't put it down. I laughed and enjoyed every little detail of this book from the way Max her pug, yet not her pug, behaves, to the way Hope goes around suspicious of everyone, which leaves her truly paranoid at times. Pace has taken a pug story and turned it into the cutest who dunnit I have ever read. The story is so intriguing, from the start up until the very end, an end, which brings unexpected surprises. A Pug's Tale is a little bundle of pleasure and delight, which can be read and enjoyed by anyone of any age. Glad I did!
Oh the sweetness of this unique tale! I loved this story from the beginning and Hope the main character has the cutest personality ever. I love how Hope was in love with her boss Elliott, yet tries to convince herself she no longer is. Well Hope does have a boyfriend, even if he is half way across the world. Pace has a easy going smooth writing style that had me flying through this book in no time at all, or was it that I couldn't put it down. I laughed and enjoyed every little detail of this book from the way Max her pug, yet not her pug, behaves, to the way Hope goes around suspicious of everyone, which leaves her truly paranoid at times. Pace has taken a pug story and turned it into the cutest who dunnit I have ever read. The story is so intriguing, from the start up until the very end, an end, which brings unexpected surprises. A Pug's Tale is a little bundle of pleasure and delight, which can be read and enjoyed by anyone of any age. Glad I did!
May 16, 2014
[Spoilers ahead!]
I really liked Pug Hill so I picked up this book when I saw it at the library the other day. Unfortunately, I can't say I like A Pug's Tale at all. I find it extremely tedious to read - the writing style was long-winded, verbose and repetitive. I know the protagonist's (Hope) boyfriend was in Kinshasa and that she wished he was in NY with her but the author didn't have to keep highlighting this in every other chapter, as she did for Max's portrait project. I also have a problem with how Hope was portrayed in the book. How on earth can someone be so naive and simple-minded? I don't recall her being so unlikeable in Pug Hill. If she kept finding strange clues possibly related to a missing painting, shouldn't she raise that to her boss? And don't get me started on how she managed to decipher the clues.
The whole story just didn't work for me. I know it's fiction but certain parts of the story just weren't believable and plausible at all.
I really liked Pug Hill so I picked up this book when I saw it at the library the other day. Unfortunately, I can't say I like A Pug's Tale at all. I find it extremely tedious to read - the writing style was long-winded, verbose and repetitive. I know the protagonist's (Hope) boyfriend was in Kinshasa and that she wished he was in NY with her but the author didn't have to keep highlighting this in every other chapter, as she did for Max's portrait project. I also have a problem with how Hope was portrayed in the book. How on earth can someone be so naive and simple-minded? I don't recall her being so unlikeable in Pug Hill. If she kept finding strange clues possibly related to a missing painting, shouldn't she raise that to her boss? And don't get me started on how she managed to decipher the clues.
The whole story just didn't work for me. I know it's fiction but certain parts of the story just weren't believable and plausible at all.
May 24, 2011
Yeah! Thank you Ms. Pace, Penguin Group, and Goodread's for making me a first reads reader. I can't wait to read this book.
What a great read! Pugs and an art heist makes quite the page turner. I really loved Hope (our amateur detective) and Max who are accidentally involved in an art heist. Great clues, a few read herrings, and it comes together quite nicely. A quite satisfying detective read and I can't wait for Hope and Max to solve another crime. If you like mysteries and pugs... this is a great read.
What a great read! Pugs and an art heist makes quite the page turner. I really loved Hope (our amateur detective) and Max who are accidentally involved in an art heist. Great clues, a few read herrings, and it comes together quite nicely. A quite satisfying detective read and I can't wait for Hope and Max to solve another crime. If you like mysteries and pugs... this is a great read.
September 14, 2012
I laughed out loud at the opening scene-Pug Night at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The author has many pug characteristics down pat. The story is a little flimsy though. I gave it an extra star because of the endearing pug bits. Being on my third pug now, I can say I am totally pugged and enjoyed reading about Max. However, the way our heroine casually carries Max around with her makes me wonder about her muscles. My lightest pug is over eight kilos, not an insignificant weight, and not a weight I would sling over my shoulder and breeze down the street. Ouf!
May 2, 2011
Better than Pug Hill, in that our protagonist now owns a pug rather than just sitting around wishing she had a pug. And Lord love a psychic, mystery-solving pug!
Pug lovers will chuckle at the charming descriptions of pug interactions and of our enthusiastic Max; mystery lovers will perhaps be puzzled by the plodding plot and the infuriating ending.
Also: the Hootie & the Blowfish and AOL instant messenger shout-outs are replaced with the Skype. Progress!
Pug lovers will chuckle at the charming descriptions of pug interactions and of our enthusiastic Max; mystery lovers will perhaps be puzzled by the plodding plot and the infuriating ending.
Also: the Hootie & the Blowfish and AOL instant messenger shout-outs are replaced with the Skype. Progress!
May 3, 2013
Now I have been looking forward to this book for awhile! The cover is just so adorable it just makes you want to read the book! A mystery involving pugs is just to cute! I love mysteries that involve animals! I'm an animal lover and a few of my favorite series have animals as main characters in the series- The cat Who and Mrs. Murphy of the top of my head!! Can't wait to read this!
My aunt reviewed it as a quick, cute read!! :) Now I'm even more excited!!
My aunt reviewed it as a quick, cute read!! :) Now I'm even more excited!!
May 14, 2011
This book (which I won last week) was a delightful read. Hope is a very smart lady with one very smart pug companion. Anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries and pets is sure to love this. The description of Max (and the other pugs) made me want to go out and adopt a pug! The love that Hope has for this dog will certainly have a familiar ring to anyone who has loved a pet or pets. It was great light reading and I read this in two days.
May 10, 2011
I won this book through Goodreads Firstreads. This is a wonderful tale for any pug lover. I have many times pondered how I could smuggle my own pug into many places! Allison Pace kept the story exciting, fresh, and was a wonderful sequel, to her novel Pug Hill, which I loved just as much. I hope to see more pug-love from her in the future!!
April 26, 2011
A Goodreads First Read win. Looking forward to reading the book.
A delightful cozy mystery which includes the Met, Central Park and a delightful Pug called Max, and a missing painting. Perfect for the beach or a lazy day on your sun-porch.
Thank you First Reads.
A delightful cozy mystery which includes the Met, Central Park and a delightful Pug called Max, and a missing painting. Perfect for the beach or a lazy day on your sun-porch.
Thank you First Reads.
November 6, 2011
My first time reading Alison Pace and this was a really fun read. I'm not a pug owner but loved learning about them in this story.
November 7, 2011
For anyone who loves Pugs, a light mystery.
June 27, 2021
An art restorer and her pug set out to solve the mystery of a missing painting.
This is not particularly the type of book I would normally read. I was searching for books to meet some reading prompts, and this one fit prompts for "about art" and "to celebrate the grand museum." It seemed cute, and how could a story with a pug as an assistant amateur detective go wrong?
Alas, the author is going for a light and breezy, dare I say quirky, tone. But the heroine, Hope, merely seems incredibly dense. Written in the first person, there's a break after practically every sentence in every conversation for Hope to internally muse over something. It takes a full page to get through a conversation that consists essentially of Hello / Hello / How are you. The conversations she does have are insipid and repetitive. The secondary characters are uninteresting and bland. I mean, the bones are there. She's got an eccentric philanthropist, a boss who she used to crush on, the strange private investigator. But literally *nothing happens*. And there's not even a twisty plot to fall back on, because the clues are not exactly difficult to crack.
*sigh* Maybe the next mystery I try will be better.
This is not particularly the type of book I would normally read. I was searching for books to meet some reading prompts, and this one fit prompts for "about art" and "to celebrate the grand museum." It seemed cute, and how could a story with a pug as an assistant amateur detective go wrong?
Alas, the author is going for a light and breezy, dare I say quirky, tone. But the heroine, Hope, merely seems incredibly dense. Written in the first person, there's a break after practically every sentence in every conversation for Hope to internally muse over something. It takes a full page to get through a conversation that consists essentially of Hello / Hello / How are you. The conversations she does have are insipid and repetitive. The secondary characters are uninteresting and bland. I mean, the bones are there. She's got an eccentric philanthropist, a boss who she used to crush on, the strange private investigator. But literally *nothing happens*. And there's not even a twisty plot to fall back on, because the clues are not exactly difficult to crack.
*sigh* Maybe the next mystery I try will be better.
July 31, 2019
This is a clever little story about a pug with intuition and a caretaker (girlfriend of the owner, the owner being in Kinshasa doing humanitarian work) who works in conservation at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A eccentric supporter of the museum gets a Pug Night held there, during which a valuable painting disappears and a very convincing fake appears in its stead.
As the story unfolds, we get to know Hope McNeill and Max, the pug, very well. This is a light read made very pleasant by the perfectly accurate references to Central Park, the Met and the art. There are the usual red herrings for a standard mystery, but this really is more about the interesting characters that interface in the search - sans police - for the missing Pansies by Henri Fantin-Latour. The crime is solved in a moderately surprising way at the very end. That said, we hope we hear more from Ms. Pace about Hope, Max and Ben in the future.
As the story unfolds, we get to know Hope McNeill and Max, the pug, very well. This is a light read made very pleasant by the perfectly accurate references to Central Park, the Met and the art. There are the usual red herrings for a standard mystery, but this really is more about the interesting characters that interface in the search - sans police - for the missing Pansies by Henri Fantin-Latour. The crime is solved in a moderately surprising way at the very end. That said, we hope we hear more from Ms. Pace about Hope, Max and Ben in the future.
June 2, 2018
I found Hope to be super clingy and a bit despite to find some kind of relationship with other characters be it with Elliot, Ben, or Daphne.
July 13, 2021
I ENJOYED THIS BOOK. IT WAS A FUN AND EASY READ. IT COVERED AN ANIMAL STORY,ART AND MYSTERY. I LIKE ALL THES SUBJECTS AND THIS AUTHOR COVERED ALL THREE GREAT. IT WAS A SURPRISE ENDING AND A DECISION ONE OF THE CHARACTERS ON WHAT SHE HAD TO DO. MORAL DECISION.
September 22, 2017
This was very cute - made me wish I had visited the Met at least once. But the main character was a dither-er. I just wanted to slap her and say "snap out of it" on about every page.
November 16, 2019
Not my type of mystery but it was a cute story. Hate and switch with art piece. A surprise at the end. Light reading and a little slow moving.
May 24, 2020
Pugs are a big part of the story which is a who dunnit. A painting is stolen from an museum.
August 5, 2020
It was a fun little adventure. Had to make myself finish.
October 10, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. It’s a light quick read. There are some good plot turns and who doesn’t love a book with pugs?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews