Chihuahua of the Baskervilles (#189); cute title, isn't it? The cover blurbs by two other authors I thoroughly enjoy promised that this book by Esri Allbritten would keep me "guessing - and laughing -" until the very end. A glow-in-the-dark top-hatted chihuahua ghost, coffin races and an invesitgative team from the paranormal travel journal Tripping reporting on the mysterious events in spirit-laden Manitou Springs, Colorado, should add up to a light, fun read, but in this case, they don't.
After I turned out the lights last night, I lay in bed wondering how long it would take me to finish Chihuahua of the Baskervilles so I could get to Death Comes to Pemberly or The Hunger Games, both sitting on my shelf. When I start to think about finishing a book as a chore, I know it's time to give up on it, a rare occurrence for me. But the characters in this book were so flat and one-dimensional, and the progress of the plot so tedious combined with the travel-brochure descriptions of all of Manitou Springs' attractions (and no offense to Manitou Springs; I'd visit it, if I'm ever out that way!) that it was a relief to give up the ghost and lay this book to rest. I couldn't even summon the interest to find out "who dunnit". Frankly, I just didn't care.
If you're a fan of chihuahuas, and think toy breed dogs are adorable fashion accessories to dress up and carry in your purse, maybe this book will appeal to you. If you want something that actually will make you laugh, involves dogs, has interesting, well-developed characters and unexpected plot twists, try David Rosenfelt's Andy Carpenter mystery series. (See my posts of 3/1/11, 5/24/11, 7/3/11, 8/6/11, 12/26/11, & 1/10/12.) You won't feel like you're wasting your time there.
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