A Flight of Raptors: Paws & Claws #2

Meet Levi, Sunny and Yoda.  They're the three dogs who make up the Three Dog Detective Agency in Chula Vista, California, ably aided by several cats who run the office and other assorted neighborhood critters in A Flight of Raptors: Paws & Claws #2 (#309) by Ralph E. Vaughan.  Creates a vision of Beatrix Potter-type characters with pastel illustrations and cutely comedic dialogue, doesn't it?  That's what I thought when I won this book in a Goodreads give-away.

What I got, though, was really much, much better.  There are illustrations, all right, but in this case, they're black and white photos of the actual locations in the book, and shots of the intrepid canine trio themselves.  There's also a superb color photograph of a bird of prey on the wing gracing the cover.

The story that is spun is one of obstacles overcome that are as much mental as physical.  Attitude is everything, and Levi is there as alpha dog to remind friends and foes that there are choices to make in life and that it is a wise creature who uses a moral compass to guide him.  Whether it's helping a flock of parrots escape from a gang of vicious raptors, or helping a gravely wounded dog to find a better life, Levi (a daschund mix!) shepherds his charges through difficult times with the help of a retired Golden Retriever and an over sized Pomeranian.  The focus here is totally on the animals, with the human "companions" the merest shadow.  Suffice it to say that Levi is so well educated and centered that he is definitely someone you would invite to dinner, if only you could communicate with him in words!

You've got to appreciate a novella that can include interesting footnotes, references to the Bible, The Mothman Prophecies, the Thin Man movies and Jethro Gibbs from NCIS all in one package and still make you feel that you've learned something new when you put the book down.  A Flight of Raptors is a small gem for animal lovers.