Michael, the Incredible Super-Sleuth Sausage Dog.

by  TERRIE CHILVERS,

Art by Tim Budgen  

  

                                                                                    

An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my weekend Book Review featuring this week a Doggy Adventure in Middle Grade Fiction.

This week, we are delighted to share book 2 in the series about Michael, a highly talented and arguably self-absorbed mind-reading sausage dog. 

But fair dues, he grasped the nettle, or stick, in his jaws and ran with the talent he had, and it came good. But mirroring life, things do not always go well, and lessons have to be learnt. So join Mrs. H and me now as we see what Michael and his sidekick, Stanley Big Dog are up to . . . .

 

 

AUTHOR:  Terrie Chilvers

 

Cover & Internal Art by:  Tim Budgen 

 

Published by: Firefly Press

 

Publication date Paperback:  2 May 2024

 

 

Paperback ISBN: 978 - 1 915 444 516

UK Cover price for Paperback:  £6.99

Kindle UK price: £3.49

 

Pages: 168

 

Age range:  6+

Any dogs or cats? Just dogs

 

 

SPOILER ALERT

Some as to plot direction and characters.

 

SPOILER ALERT

Some as to plot direction and characters.

Thank you to... 

We are exceedingly grateful to Graeme at Firefly Publishers for agreeing to give us a copy of this fine adventure for our Read & Review. We loved the first adventure, and this was a must-read for us both.

As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, received as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review.

First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and that we hope they, their family, friends and students will enjoy.

The plot

Michael the Sausage Dog has climbed the rungs of the Holywoof ladder, and after his success at the Canine Spectacular theatre show, he gets his own chat and mind-reading show – An Audience with Michael. He is the king of the hill. Well, he was. A new act in Tinsel Town has knocked back the ratings. Steve The Stunt Sausage Dog has caught everyone's attention. So much so that Michael can't get anyone to agree to come on. Nobody but Susan, the irritating Chocolate Labrador with a talent for balancing peanuts on her nose. Things really had sunk to a new low.

Things take a turn for the worse when Susan's star caravan is found empty, turned over and smelling very much of cheese. Susan has been DOGNAPPED!!!

Detective Wrinkles, a basset hound, declares the caravan a crime scene. After a bit of searching, they discover the ransom note on a seat under Stanley's bum. Quickly, they discover the signature calling card of notorious dog napper Dog X, a stinking wheel of exotic cheese.

The show must go on, but with no guests, our duo could be twiddling their paws. But, in a bizarre twist, Michael and Stanley Big Dog are to act in the ransom money drop! Detective Wrinkles, who really doesn't like Michael or believe in his talents, takes them to stay at the grotty Dog House Motel in a backwaters town called Three Paw Creek. The town's only claim to fame is that it houses the 'World's Biggest Stick' attraction. Naturally, Stanley just can't wait to take the lift to the top of this huge (and decidedly tree-like) stick!

Trapped in a seedy motel whilst Detective Wrinkles uses the rooms at the posh Bouncy Ball Hotel in the good end of town, it takes little time for Michael to feel hard done by. The chews supplied for breakfast were half-chewed, and their water bowl likely came from the puddle outside. The pair are also under strict instructions not to show their faces!

OK, as you can imagine, Michael, having a larger-than-life ego, and Stanley, being a dog of relatively little brain but full of life and a yen for seeing the BIGGEST stick in the world, soon break the rules. In fact, they are soon off investigating. Michael can see a ratings boost if he can be instrumental in saving Susan. 

The ransom drop is due later that day, so what could be the harm in checking things out?

What indeed, and therein sits the root of the adventure that unfolds. If it can go wrong, it does. Which is why we have to close the review just there. If you want to learn more about Stanley and his big stick or whether Michael gets his interview and the star ratings that his super talents (and ego) deserve, you'll just have to get the book.

So, what did we think?

This is a brilliant, dog-centric adventure. It plays to each breed's strengths and polite stereotypes in a delightfully comic, tongue-in-cheek, and childishly innocent and cheeky fashion. There are jokes and naughty words such as 'bum', and an almost vaudeville/Laurel & Hardy humour that I think kids will love, and adults will smile and maybe groan at. The light lessons Michael learns along the way will resonate with kids, parents, and teachers alike. 

So . . . . Crunch time. 

A fun and easygoing read, delightfully illustrated by Tim Budgen, that left us with a smile on our faces and chuckles and laughs resonating through the room. It is a book that's so easy to love, which is why we feel it is an excellent, safe buy.

Want to buy a copy?

To get a copy, avoiding ransom gangs and stinky cheese, please head down to your local independent bookshop. Big sticks are optional. There are plenty out there (both book shops and sticks), and each shop is just waiting to serve up whatever kind of mystery, fun and adventure you desire.

Book one review can be found by clicking this link HERE. 

Terrie Chilvers' web page can be found HERE or type this: https://www.terriechilvers.com/

Tim Budgen's web page can be found HERE or type this: https://timbudgen.com/

Firefly Press' web page can be found HERE or type this: https://fireflypress.co.uk/

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the excellent Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. Click this link to see Janet Blue's selfie page.

I shall leave you with NOT another Sofa Selfie. This time, and to prove I don't just sleep on the bed and or sofa, I can be seen monitoring the state of my driveway. Yup, it's a hard job (not least because of the hard surface, MOL), but one I am always up to, weather permitting. I also get to keep an eye out for many of the transient new felines in the area who seem to think my drive is some sort of free-to-use access way! 

 

Till Laters!

ERin

©Erin the Cat Princess