Synopses & Reviews
In a Victorian San Francisco populated by dogs, criminals have to fear the brilliant mind and masterful deductive reasoning of Mr. Samuel Blackthorne, a terrier with a flair for observation. In this, his first adventure, Blackthorne, accompanied by his colleague and biographer, Dr. Edward Smithfield, is hired by a sleek greyhound to find her brother, a quiet accountant who has mysteriously disappeared. The clues lead Blackthorne and Smithfield through the roughest parts of the city--the docks, the dog track, the casinos--and all the way to City Hall. But wherever they go, they seem to run into the same enigmatic character: an orange cat with a missing ear. This cunning mystery, full of the charged atmosphere of a Sherlock Holmes adventure, is also laugh-out-loud funny. Viv Mullett's illustrations add more charm to the work. An except from THE CASE OF THE CAT WITH THE MISSING EAR "The next time you decide to walk into a pack of ruffians, I would be most grateful if you would give me some warning beforehand." "Whatever for?" asked Blackthorne.... "You have to admit, this evening has been far more interesting than staying at home." "That may be true, " I replied. "But just because something is interesting doesn't mean it isn't dangerous." "On the contrary, " smiled Blackthorne. "Danger is precisely the ingredient that can turn a boring and tedious existence into an exciting adventure."
Synopsis
"And if I'm not mistaken," said Blackthorne, peering into the microscope, "we can narrow down our list of Mr. Kirkpatrick's visitors to a dalmatian, a Sussex spaniel, a poodle, a weimaraner..." -- Blackthorne looked up from the microscope -- "and an orange-haired cat."
Samuel Blackthorne, a Yorkshire terrier, is a master of observation and a genius of deductive reasoning who earns his living by unraveling mysteries and solving crimes.
When Molly Kirkpatrick, a sleek greyhound, comes to Blackthorne for help in finding her missing brother Patrick, a quiet accountant, it seems like a simple enough case. But the trail leads Blackthorne and his colleague, Smithfield, to the docks, the dog track, casinos, and all kinds of roguish characters. They are caught up in an increasingly convoluted web of deceit that involves the highest-ranking officials in the city -- and a mysterious, possibly deadly, cat with just one ear.
In this witty mystery Scott Emerson recounts the amazing adventures of Mr. Samuel Blackthorne, as revealed in the notebooks of Dr. Edward R. Smithfield.
About the Author
Scott Emerson has been a dog lover all of his life. A former resident of San Francisco, he now lives in Phoenix with his wife of sixteen years, Molly; his daughters, Kahley and Rainey; and, of course, his dogs and faithful companions, Sam and Ed.