by Paul Regnier
DETAILS:
Series: Luke and Bandit Cozy Mystery, Book 1
Publication Date: December 03, 2020
Format: Kindle Edition
Length: 244 pg.
Read Date: July 10-12, 2025
I rubbed my temples. “I’m losing it. I’m talking to my dog.”
Bandit walked over and sat beside me. What do you mean? We always talk.
“Not like this!” I stared at him. “Doesn’t this seem different to you?”
He tilted his head. I guess. I mean, sometimes you’re a little thick. You seem to have trouble understanding me. Like when you don’t want to go for a walk, but the weather is perfect. Or you’d rather sit on the couch than play fetch. Or it’s dinner, and we could have steak, but you make a cheese quesadilla. Or—
What’s A Tail of Mystery About?
Luke has hit a little roadblock in his journalism career—his editor fired him. The newspaper industry being what it is now, he didn’t have a lot of options. So he—and his Australian Shepherd, Bandit—are off to his old (small) hometown to live with his mother for a little bit and to lick his wounds.
He has a fairly well-to-do uncle who lives in the same town, too. He’s more eccentric than he is well-off, too—and runs some ethically questionable animal experiments in his home. Luke didn’t realize exactly how ethically-flexible Uncle Zeke is, but by the time he realized it, he’d already agreed to let Zeke use him in his experiments (Luke really needed money, it should be stressed).
Something goes wrong during the experiment—and when Luke wakes up he can hear Bandit’s thoughts in his mind. And vice versa. It’s not unlike Hearne’s Atticus and Oberon, although Bandit seems to have a stronger command of English (and math). Even more wrong, Zeke has been murdered. As the only person at the scene, Luke’s the prime suspect of most of the police town.
And he really can’t tell them “I didn’t do it, but my dog smelled another human around there.”
So, faster than you can say, “Spencer Quinn,” Luke has to team up with his mother (who assures him she’s watched enough Murder, She Wrote to be qualified) and his best friend from High School to see if they can clear Luke’s name, with an assist or two from Bandit.
Crystal Falls
Crystal Falls was just off Highway 55, nestled in a mature forest of pines and firs. A short walk from the center of town took you to the Crystal Falls River. On quiet nights you could hear the musical trickle of water as it flowed over the smooth rocks. The more ambitious hiker, heading north for twenty minutes, would arrive at Crystal Falls, the landmark that gave the town its name. The waterfall was two stories high, and thundered down to a pool of water large enough for the adventurous swimmer or college skinny dipping dare. I left the highway, and took Crystal Road.
Childhood memories flooded back as I drove the curving ascent into town. The road, flanked by thick firs, led through a dense mountain forest. I cracked the window, letting the fresh, cool air fill the car. A choir of chirping birds was scattered among the trees.
The center of town was laid out in a giant oval. One and two-story city buildings and retail stores ran along the edges, and a circular park the size of a football field sat dead center. The park was dotted with Douglas firs, and a colorful variety of deciduous trees displaying a canvas of fall colors. The orange-yellow leaves of willows ringed the outer edge, ushering me into town. A large, white gazebo marked the center of the park, a sentimental landmark of small town America. Roads branched off into the hills, leading to residential homes.
Doesn’t this sound like the perfect, quaint little town? It might as well be Stars Hollow or Del Sol, New Mexico. It’s the kind of small town where everyone knows each other, knows each other’s business, and the biggest scandal is that someone might be cheating in the annual Cinnamon Festival Bake-off (the investigation into this is Luke’s first assignment for the local paper). A murder of an infamous crank definitely gets folks talking—as is any clumsy investigation not done by the police.
We don’t get to see much of it in this book, but we get enough to know that I’m going to enjoy spending time here and getting to know the populace over the next four books.
Bandit
Bandit crept closer, sniffing the fallen body. I’m guessing raccoons… They’re devious creatures, you know? Totally capable of an attack like this.
So, you know I have to talk about Bandit, right? I’d forgotten the whole thing about Luke and Bandit being able to talk to each other when I started this book, and I already thought Bandit was a good boi before he started communicating. He’s a big dog with a lot of heart, and will surely catch a bird or squirrel soon. He’s convinced that raccoons are not to be trusted (and he’s probably right), and has strong opinions on baked goods as well as other foodstuffs.
His personality is great—he’s generally upbeat, devoted to Luke (but he has a soft spot for some of the other humans around, even the ones who smell). It didn’t take me long at all to know I was going to read more of these books just for Bandit (although the rest of the book warranted reading the sequel, too—but I had to wait to decide that).
So, what did I think about A Tail of Mystery?
It’s getting late, so I won’t take the time to get into all the colorful characters we meet here—also, I’d risk giving something away about the murder. But I’ll talk about Luke’s mother, his friend, Kenny, and some of the other memorable folks in a future post. For now, I’ll just repeat myself from above—I want to get to know this Crystal Falls and its populace more. (see what I said about Del Sol and Stars Hollow)
The murder was well-plotted and just mysterious enough to keep you guessing—it would’ve been very difficult (but not impossible) for someone to figure out without Bandit’s nose. Which is one of those notes that I’m always going to love.
I liked Luke—even if he could be a little whiny, hopefully Book 2 doesn’t involve him being accused of murder, so we can see more of the good side of his personality. Regnier’s narrative voice is charming enough that you’ll enjoy the book despite Luke’s misery.
It’s a fun, quick, easy read that hits all the right notes. I encourage you to pick it up—I’m getting the next one soon myself.
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