Thanks to his relationship with the ancient Druid Atticus O’Sullivan, Oberon the Irish wolfhound knows trouble when he smells it—and furthermore, he knows he can handle it.
When he discovers that a prizewinning poodle has been abducted in Eugene, Oregon, he learns that it’s part of a rash of hound abductions all over the Pacific Northwest. Since the police aren’t too worried about dogs they assume have run away, Oberon knows it’s up to him to track down those hounds and reunite them with their humans. For justice! And gravy!
Engaging the services of his faithful Druid, Oberon must travel throughout Oregon and Washington to question a man with a huge salami, thwart the plans of diabolical squirrels, and avoid, at all costs, a fight with a great big bear.
But if he’s going to solve the case of the Purloined Poodle, Oberon will have to recruit the help of a Boston terrier named Starbuck, survive the vegetables in a hipster pot pie, and firmly refuse to be distracted by fire hydrants and rabbits hiding in the rose bushes.
At the end of the day, will it be a sad bowl of dry kibble for the world’s finest hound detective, or will everything be coming up sirloins?
How was it?
If you’re not familiar with The Iron Druid Chronicles, this novella might be a little weird at first, but you’d quickly get into it. For one, it’s a detective story told from a dog’s perspective who has a great personality – and you don’t even need to be an animal lover to agree with that statement. Another element is that The Purloined Poodle is captivating and funny. I was laughing and/or had a smile on my face from beginning to end.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Oberon’s observations and dog logic are gold. You can find little quotable gems like:
“There’s nothing more friendly than an easy-accessed back door.”
“The woman was a blonde of the chemical kind.”
“I’m not saying he’s rabid or anything, just liable to snap at any moment like Jack Nicholson in every movie ever.”
“He seems like the type to have a basement with lots of plastic sheeting on the walls and floors, you know what I mean?”
and many many more. Oberon’s mind getting blown about one subject or another – one my favorite is the stud fees and the ethics of it – is just hilarious and amazing. One thing I need to specify though, I got the audible version, Luke Daniels put my appreciation for Oberon on another level. He rounded my 4.5 to a 5 stars.
The Purloined poodle is highly entertaining and has everything it needs to be the awesome experience it is, Oberon! The detective noir mystery, and Luke Daniels helps too.
You can get the audiobook here
Worn out Spines 
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