THE DOGFATHER, by Susan Conant

The Dogfather is subtitled, "A Dog Lover's Mystery," and indeed it is. Emphasis more on "dog lovers" than mystery, at least in the case of The Dogfather.

This story was fun to read, as are all of her books. Conant writes with humor and special insight into the life of a dog owner. In The Dogfather, protagonist Holly Winter has received an offer she can't refuse: help a Mafia boss train his new Elkhound puppy.

Before long, Holly finds herself in the middle of a family vendetta between two rival mob bosses. Mixed in with the likable owner of the puppy are parodies of mob stereotypes, and a potential romance with an old boyfriend.

Holly's own dogs of choice are Alaskan malamutes, Rowdy and Kimi. Since I'm a dog person, the scenes with the pups kept me chuckling. It took a while for the mystery portion of the book to kick in, but with the humor in Conant's writing it almost didn't matter.

I've read several of Conant's dog lover's mysteries, and enjoyed them all. The books are intended for the general market, and as such contain a sprinkling of salty language. If that's not an issue for you, by all means read The Dogfather, or any other Susan Conant books you come across. You'll enjoy them.

TEA TIME FOR THE TRADITIONALLY BUILT, By Alexander McCall Smith

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built is McCall Smith's tenth novel in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. I have the whole series, and can think of no better books to read when I want something peaceful and reassuring.

In the case of Tea Time for the Traditionally Built, "traditionally built" refers to the protagonist in all of these novels, Precious Ramotswe of Botswana, Africa. Mma Ramotswe prefers to think of herself as traditionally built, rather than fat, as she is sometimes referred to by unkind persons.

Mma Ramotswe is a staunch defender of all that is traditional about Botswana, and often muses on the old ways she remembers from her childhood. Each of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency novels involves cases to be solved by Mma Ramotswe’s agency. In the case of Tea Time for the Traditionally Built, the cases include discovering who might be throwing the games of the local football team and advising a woman who is juggling two boyfriends.

While she works her inimitable way through these mysteries, Mma Ramotswe is struggling with worries of her own. Her tiny white van is on its last legs (wheels?) and she is trying to hide the fact from her husband, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, a mechanic, for fear he’ll send her much-loved vehicle to the scrap heap.

If you haven’t discovered this series yet, I recommend you start with Book One, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, and prepare yourself for hours of delight.