1542. The Rescue by T. Jefferson Parker

Bettina Blazak, is a young, savvy journalist who works for the local Laguna Beach newspaper, “The Coastal Eddy.”  She is researching a human interest series on street dogs when she comes across a wounded stray dog at a vet clinic in Tijuana.  She adopts the dog, names him Felix and begins featuring him in her blog.  Apparently, Felix has led and interesting life.  Felix, a/k/a Joe was first owned by a boy who had to give him up after his parents died, was then trained by the DEA for stiffing out illegal drugs, then was sold to a dog trainer, Dan who used him to help one Mexican drug cartel steal from another.  It was during one of these missions he was wounded. Bettina’s blogging about her pet places Joe/ Felix in the limelight.  Everyone who once owned him wants him back and the cartels want him dead.  The story takes an interesting twist when parts are told from the dog’s point of view.  Nothing complex just basic canine needs… I’m hungry, I’m horny, who’s in my pack. Dan takes the role of the bad guy but he develops a romantic interest in Bettina.  His conflicts in his character create real danger for Bettina and her dog.

I’ve read a lot of T. Jefferson Parker’s work all the way back to Laguna Heat in the late 1980’s and this is his first attempt to include a dog in the plot.  As I read this book I kept thinking about Robert Crais’s venture into canine land when he wrote Suspect.  Amazingly in the acknowledgements Parker credits Crais for the inspiration.  Both books are good entertainment especially for dog lovers.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance look.