Sunday is when we do beginnings, taking a look at the start of a Peter Abrahams novel, including those written under the Spencer Quinn moniker™. Since It’s A Wonderful Woof – the Chet and Bernie Christmas/holiday novel preceding the brand new one, Up On The Woof Top – how about we do it? You might say It’s A Wonderful Woof is the Baroque approach, and Up On The Woof Top the Dickensian. But you’re probably more sensible than that. (It’s A Wonderful Woof is available in digital, audio, hardcover, paperback.)

The Muertos throw the best Christmas party in the whole Valley. The Valley’s where we live, me and Bernie. It goes on forever in all directions, and is almost certainly in Arizona, based on things I hear from time to time. That’s not important. Is it important that the Muertos are the roughest, toughest biker gang around? Maybe to you, but not to us. The Little Detective Agency deals with the roughest and toughest every day. Little is Bernie’s last name, I’m Chet, pure and simple, and the agency’s just the two of us. Why would we need anyone else? That’s the important part.