Cat on a Hot Tin Woof (Chet & Bernie Mystery #16), by Spencer Quinn

 Publication April 14, 2026

It's just cat-hating, detective dog Chet's luck that the next case he and his human Bernie will be involved in centers around, oh, dear, cats. A missing cat to be exact. A viral sensation of a cat. Miss Kitty. An internet star. Her human, Bitty, misses her terribly. While Chet would just as rather human PI Bernie Little pass this case up -- seems a cat had something to do with Chet flunking out of K9 classes -- Bernie is a sucker for a sad teen's face. He also is always, always in need of money. Chet will explain that here and there as the story progresses but, well, let's just say Bernie puts his money in all the wrong places. 

Anyway, Bernie accepts the case. Oh, and did I mention that the prime witness is a real pig. Real as in a oinking pig. Goes by the name of Senor Piggy. You know right there that this is going to be a fun, wild, and probably very humorous case.  I'm not going to detail the plot, it's too much fun to follow as it unfolds, but it does tackle what might be considered a timely issue, the down side of internet fame. It's narrated by Chet, who believes his human partner is absolutely brilliant, and is full of action and author Spencer Quinn's trademark humor. I've missed the last few books, alas, but fell right into this one with no issues, so would say it works well as a standalone if you're new to the series. 

Bottom line, a fun, interesting mystery. It's totally narrated by Chet, btw, so you get his somewhat quirky, goofy takes on everything from the way cats smell -- he senses there's going to be a cat involved even before Bernie talks to the clients -- to  Bernie's obsession with his car and, well, much more. It makes for a lighthearted read even when things get tense and there's always a lot of action in this series. You'll like Chet and Bernie, even if Chet's viewpoint of Bernie is, well, a bit of hero worship, too. It's Chet's voice we get, of course, and that keeps the humor flowing and Chet's genuine attachment to his human is obvious. Needless to say, lots of twists and turns in the plot, all ending up in a confrontation. Seriously, will Chet be able to bring himself to help, ugh, a cat? Thanks #StMartin'sPress - #MinotaurBooks for giving me this early peek at Chet and Bernie's latest case, cat, big, and all. I need to get to the library and catch up on this series!