Synopsis

Seattle teacher and part-time blogger Hayden McCall wakes sporting one hell of a shiner, with the police knocking at his door. It seems that his new crush, dancer Camilo Rodriguez, has gone missing, and they suspect foul play. What happened the night before? And where is Camilo?

Determined to find answers, pint-sized, good-hearted Hayden seeks out two of Camilo’s friends—Hollister and Burley—both lesbians and both fiercely devoted to their friend. From them, Hayden learns that Camilo is a “Dreamer” whose parents had been deported years earlier and whose sister, Daniela, is presumed to have returned to Venezuela with them. Convinced that the cops won’t take a brown boy’s disappearance seriously, the girls join Hayden’s hunt for Camilo.

The first clues turn up at Barkingham Palace, a pet store where Camilo had taken a part-time job. The store’s owner, Della Rupert, claims ignorance, but Hayden knows something is up. And then there’s Camilo’s ex-boyfriend, Ryan, who’s suddenly grown inexplicably wealthy. When Hayden and Hollister follow Ryan to a secure airport warehouse, they make a shocking connection between him and Della—and uncover the twisted scheme that’s made both of them rich.

The trail of clues leads them to the grounds of a magnificent estate on an island in Puget Sound, where they’ll finally learn the truth about Camilo’s disappearance—and the fate of his family.

Amazon

Review

This mystery was different from many of the others that I have read but in a good way. All of the characters are pretty unique, and I chuckled at the descriptions of everyone. I pictured Brendan Scannell from Bonding on Netflix as Hayden. I am probably not too far off the mark with that comparison.

The story starts with Hayden being kicked in the face accidentally when trying to tip a Go-Go dancer at the club. Camillo decides to take him home with him, but I’m not sure if that is because he is interested in him or if he feels bad for giving him a shiner. When Hayden awakes the following day, Camillo is gone, and he decides that the police don’t seem to care and will find Camillo. He ropes in two women, Hollister and Burley, to help uncover the truth. It is quite a twisty tale, and some parts don’t seem possible and weren’t really explained (I can’t give away too much because those details are what the mystery hinges upon).

I liked the fast pace, and of course, there is a dog in the story, Commander. Hayden becomes attached to him while they search for Camillo. I can only imagine how hard that will be to give him up.

One of the minor characters is Jerry. He is Hayden’s aunt’s neighbor and has to be around 90, based on a few comments. I think he could be a major player going forward in future books. He seemed wise and had sage advice for Hayden.

Now Hayden’s neighbor, Sarah? She must not have enough to do because she wanted Hayden out of there for a lease infraction. I do believe that the landlord was wise to her ways, and I think she had a soft spot for Hayden.

There are plenty of clues to uncover the “bad guys,” but not so many that you might figure out the “who” before the end.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to future installments in this series.

We give the book 4 paws up.

About the Author

Prior to Devil’s Chew Toy, Rob Osler’s short story, Analogue, which was published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, won the Mystery Writers of America Robert L Fish Award as part of the 2022 Annual Edgar Awards. Rob lives in California with his long-time partner and a tall gray cat.

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