Synopsis
The year is 1942, and Eleanor Roosevelt is convinced that there is an imposter in the White House masquerading as Fala, FDR’s prized Scottie. Positive that a shady veterinarian has absconded with the genuine pooch, Eleanor turns for help to that much-battered and near penniless private eye: Toby Peters.
Never one to refuse a lady in distress, much less the First Lady, the unflappable detective gamely agrees to search for the pilfered canine. What follows is a high-speed, hilarious romp about L.A. and its environs in which Toby encounters a lethal ex-wrestler named Elmo and a bookie with a powerful passion for the Academy Awards.
Library Journal
The year is 1942, and America is starting to feel the pinch of wartime deprivation. For gumshoe Toby Peters, "doing without" is no big deal; he scrapes by as a private eye by doing the oddest of odd jobs, and he seems to be surrounded by a coterie of curious characters. This time, it's none other than Eleanor Roosevelt. The First Lady is convinced that the president's little dog, Fala, has been kidnapped and seeks the aid of Toby to track down the real First Dog. The fun begins: Toby finds himself uncovering a plot to overthrow the government by a crackpot political party known as the New Whigs, dodging whacks from a cop who dislikes him intensely, and being framed for a murder he can't prove he didn't commit. As usual, reader Tom Parker gives all characters distinctive low-life voices (except for Eleanor, of course), and his vocal gymnastics adds immensely to the overall enjoyment of another Peters adventure. Recommended for all libraries. Joseph L. Carlson, Lompoc P.L., CA