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Music, Sound, the Chet and Bernie Playlist, and A Farewell to Arfs by Spencer Quinn

A Farewell to ArfsSpencer Quinn’s A Farewell to Arfs ups the ante in the action-packed and witty New York Times and USA Today bestselling series that Stephen King calls “without a doubt the most original mystery series currently available.”

Chet the dog, “the most lovable narrator in all of crime fiction” (Boston Globe) and his human partner PI Bernie Little are on to a new case, and this time they’re entangled in a web of crime unlike anything they’ve ever seen before.

Their elderly next door neighbor, Mr. Parsons, thought he was doing the right thing by loaning his ne’er do well son, Billy, some money to help get himself settled. But soon, Mr. Parsons discovers that his entire life savings is gone. A run-of-the-mill scam? Bernie isn’t so sure that the case is that simple, but it’s Chet who senses what they’re really up against.

Only Billy knows the truth, but he’s disappeared. Can Chet and Bernie track him down before it’s too late? Someone else is also in the hunt, an enemy with a mysterious, cutting-edge power who will test Chet and Bernie to their limit—or maybe beyond. Even poker, not the kind of game they’re good at, plays a role.

Read onwards to see the incredible playlist you can jam out to while reading Spencer Quinn’s upcoming novel, A Farewell to Arfs!


By Spencer Quinn (Peter Abrahams):

Music, Sound, the Chet and Bernie Playlist, and A Farewell to Arfs

We seem to be in an era of scams—in our personal lives and perhaps in other societal regions. When it comes to personal scams there’s a new development, namely the use of artificial intelligence to replicate the voice of, say, a relative in trouble. AI is already good at this and of course getting better all the time. Okay. That’s by way of background. The Chet and Bernie mystery series is narrated by Chet, partner of Bernie, the private eye. Chet’s a dog. But not a talking dog! He’s as purely canine as I can make him. That makes him an unreliable narrator in some ways—alright, many—but a super-reliable narrator in others. One of those super-reliable categories is sound. Anyone who knows dogs knows they hear like we do not, both better and more richly. Therefore sound—and smell, of course—play a much bigger role in the Chet and Bernie series than they do in most other fiction. Which is part of the fun!

But forget fun. One day I was out on my bike ride, my mind wandering aimlessly—maybe its go-to state—when I suddenly thought: would Chet be fooled by an AI replicated voice? AI is built on human input, oceans of it. Chet swims in different waters. Aha, I thought to myself. And that was the genesis of A Farewell to Arfs, the new Chet and Bernie novel in a series designed—with no help from AI—to be read in any order.

If there was a totem pole of human sound, music would be at the top, in my opinion. Bernie is a music lover, given to singing—usually when he and Chet are alone, although also sometimes at parties when he’s had perhaps one too many. Three songs are mentioned in A Farewell to Arfs: “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” by Rev. Gary Davis; “God Walks These Dark Hills” by Iris Dement; and “If You Were Mine” by Billie Holiday. That last one is Chet’s favorite on account of Roy Eldridge’s dazzling trumpet solo that closes it out, the trumpet doing special things to Chet’s ears. Here’s a little snippet about that from A Farewell to Arfs. Chet and Bernie are watching Bernie’s son Charlie’s soccer practice. Charlie’s friend Esmé is also on the team. Malachi is her dad and he and Bernie have met before—at a Christmas party of which Bernie has only vague memories.

“You played Roy Eldridge’s trumpet solo from ‘If You Were Mine’?” Bernie said.

“At your request,” Malachi said. “And you handled Billie Holiday’s vocal.”

“Good grief,” said Bernie, meaning he must have forgotten how well he’d done. “But you played great, if I remember.”

“Not disgraceful,” Malachi said. “For an amateur. I’ve got no illusions about that. But I’ve always loved music. Not to sound too pompous—one of my failings, recently pointed out by Esmé but my wife agreed immediately—it’s my belief that music reveals the beauty of math even to folks who hate it.”

Bernie thought that over. “Esmé was saying something about this. You’re a mathematician?”

“Applied,” said Malachi, losing me completely, although I was already there.

Speaking of music, a Chet and Bernie fan named Mike Farley has compiled a Spotify playlist composed mostly of songs from the series. I’m so grateful for that, and for the high level of engagement readers seem to have with C&B. Here’s Mike’s Spotify list, the annotations all his:

Chet and Bernie Tribute – MikeF126, V1.

  1. If You Were Mine,” Billie Holiday. Roy Eldridge on trumpet
  2. Rock the Casbah”– Remastered.” The Clash
  3. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” – Single [short] Version,” Iron Butterfly
  4. Death Don’t Have No Mercy’” Rev. Gary Davis
  5. The Sky Is Crying,” Elmore James
  6. Sway-2009 Mix,” The Rolling Stones
  7. It Hurts Me Too,” Elmore James, Chief Records version
  8. Lonesome 77203,” Billy Don Burns
  9. Done Somebody Wrong,” Elmore James
  10. Can’t Cash My Checks.” Jamey Johnson
  11. Sea of Heartbreak,” Jimmy Buffet/George Strait version
  12. Metal Firecracker,” Lucinda Williams
  13. Chain of Fools,” Aretha Franklin
  14. Song for Chet,” Peter Abrahams, Mitch Watkins, Gene Elders, et al
  15. Surfin’ USA,” The Beach Boys
  16. Pontiac Blues – Live.” Sonny Boy Williamson and The Yardbirds

Enjoy!


Click below to pre-order your copy of A Farewell to Arfs, available August 6th, 2024!

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Spencer Quinn on the Chet and Bernie Fandom

It’s no secret: the Chet & Bernie Mysteries series by Spencer Quinn has a dedicated and generous fan base. What’s not to love about a book series told from the perspective of an endearing, mystery-solving dog? To get excited for the upcoming book in the series, opens in a new windowOf Mutts and Menread Spencer Quinn’s thoughts on the Chet & Bernie fandom and on being a big fan of his fans.


By Spencer Quinn

opens in a new windowImage Placeholder of - 3“Chet and Bernie are my happy place.”

That’s an actual quote from a reader of the Chet and Bernie series, but others in a similar vein come in every day via email, Facebook, the blog, or Twitter. How about a few more?

“I never get tired of these books. I may have read them twice but I wouldn’t know because … these books are such a joy!”

“I am starting the series again for the third time, this time on audiobook. I am listening while I walk—lost 3 pounds so far!”

“I’d like to think there is a parallel universe where their world exists and maybe we will visit someday.” 

“I keep one on bed stand and one by the sofa. Whenever I start feeling down/anxious/worried I have an immediate pick me up!”

“Please don’t wait too long between Chet and Bernie books. They are so good for my soul.”

Okay! Enough! Writer patting self on back is not a good look. Did I expect this kind of reader reaction when I began the series? No. I don’t think about reader reaction while I’m writing. That would be a distraction and distraction is an enemy of the imagination. To digress for a moment: writing fiction has two components, imagination and technique. Technique – which can be taught, at least to a certain extent – is always on call once you’ve got it. Imagination might be reluctant on certain days, and try not to answer the bell. I’ve always been lucky in that if I just sit there for a few minutes my imagination begins to stir. If necessary I can sort of prod it. Here’s how: I think of the engine that is driving the story, its beating heart. Regrettably some novels lack a beating heart. I don’t know what you’d do in that situation, but the beating heart of the Chet and Bernie series is the love between Chet and Bernie (Bernie being the detective and Chet his dog). Once my imagination remembers that, we’re on our way.

And how nice! This digression has led us right to the bulls-eye of what I’m supposed to be talking about, namely why this series seems to have struck such a deep chord in readers. What I set out to do was write good mysteries – mysteries would still be good if written in a conventional narrative form – and have them narrated by a dog. Not a talking dog! A talking dog would ruin it! But dogs have a narrative of what’s going on in their heads, and that’s what I try to get on the page. (I also want my mysteries to include thematic material – to be about something. Of Mutts and Men, the new Chet and Bernie – and don’t worry, they can be read in any order – was inspired by real events concerning cynical university endowment investing and water issues in the southwest.)

One thing I quickly discovered: Chet’s an unreliable narrator, at least in human terms. When you marry an unreliable narrator to the traditional plotting of a mystery, you suddenly find that you’ve blown up the form. And possibly create something fresh! I think that freshness is part of the appeal to the readers. But the bigger part is the beating heart I mentioned – the love between Chet and Bernie. That just appeared during the writing. I didn’t consciously put it in and might not even have been aware of it. But I sure am now! The readers started letting me know right away and they haven’t stopped. Not infrequently they tell me that C&B have helped them or their family in difficult times – of illness, for example, or death of someone close. That’s humbling.

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I’ve become a fan of the fans. They share photos of their dogs on Chet’s FB page (and not just dogs, but cats, gerbils, birds, and even the odd stuffed animal. Check out our Friend-of-the-Month contest!). They often quote favorite passages from the books – and use Chetisms in daily life! Chet and Bernie fans are funny and smart and decent and very entertaining. And generous! One day this patchwork quilt arrived, all about the stories and made by readers in different parts of the country. Or take a look at these handmade wooden blocks. The fans are decorating my office for me. A writer couldn’t ask for more.

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Now it’s time to let Of Mutts and Men out in the big wide world. It is literally – and I hope figuratively – the deepest in the series so far. The fans – a sort of Chet and Bernie Trust – will let know soon enough.

Pre-Order Your Copy:

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Behind the Scenes: The Making of the Heart of Barkness Cover!

We all love the final result, but how did we get such a good shot of Chet & Bernie? Well, it took a little book cover magic, a talented photographer, and one very good boy!

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The first thing we needed was a Chet and a Bernie!

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Thankfully we found some great models to bring Chet and Bernie to life.

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The next step was to find the right location! Would we go with an empty street, or maybe Bernie’s favorite watering hole?

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Our amazing doggo model had one flaw though! Unlike Chet, he didn’t have one white ear. We tried to help…

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And Simon was a very good boy. But the white didn’t stick on his lovely black fur!

So we used the magic of photo editing to turn Simon into Chet!

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And it all turned out great, with Chet the star of the cover. Get a closer look at Heart of Barkness at your favorite bookstore!

 

Order Your Copy of Heart of Barkness:

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Chet & Bernie: A Series Refresher

Chet & Bernie: A Series Refresher

Enter for a chance to win an ARC of Heart of Barkness by Spencer Quinn on Goodreads opens in a new windowhere!

By Alison Bunis

Forge is thrilled to be the new home of Spencer Quinn’s delightful Chet & Bernie mystery series, with the upcoming opens in a new windowHeart of Barkness available on July 9. We know a lot of fans have been eagerly waiting to see what happens next, but maybe some of you don’t remember everything that’s happened so far in the series. Or maybe you haven’t read the Chet & Bernie series, and you want to know what’s going on in time for Heart of Barkness.

Either way, we’ve got you covered with a quick series refresh!

Dog On It: Chet & Bernie #1

Image Place holder  of - 22Meet Chet, the lovable canine narrator who works alongside Bernie, a down-on-his-luck private investigator. Chet may have flunked out of police school, but he’s a detective, and he’s found his human in Bernie. Though Chet doesn’t fully understand Bernie, or the issues that distract him―like divorce, cash flow, and child custody―they remain a loyal, tightly-bonded pair through all the suspense and intrigue. Crime has never been so much fun.

Thereby Hangs a Tail: Chet & Bernie #2

Place holder  of - 45When threats are made against a pampered show dog named Princess, who better to investigate than the PI duo of Chet & Bernie? What starts off as a lark of a case takes a serious turn when Princess and her owner are abducted, and gets even worse when Bernie’s on-again off-again girlfriend, reporter Susie Sanchez, disappears. When Chet is separated from Bernie, it’s up to the canine to put everything together and save the day.

To Fetch a Thief: Chet & Bernie #3

Placeholder of  -50When Bernie takes his elephant-crazy son Charlie to see the traveling circus, the ever-loyal Chet tags along. But by the time they get there the headlining elephant and her trainer have gone missing without a trace―not even a witness. How does an elephant disappear from the circus in the middle of the night? No, it’s not a riddle. It’s the mystery Chet & Bernie have to solve in the third installment of their delightful series.

The Dog Who Knew Too Much: Chet & Bernie #4

Poster Placeholder of - 72As Bernie is invited to give the keynote speech at the Great Western Private Eye Convention, he and Chet are also hired to find a boy who’s gone missing from wilderness camp. The boy’s mother thinks his father―her ex―has snatched him, but Chet isn’t so sure. And things get more complicated when a stray puppy that looks suspiciously like Chet shows up. Affairs of the heart collide with the job, and Chet & Bernie depend on each other like they never have before.

A Fistful of Collars: Chet & Bernie #5

Image Placeholder of - 53Hollywood has really gone to the dogs. When bad-boy movie star Thad Perry is in town shooting a big-budget Western, Chet & Bernie have to keep him out of trouble. But Thad has a mysterious connection to the Valley, and the people who know his secrets keep turning up dead. But worst of all, Thad comes with a cat, and his feline friend Brando has taken an instant dislike to Chet.

The Sound and the Furry: Chet & Bernie #6

image-35365As a favor to an old friend Frenchie Boutette, Chet & Bernie head to New Orleans to find Frenchie’s brother Ralph, a reclusive inventor who’s disappeared, along with his houseboat, from the bayou. What starts off looking like a family dispute over stolen shrimp leads to big oil, black ops figures, and a shadowy gang called the Q’s―plus Iko, a legendary bayou gator with a big appetite. It seems like the more Chet & Bernie find out about Ralph and what he knew, the less chance they have of surviving to do anything about it.

Paw and Order: Chet & Bernie #7

image-35366When Chet and Bernie are visiting Bernie’s girlfriend, Suzie Sanchez, a reporter living in Washington D.C., one of Suzie’s sources runs into trouble of the worst kind, and Bernie suddenly finds himself under arrest. As Chet befriends a powerful D.C. operative who may or may not have the goods on an ambitious politician, dog & PI are sucked into an international conspiracy, battling unfamiliar forces under the blinking red eyes of a strange bird that only Chet seems to notice.

Scents and Sensibility: Chet & Bernie #8

image-35367Chet and Bernie return home to find their elderly neighbors are being investigated for possessing a cactus illegally transplanted from the desert. When Chet and Bernie go deep into the desert to investigate their cactus-smuggling neighbors they discover things far worse than plant trafficking. Everything is connected to a strange festival, a long-ago kidnapping that may not have been a kidnapping, and a charismatic criminal with a cult following―a criminal who immediately sees what Chet and Bernie mean to each other, and knows how to exploit it…

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