NEW RELEASE
A Pug's Tale - Alison Pace (2011)
In this sequel to Pug Hill, the story follows art conservator Hope McNeil and her boyfriend's pug Max as they "crash" a gala party where the rich and famous, along with their pugs, gather to honour an eminent New York philanthropist Daphne Markham. But Max soon gets himself into a sticky "doggie" situation, resulting in them being chased out of hall by the host Gil Turner. They head back to the Conservation Studio, only to receive another shock of the night -the valuable Henri Fantin Latour painting is missing, with the fake replica in their department. Her bosses, however, have no intent of reporting the matter to the police, fearing the bad press would cause Daphne to withdraw her donations, and instead hire a private investigator Chaz, who seems to be inept at solving the mystery himself. Just as Hope decides to take matters into her own hands, she receives an anonymous email offering clues to find the missing painting. Though I find that this book pales in comparison to Pace's other books, I still enjoyed it - and especially loved the way she deals with how Hope has changed since the first book in a subtle manner, as with the entrance of Max and Ben into her life, and the various passages narrating the delicate relationship between humans and pugs. (XT)
Alison Pace is back with her follow-up to her 2006 novel Pug Hill. The summary of A Pug's Tale says: "Hope McNeill has worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for years but this is the first time she's been able to bring along her pug, Max. (Officially at least. Previously she's had to smuggle him in inside her tote bag.) The occasion: a special Pug Night party in honour of a deep-pocketed donor. Max and his friends are having a ball stalking the hors d'oeuvres and getting rambunctious, and making Hope wonder if this is also the last time she gets to bring Max to the museum. But when a prized painting goes missing, the Met needs Hope's - and Max's - help. In her quest for the culprit, Hope searches for answers with an enigmatic detective, a larger-than-life society heiress, a lady with a shih tzu in a stroller, and her arguably intuitive canine. With luck, she'll find some inspiration on her trips to Pug Hill before the investigation starts going downhill."