The Mystery of Too Many Elvises

Elizabeth Levy says:

Fletcher Rules!

There are three things I love -- dogs, mysteries, and salami. I also am fascinated and moved by the ways we love our pets and they love us. I first wrote about Fletcher, a salami-eating basset hound, in the Something Queer Mysteries more than thirty years ago. But those books were Gwen and Jill's mysteries. I always wondered what Fletcher thought about things. I love hearing from kids and visiting schools. Children from all over the world sent me wonderful drawings of Fletcher. I decided it was time for Fletcher to tell his own stories and star in his own series. But writing is mysterious. I never knew that a friendly flea named Jasper would join Fletcher. As I began these books, Jasper just started popping up and chatting. Now, Gwen, Jill, Fletcher, Mordicai, and I have a new friend. He's rather tiny, but he's a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to more mysteries with Fletcher and Jasper and their humans, Gwen and Jill.

Visit Elizabeth Levy's Web site at www.elizabethlevy.com.

Gr. 2-4. In this fourth installment in the Fletcher Mysteries, Fletcher the sleepy basset hound dons an Elvis outfit and nabs a devious canine thief. Jill and her friend Gwen want to enter Fletcher in their school's pet talent contest, but they can't think of a suitable trick for the show. They find the perfect one when Jill's mother puts on some Elvis tunes, and Fletcher dances to "Hound Dog." Dressed up in a Halloween Elvis suit from Jill's toddler days, Fletcher is ready, but on the day of the contest, his wig is stolen, and a no-good bulldog tries to steal the act. Fletcher the detective finds the thief and emerges as the show's winning performer. Breezy, fast-paced, and filled with puns and lighthearted suspense, the story will easily appeal to fans of the previous books as well as newcomers looking for an easy chapter book. Gerstein's sketches extend the comedy with full-page pictures of Fletcher balanced on his stubby hind legs, shaking his rump. Gillian Engberg
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