Sunday! Beginnings! Where we check the opening of a Peter Abrahams novel including those written under the Spencer Quinn moniker (and I get to write that strange work moniker, origin unknown). As readers of the Chet and Bernie mysteries know, memories of Peanut the elephant pop up in Chet’s mind from time to time – in CAT ON A HOT TIN WOOF, the latest C&B for example. Peanut makes her only actual appearance – a big one – in TO FETCH A THIEF, which begins like this:

“I smell trouble,” Bernie said.

Better stop right there. Not that I doubt Bernie. The truth is I believe everything he says. And he has a nice big nose for a human. But what’s that saying? Not much.
It’s a fact that trouble has a smell – human trouble especially, sour and penetrating – but Bernie had never smelled trouble before, or if so he hadn’t mentioned it, and Bernie mentioned all kinds of things to me. We’re partners in the Little Detective Agency, me and Bernie, Bernie’s last name being Little. I’m Chet, pure and simple.