It’s almost Christmas, and Rudolph the reindeer is missing. And while this misplaced caribou is a resident of Colorado instead of the North Pole, the situation is affecting the work of one Dame Ariadne Carlisle, world-renowned cozy mystery author who has published 99 books. But without Rudy, her muse is gone. This is where our two intrepid detectives, Chet and Bernie, enter. “Up On the Woof Top” is Spencer Quinn’s fourteenth book in this popular series, and there’s something rather special about it.

Of course, starring front and center are Bernie and Chet; Chet is the fabulous canine narrator whose modesty about past exploits is almost as charming as his complete adoration of Bernie—who can do no wrong in Chet’s huge soulful eyes. But the additional something special in this novel is the woman, Dame Ariadne Carlisle, who hires Bernie and Chet to find her missing reindeer.

Dame Ariadne is a writer of British mysteries, and she writes one Christmas mystery every year. But right now, she’s suffering from writer’s block, and she and her assistant, Chaz, think the problem might stem from the disappearance of one of her herd of reindeer, Rudy. Bernie meets the writer at a book signing he attends with his neighbors, and Dame Ariadne is quite taken with Chet, as are most who get to meet him. So with a generous offer of employment, Bernie and Chet load up their Porsche and head to the Kringle Ranch, near Durango, Colorado, where the author has thousands and thousands of acres of land.

What results, though, is that the mystery isn’t confined to “where did Rudy go?” Chaz is badly injured, and when Bernie finds him—or rather Chet does—they start to sense there is more at hand than a missing oversized deer. As with all the Chet and Bernie adventures, this one works as a stand alone novel, although reading them all really works to build up the characters and relationship of Chet and Bernie and their loved ones.

Like many of the Chet and Bernie adventures, there are plenty of additional characters, suspects if you will, to sort through, but Quinn doesn’t hide much. Often, what you see is what you get. We are predisposed to like some of the characters because Bernie and Chet do, and if Chet doesn’t like someone, well, we know that’s a strong indication to pay attention. And while Chet doesn’t quite know what to make of idioms like “Even Steven,” his ability to get to the inner core of a person—both mentally and physically—would be the envy of most trauma surgeons and therapists.

Quinn’s last book was a stand alone novel, “Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge.” The protagonist is a woman of a certain age who, in many ways, reminds me of Dame Ariadne. They don’t share the same background, but they do have a force within them, something fierce and strong, that defies age and stereotypes. Chet often refers to Dame Ariadne’s age as something changeable, depending on how she feels and looks. And somehow, in this novel, Dame Ariadne seems a larger presence than the new characters do in other Chet and Bernie novels. She’s a large part of the story, and the connection she makes with Bernie goes deep. It’s really lovely. And she reminds me of Mrs. Plansky.

Enjoy the time at Kringle Ranch. It seems an unimaginably lovely place. Have fun figuring out the “who done it” part—you’ll probably succeed. But most of all, revel in Chet, that magnificent hunk of dog who is, in many ways, the epitome of what we really want our dogs to be thinking. You’ll laugh at his misunderstanding, be touched by his empathy and insightfulness, and most of all, you’ll really want a Chet of your own.

This review was first posted on Bookreporter.com.