A fun detective story featuring a pretty wild doggo, Shamus the Urban Rez Dog. P.I. by Leslie Gentile is a story that will be easily gobbled up.

Shamus is a rez dog now living in the city with his lovely family, Rainey, Cole and Mom, one of many Indigenous families who live on the block. When mom is suddenly suspected of theft at her job as a jewelry store clerk, Shamus and the kids spring into action to clear her name and get to the bottom of why things keep going missing from the store.

Leslie Gentile has created a character in Shamus so enigmatic that could easily spark a series centered around him and the family, solving crimes in their urban community. I absolutely love Shamus. Since the story is told in his voice, readers are treated to a humorous storyline, often interrupted by the wandering thoughts of a dog easily distracted by cats and smells. 

The story does reflect unfortunate realities for Indigenous people in Rainey and Cole’s mom being the first suspect once things start to go missing, however, the story reflects much joy as well, such as the celebration of the Coast Salish silversmith jewelry that Mom successfully adds to the store’s inventory.

I love the family relationships in this story. Grandma and Uncle Doug step in to help when needed and even friend Max and his mom are treated like family. The community feeling that permeates this story is comforting and reflective of tight knit communities.

For a long time, The Bear would only read novels with animal main characters. While he has now branched out to delight in more perspectives, this is a story that he would have consumed with vigor. It’s funny, clever with an incredibly messy and hilarious ending. The story is engaging, not too heavy and one that I could easily see becoming a series. Julie McLaughlan perfectly captures Shamus’ chaotic energy on the cover so readers know that this story is going to be a roller coaster ride.