Book Review: A Pug’s Tale (and Author Interview)

A Pug’s Tale

Alison Pace

Berkley Trade, $15.00

About the book:

There are pugs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art!

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 honor 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…

My review

I can’t say enough (all good, of course) about this book. It was fun, it was compelling, it was believable, and it will have you fully engaged from page one. Hope is a charming (if a bit frazzled) heroine, one who is easy to like and root for; Max is just as charming, if not more so, and he had me wishing for a pug of my own before the book ended.

There’s so much to this book — the odd cast of characters that Hope has to contend with at work, which is a dreamy environment in and of itself; her bizarre encounters with Daphne, the wealthy benefactor who takes a shine to Hope; and, lest we forget, a very serious crime involving the theft of a valued painting. I found myself trying to decipher every clue and interpret every nuance of conversations and character quirks, right along with Hope, in the, well, hopes of solving the caper.

A Pug’s Tale is a fabulous romp through New York, through the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and through Hope’s life. I recommend it highly to anyone who is looking for something different; a book that involves art and dogs and a little mystery but a whole lot of fun will definitely fit the bill. I can tell you this: After this introduction to Alison Pace, I will be adding ALL of her books to my reading list…and I can’t wait to devour those as well!

An Interview with Alison Pace

Alison Pace is the author of five novels: If Andy Warhol Had a Girlfriend (featuring Jane, an art gallery manager, and her dog), Pug Hill (the first in the Pug series), Through Thick and Thin (a story of two sisters, one of whom is a New York restaurant critic with a yoga-loving dog), City Dog (featuring Amy, a bestselling children’s author and her West Highland white terrier), and A Pug’s Tale. Her essays have appeared in several anthologies including It’s a Wonderful Lie: The Truth About Life in Your Twenties, Everything I Needed to Know about Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume, and Howl: A Collection of the Best Contemporary Dog Wit.

Alison lives in New York City where she teaches creative writing and is at work on another book.

KK: Tell me a little about your fascination with dogs. Where does that come from? And, do you have a favorite breed? I notice you flirt with different types in your novels.

AP: Write a little bit every day.  Don’t give up.  Take classes and join critique groups, online or in person.  Look for inspiration everywhere. Always carry a notebook with you.  Believe.