"A Nose For Justice" by Rita Mae Brown

BOOK TITLE: A Nose For Justice

AUTHOR: Rita Mae Brown

YEAR: 2010

GENRE: Fiction

SUBGENRE: Cozy Mystery

GRADE: Pass

On a frosty winter in Reno, Nevada, former Wall Street executive Mags Rogers moves in with her great aunt Jeep Reed and brings along her wire-haired dachshund Baxter. During her stay, she becomes entangled in a mystery that involves blown up water pumps and dead bodies. Deputy Pete Meadows and his partner Lonnie investigate these strange events and unravel a conspiracy dealing with water rights, environmentalism, and land purchasing. The entire political landscape of Nevada is at stake and the killer must be found before everything descends into chaos.

As to be expected with a title like “A Nose For Justice”, you’re going to see some animal cuteness during your reading journey. I’ve already mentioned the little dachshund Baxter, but there’s also a bigger puppy-duppy named King, owned by Jeep Reed. The two dogs start off as distrustful strangers, but over time they form a much needed friendship in order to help unravel this water rights conspiracy. They run around together, they nibble on steak bones, they sleep by each other, and they even play in important role in the conclusion of the story, though I won’t give away how. While it’s true that the dogs aren’t seen as often as Pete Meadows and the Reed/Rogers family, you can’t help but want to reach through the pages and rub the dogs’ heads and bellies. They’ve certainly earned it.

The political and historical content is another upside to this story, though some reviewers argue that Miss Brown is too preachy. I don’t believe that’s the case. The lessons she teaches feel more like a college history class rather than a Sunday sermon. She reminds us all how precious water is and how it shouldn’t be squandered so easily. We think we’re going to have it forever, but in places like Nevada, characters in this book would commit acts of terrorism and murder for it, especially if money is involved. Extremism, big business, environmentalism, and even LGBT rights are among the topics discussed in this novel. These topics are handled with sensitivity and the points in favor or against them are made with the skill of a world class debater. You don’t have to agree with everything Rita Mae Brown’s characters talk about, but you’d better listen and give the author a chance.

The final high point I want to talk about is the characters and how quirky and lovable they really are. Mags Rogers is a woman trying to get back on her own two feet and you genuinely want to root for her all the way. Jeep Reed is a salty, but warm-hearted war veteran with more wisdom in her pinky finger than most businessmen and politicians have in their whole bodies. Pete Meadows is a true professional when it comes to his work as a cop; he asks the right questions and evokes the right emotions from his interviewees. Pete even has a little bit of a crush on Mags and she feels the same way. At first they tiptoe around each other, but when they come together for the good of the case and for the sake of true romance, you genuinely feel the love. Even the minor characters are worth investing your emotions into since they’re friendly small town folks you’d want to have as neighbors. There are also characters you love to hate, but I’m here to pick the flowers, not the weeds.

If you’re looking for a well-orchestrated detective novel with a crafty mystery, poignant wisdom, and lovable puppy-dups, pick up a copy of “A Nose For Justice”. At first I was hesitant about reading this since the last Rita Mae Brown book I read (Wish You Were Here) made me feel old due to its small town stereotypes. A Nose For Justice might feel that way for the first few pages, but if patience is one of your virtues, then I encourage you to read on and enjoy this book for the well-written prose it is. A passing grade goes to this amazing author. Great work!