Dogs and doctors by Elen Caldecott

The Marsh Road Mysteries.Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408876060
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. In Dogs and Doctors readers meet a group of children who are rather good at solving mysteries. Sylvie has to stay in hospital and on her first night Barry, the therapeutic dog, is kidnapped. The group of friends are on the job the very next day. They interview people, steal CCTV images and lead the security guards to the laundry. Barry has been here but a chase through the parking lot enables the escape of the dog napper. Meanwhile, a piece of valuable art work, on loan to the hospital, has gone missing. Are the two crimes connected? Was Barry a decoy dog? Is Barry safe? Will the friends beat the police and solve the crimes? The group of friends undertake some rule breaking to get to the truth but they do contact their police connection when danger is imminent.
Dogs and Doctors is part of The Marsh Road Mysteries series but it is a stand-alone story. It is great to see loyalty amongst friends as well as accepting friends for all their faults. The story is an excellent read for girls and boys, especially if they love an adventure where they can't pick the culprits. Dogs and Doctors is descriptive and exciting. The text is easy to read and would make a great model for students creating their own mysteries when writing. It is highly recommended for readers aged 9+.
Kylie Kempster