THE TROUBLE WITH CHICKENS

Retired search and rescue dog Jonathan Joseph Tully, aka J.J., is enlisted by a distraught chicken to find her missing chicks. The promise of a cheeseburger seals the deal, and J.J. follows his nose right into the paws of Vince the Funnel (think vet’s protective cone), who is bent on escaping a trip to the vet. Cronin is a master of tongue- in-cheek narrative, understatement, and one-line zingers. Vinnie Penna is well matched to this takeoff on vintage mysteries. He is clipped and tough as the veteran detective and superior and snide as Vince. He excels at delivering the one-liners—“life outside the shell not all it is cracked up to be”—in the deadest of deadpan. As mother Mooch, chick Sugar, and determined little Dirt, he shines. Penna uses pauses and speed to heighten the suspense, and jazzy music provides just the right background. A.R. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2011]