DYLAN’S ALASKAN RANSOM

This installment of Troy’s middle-grade Dylan’s Dog Squad series finds the super-smart canine and his human pals embroiled in a cruise ship mystery.

American cocker spaniel Dylan enjoys a sunny day at Malibu Beach, California. When he spots a little boy running off on his own, Dylan gives chase and averts a potential drowning. This brave act gets a lot of attention, in part because Dylan’s Dog Squad search and rescue team has an impressive social media presence. The boy’s aunt, Tess Hayden, is grateful to Dylan and his 12-year-old owner, Casey Donovan, and to Casey’s best friend, Sumo Modragon (the Squad’s other two members). Tess invites the trio to participate in a contest for the “world’s top three detectives,” which takes place aboard a cruise ship; all entry fees and winnings are donated to the Children’s Hospital. Dylan’s Dog Squad counts as one detective and will compete against two previous winners. (The cruise ship is full of goodies, including 41 restaurants and a go-kart track.) Before the contest officially begins, Dylan and the boys stumble onto a real-life mystery: The competitor whose place the Squad has taken has inexplicably vanished. Dylan’s Dog Squad also overhears suspicious conversations—one between their contest opponents and another between cruise ship employees. Someone is clearly up to no good, but has a crime been committed? Was the missing man kidnapped? The three don’t hesitate when someone secretly asks for their help, but they must be careful, or there could be further disappearances (and maybe even a dognapping).

Fans of Troy’s ongoing series won’t be disappointed with this delightful seventh installment. The book is another worthy showcase for Dylan, who has an impeccable sniffer and an understanding of human languages (including American Sign Language), among myriad other skills. He shares the spotlight with a splendid human cast: Casey and Sumo always have a quip handy, as when Casey laments about getting dressed up: “There ought to be a law against wearing shoes in the summer.” Casey’s mom, Colleen, is also aboard the ship to gather material for her book-publisher client (her client’s photographer daughter is along for the cruise as well). Colleen provides a welcome counterbalance to the boys’ occasional bouts of mischief; Casey and Sumo know what to hide from her (like the identity of Casey’s furry go-kart passenger). Intriguingly, neither the real-life mystery nor the contest takes narrative precedence; both allow Dylan’s Dog Squad to show off their brains, from Sumo knocking out the contest’s trivia questions to the boys cleverly finding a way to gather more intel on their dubious competitors. Dylan remains the true star; he’s charmingly curious about human matters he doesn’t yet understand and “asks” for clarification by nuzzling or body-bumping Casey. Readers are treated to his thoughts: “I need chow. Solving a clue is hungry business.” It’s all lighthearted fun, though not without suspense, with more than one person (or dog) finding themselves in peril before the story’s over. Dylan’s adventures will surely continue; this novel’s ending teases where the next entry will go.

An ever-endearing fuzzy hero headlines this rollicking mix of sleuthing and shipboard escapades.