THE CASE OF THE DIAMOND DOG COLLAR

The vivacious daughters of the President of the United States, Cammie and her younger sister Tessa, are back at their sleuthing best in this follow up to The Case of the Rock ’n’ Roll Dog (2010).

Life is never dull for these sisters. Their mom is the President, and their dog is the exuberantly acrobatic and aptly named Hooligan. This latest mystery involves a faux-diamond–studded dog collar, a gift to Hooligan from a Pekingese who belongs to the president of a “certain nearby nation.” Just before the collar goes missing, the girls discover that the diamonds are genuine. The house is suddenly filled with suspects. Could the thief be the visiting dog trainer or one of the staff members? And could this turn out to be a coup attempt on the “certain nearby nation”? In full Agatha Christie mode, the girls deduce motives and gather clues. When the commotion ramps up, it’s keen-eared Hooligan who bounds to the rescue. Cammie’s cheerful narration gives voice to the action and drops details about the White House, while occasionally mentioning her nostalgia for life before the Oval Office (when she could go to the mall without the Secret Service and she didn’t have to share her mom with the world).