DYLAN'S VILLAIN

A 12-year-old boy and his four-legged pal clash with criminals—both human and animal—in this third installment of a middle-grade series.

Dylan’s Dog Squad has its very first case. Casey and his friend Sumo are on the lookout for a chimpanzee running loose in their Brea, California, neighborhood. But it’s Casey’s American cocker spaniel, Dylan, who’s truly leading the way, or rather his trusty nose is. Ten-year-old Holly hired the squad to find Bailey, a kleptomaniac chimp that her famous primatologist mother raises almost as a child. Holly wants this case kept on the down low, especially since Bailey is breaking the law every time he snatches people’s mail and packages. But the team’s zany but impressive recovery of Bailey lands on social media and goes viral. That’s why Holly’s grandfather (the mayor) employs the squad to act as Bailey’s bodyguards for a ribbon-cutting at the San Diego Zoo. Hilarity ensues thanks to Bailey’s sticky fingers and Dylan’s decision to chase the chimp when he runs. Back at home, Dylan works hard to pass the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen test at the Dream Big K-9 Academy. Sadly, this local school is in danger of shutting its doors. Covid-19 forced the owners to borrow money from the notorious criminal “The Sledgehammer,” whom they can’t pay back fast enough. Casey believes he, Sumo, and Dylan can help by getting their hands and paws on the loan papers. But that would put them uncomfortably close to a menacing thug.

Troy’s characters are a delightful bunch. Holly, for example, seems perpetually morose, certain she’s playing second fiddle to a primate; her mother even dressed Bailey and Holly alike when they were younger. Returning characters, such as Casey; his mother, Colleen; and Sumo are just as appealing as they’ve been in preceding books—they are considerate of others, whether or not they get along. But it’s Dylan’s series for a reason. His monologues (that humans can’t hear, of course) give the irresistible canine a voice that proves he’s usually smarter than the boys. And though he makes himself understood sans speech, for example, pawing Casey’s knee when something confuses him, Dylan’s pithy comments are endlessly amusing (“I don’t want to end up in the slammer”). Bailey is a nice addition to the series, a counterpart to Dylan’s humanlike monologues. Readers know right away that Dylan isn’t so keen on the chimp, but it takes time to decipher Bailey’s expressions and mannerisms to see what he’s trying to say. This lighthearted narrative has its share of tense moments involving an elevated gondola in San Diego and the unsurprisingly scary Sledgehammer. But these never outshine the comedy as Bailey gets himself into trouble and Casey and Sumo tease each other the way that only best friends can. Dylan showcases his brains time and again, like his knowledge of American sign language. Nevertheless, his best scenes display his familiar canine traits and his naïveté. This stubby-tailed dog is always ready for a bite to eat, and simple things mesmerize him, namely this “purple” (purple fruit, purple binoculars) that humans keep talking about.

A lovable multispecies cast propels a buoyant, endearing adventure.