Ruffly Speaking

A Dog Lover's Mystery #7

by Susan Conant

Ruffly, a mutt who hears for the hearing-impaired, tunes into sounds no humans can hear when he and his owner move into the home of a recently deceased dog-lover--and amateur sleuth Holly Winter suspects murder.


From the Paperback edition.

Genres: Mystery, Dogs, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Animals

285 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 1994

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
(1)mysteries

Mother of author Jessica Park aka Jessica Conant-Park

The photo is of Jessica Conant-Park and Susan Conant, daughter and mother.

Reviews

[Carissa Gilman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan Conant is my favorite dog mystery writer because her writing is witty and intelligent, but she is not afraid to poke a little fun at the liberal intellectual culture of Cambridge. This one has a bit of a different tone than some of her other books since it is unclear throughout much of the book whether a crime has actually been committed or not. Thus the approach is a little more subtle. But if you enjoy her other books, you will enjoy this one. And if you have never read her, this is as good a place to start as any. Alaskan Malamutes Kimi and Rowdy are as endearing as ever, and the Ruffly of the title is charming as well.

[Cristi McGill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a latecomer to Conant's mysteries. I actually read her one-and-only cat mystery FIRST.

I had a beloved malamute so I can appreciate that aspect of her character. Actually I liked the main character Holly and her husband. Her best friend Rita...not so much. And Conant goes off on tangents that make little sense. Not to mention her too in-depth dive into the mind-numbing minutia of dog shows. I ended up bypassing entire sentences (if not paragraphs) to keep the story flowing for me.

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was hard for me to get thru and the author seemed to just go off on tangents that didn't really add to the story making me wonder if there was a minimum number of pages required.

[Ron Wroblewski · Rating 3 out of 5]

A funny book at times, dog educational at times. Surprised at how long it took to get into the plot, mystery, of the book. Didn't get into thinking about the murder until half way into the book. But still after that had many diversions from the plot. Did get around to solving it at the end.

[James Garman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining novel about a writer for a dog magazine who also works with and Alaska breed of dog's rescue and has two of her own. She laments that so many people have blind spots about their own dogs and yet don't realize how perfect hers are.

It is that kind of humor that makes a mystery with dogs as part of the list of characters along with a vet, a councilor friend, the hero's cousin and her cousins boyfriend, as wall as the neighborhood crank and a female Episcopal priest with hearing problem, more fun read.

I would recommend this book for those that just want a more or less mindless mystery because trust me, it is not one that the reader need to try solve, in my opinion, but then I am hardly detective. You have experience it differently, but to me the resolution came out of left field. But then that is what I have grown to expect in a mystery...if I figure it out, it much not be that great a mystery....(laughing)

[Kristy McRae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read a few of this series over the years, but for some reason this time, the character Holly really grated on my nerves. The story was interesting, the whodunit had my attention....but there was just SO much "my knowledge of dogs is superior" attitude, I had a hard time seeing past it. I get that Holly is supposed to be an expert, but there were just so many asides, and times when the story went totally off the rails as she "explained" why her breed is superior to all others, and about how intelligent she is about everything dog-related. Ugh. It really detracted from the action of the story, in my opinion. I don't recall the others that I've read having this effect on me.... I will probably try another, just to see what happens. I love dogs, and I love books with dog characters....but this one just hit me the wrong way.

[Regan · Rating 2 out of 5]

We've been reading this series in one of my book clubs and mostly I've been enjoying them. This one was a disappointment. There wasn't really a murder mystery to solve and not much was said about the deceased -- not even that his partner was missing him. It focused mainly on hearing loss. That's not a bad thing in and of itself. The information was interesting and could be helpful if you are living with someone with hearing loss, but it was more of a women's fiction than any kind of mystery.

[Sharon Goss · Rating 2 out of 5]

I forced myself to finish it as I also have the second book in the series. I hoped it would get better and it did briefly about 80% into the book. If you do dog shows you might enjoy all the unnecessary details concerning catalogs...etc. I found them irritating. It is called a dog-lovers mystery, but the mystery part is a very very small portion of the story. The story line could have been more interesting had she concentrated on the dogs and their owners more and developed the mystery.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Dog world relationships like mine with Morris are a little hard to explain to someone like Rita. For instance, any real dog person understands that since Janet Switzer is Rowdy's breeder, she is thereby my own blood relative, but Rita misses the critical point: If it weren't for Janet, Rowdy wouldn't exist, and if Rowdy didn't exist, I would be a person altogether different from who I am. Rita also fails to grasp why the act of entering even one dog in one show or obedience trial is tantamount to slicing open your palm and clasping the identically incised hands of every other person who has ever shown a dog. But it's a fact. We're blood brothers and sisters, like it or not; sometimes we do, sometimes we don't." p. 12

I love Susan Conant's mysteries, and this one did not disappoint!

[Debi Emerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great mystery! Wonderful dogs!

[Nan Hurley · Rating 2 out of 5]

It could have been good. Instead it seemed rather discombobulated, rambling and in the end you're wondering what actually happened.

[Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am leaving the finish date open as i am not bothering to finish this book. I love dogs but this is so boring that it just puts me to sleep. Goodreads need a tried to read list. 🙄

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good solid book writing a from a different format that the usual. Solid addition to the series.

[Sassafras Patterdale · Rating 4 out of 5]

love this series - this isn't my favorite book in the series but it's just such a delightful read dog nerd books!

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent entry in Conant's series.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun fast read. I like how Susan worked in so much teaching about the use of hearing aids, too. If you can get past the paragraphs that she uses for explanations about the characters interpretations of things - her analogies - the overall story is good. These analogies give you the impression of a character whose mind is in overdrive. Overall fun book though.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I generally enjoy Conant's books, all the while knowing they are rather fluffy light reading, but with this one, I just couldn't figure out where she was going with it. Holly Winter, her narrator/Alaskan Malamute owner/writer for a dog magazine learns that a colleague from the dog show world has died from a neighbor, whose poor hearing led her to believe that the deceased, Morris, was actually a friend of hers. As Holly has learned about his passing after the funeral was held, she goes to the man's coffee shop, which he co-owned with his business and romantic partner, Doug. While Doug says the death was due to accidental poisoning after some toxic greens were inadvertently added to a salad, Holly and others suspect that Morris died of HIV, which is still taboo and likely something his partner wouldn't feel comfortable admitting. Not much of a mystery in that storyline though...
Similarly, Holly's teenage cousin, Leah, has temporarily moved in with her to teach at a summer school, and Leah's new boyfriend's mother has a hearing assistance dog. Both the dog and the mother are intriguing to Holly, the former because Holly is always looking for new subject matter for her monthly column in a dog magazine, the latter because the woman is the same age as Holly's neighbor and Holly hopes the two can meet and talk about being fairly young women who are hard of hearing, since the neighbor is not coping well with her need for hearing aids. When Holly meets the woman, Stephanie, and her dog, Ruffly, who are living in Morris' home, being a relative in some fashion of Doug's, she mentions the dog sometimes acts strangely and wonders if Holly, being a veteran dog owner, could figure out what's going on. Holly's boyfriend Steve, also a vet, looks at Ruffly for such things as brain tumors or parasites, but proclaims him healthy. Slightly more of a mystery, but still not enough to carry a book.
There were other plotlines, and some minor mysteries, but I never quite figured out what the overall purpose of the book was. It gets a 2nd star because Ruffly looks like a small version of my own dog, and because I know these books aren't supposed to be literary masterpieces, but I definitely wouldn't recommend this to someone who hasn't read other books in this series, because it's not one of the best ones.

[Oswego Public Library District]

There is a non-violent death and thus a mystery surrounding it. This is, however, primarily a book about dogs and issues surrounding them. It's for people who love dogs and despise euthanasia. It's also for people who do not like dogs who bark a lot, mess up the yard, shed, and run loose. It is educational as to the use of dogs as hearing guide dogs for the deaf similar to those who assist the visually-impaired. The author is an advocate for the Alaskan Malamute, a huge powerful and stunningly beautiful dog and the Malamute has a starring role in this novel. Light and cozy with a number of quirky characters, this is an amusing read that will please many. -GD

Click here to place a hold on Ruffly Speaking .

Prefer cats? Try a cozy cat mystery with The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell by Lilian Jackson Braun.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

#7 in the Dog Lover's series. Holly Winter returns with her pair of malamutes (don't call them huskies!) in this series about a Cambridge , MA based writer for dog magazines. Add a half star if your dog sleeps on your bed with you.

Dog Lover's series - Holly Winter, writer for Dog's Life magazine, spends most of her waking hours immersed in her subject. Dog talk of all sorts abounds, from obedience training, shows, and breeds to temperament, grooming, and antics. Even a ``hearing'' dog appears as companion to a hearing impaired female Episcopal priest. The possible wrongful death of a middle-aged dog lover in Cambridge, Massachusetts, definitely slips into the background because Holly alone seems suspicious.

[Gloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a non-violent death and thus a mystery surrounding it. This is, however, primarily a book about dogs and issues surrounding them. It's for people who love dogs and despise euthanasia. It's also for people who do not like dogs who bark a lot, mess up the yard, shed, and run loose. It is educational as to the use of dogs as hearing guide dogs for the deaf similar to those who assist the visually-impaired. The author is an advocate for the Alaskan Malamute, a huge powerful and stunningly beautiful dog and the Malamute has a starring role in this novel. Light and cozy with a number of quirky characters, this is an amusing read that will please many.

[Gigi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very poorly written. As soon as you meet the murderer, you know, it is that easy to figure out. The characters seem to have changing motives depending on what the author is trying to do. And there were times I was just plain confused as to what was going on. There was a lot of this:

"Hi, how are you?"

I stopped when he said this, what did he mean? This floored me.

**

What I am trying to say, the characters kept acting like something meant something, but only the author knew. In her attmept to make it a "mystery", she just didn't tell you what was going on.

Nope. No more please.

[Terri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy reading these books. But I have to say, for a mystery, there's very little pertaining to the mystery. Most of the books in this series end up very philisophical. The author's church is AKC, their rules - her bible. That's fine. She loves her malamutes, and that's fine, too. I like reading about them. But there's lots of times that the story gets completely lost in the fog of connecting every thing to AKC rules, dog (especially malamute) attributes, both physical and mental, and it's difficult to discern what the author is talking about at that particular time.

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruffly, a mutt who hears for the hearing-impaired, tunes into sounds no humans can hear when he and his owner move into the home of a recently deceased dog-lover--and amateur sleuth Holly Winter suspects murder.

In the latest Dog Lover's mystery, Holly Winter and her two Alaskan malamutes are once again embroiled in a sizzling caper of canines and murder. The bizarre behavior of a "hearing" guide dog and the accidental poisoning death of a local bookseller inevitably lead Holly to piece together the unlikely connections between the two.

[crayolaab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, Holly Winter faces an acquaintance from the dog world who has died rather suddenly. At the same time, she is trying to help her tenant cope with hearing loss and playing host to her cousin, who is in town for the summer working at a children's day camp.

I almost felt like there was just a little bit TOO much going on in this book - lots of new characters and situations - but in the end it all tied together quite nicely.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleased when a friend informed me of Conant's dog/detective series. Growing up with a grandmother who devoured every "The Cat Who..." story, which never interested me, I have long wanted dog-themed books of same.

The author does not disappoint. The books are witty, informational, and quick-reads, without being too predictable.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorites in the series. I like the hearing dog plot. I like Ivan the Terrible. I like Holly dealing with Leah's boyfriend she doesn't like. I like that Rita is difficult. I like Morris, even though we don't meet him. The plot is just as silly as average, but overall the book is charming.

[Mary Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite interesting, since it involves one hard of hearing and one deaf person plus a hearing dog. It therefore provides an expanded understanding of the people's situation and of the work such a dog does. I wonder if there are any other mysteries that have tackled such a topic. Kudos to Susan Conant!

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just ok, I think it barely qualifies as a mystery. I began reading this series because I enjoy cozy mysteries and I love dogs. As this series has progressed, it has become less about mystery and more about dogs. The writer does a lot of educating the reader. That would be ok if your goal is to learn about dogs, but not if you just want to be entertained by a fun read.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

These dogs remind me of my Mellie, but she is a Golden Retriever, so much more loving to all.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was lighter than the others in the series, so I enjoyed it more than usual. The one on puppy mills was a bit too much for me. I especially enjoyed the Episcopal Priestess.