Stop That Cupid!

Having run afoul of the Easter Bunny, Santa, and a witch, Inspector Cluehound and Sergeant Squirrel now face off against Cupid. This Valentine’s Day celebration is set—naturally—in Paris, where animals pair off in couples and Inspector Cluehound sports a beret. Swooping Cupid snags the Inspector’s box of chocolates. Outraged, Cluehound pursues. As usual, the detective is on the wrong track, causing minor courtship disruptions, while faithful (but ignored) sidekick Sergeant Squirrel almost captures the cherub. The apparently endless trail of chocolates leads the detecting duo through several diverting attractions: a patisserie, where Cluehound is distracted by dessert, and the Seine, complete with rowers in the river and artists on the bank. The Louvre is next (the masterpieces within feature cats and dogs rather than humans). Cluehound and Sergeant Squirrel leap inside a hot-air balloon to pursue Cupid; Cupid’s arrow deflates the balloon, draping it over the Eiffel Tower. Sans chocolates, in the rain, the discouraged pair follow heart petals to a restaurant, Le Petit Amour. There all ends with hearts, candy, and flowers—a gift from Cupid! Cluehound isn’t quite as goofy as in the past (could our hero be honing some skills?), but the main attractions here are the vicarious trip to Paris, the more-than-competent couplets, and the reader’s sweet satisfaction at being a better sleuth than the protagonist.—Kirkus Reviews