The Pinchers and the Dog Chase
Anders Sparring and Per Gustavsson (translated from the original Swedish by Julia Marshall)
Gecko Press

This is the second adventure of the Pinchers, a family of thieves, all except for young Theo, the son of Rob and Nic Pincher and sister of Ellen. Theo is the honest one . the star of this book, who unbeknown to the others, aspires to become a police officer like neighbour Paul Eessman.
There’s a new guy on the block, a second police officer and an extremely dictatorial one at that. On his first encounter with Theo he calls the lad a thief and demands to see the receipt for the Pincher family’s dog, Sherlock. Unless Theo can produce said receipt it’s likely that Sherlock will join the other pooches that this newbie officer Clive has already impounded at the police station. The thing is Stola Pincher, retired robber, currently serving time in jail was the person who acquired Sherlock, so it’s unlikely she’ll have an ownership receipt.

Things get even worse when Clive takes Ellen and Theo to the police station accusing them of stealing from a candy store. Another receipt is demanded, which of course Ellen doesn’t have.

Pretty soon the siblings learn the impounded pooches are destined to be sent to the North Pole. Pretty quickly coffee cups start flying, splashing hot coffee in Clive’s face and the children make a dash for it.
A decision is made to hide Sherlock with Gran aka Stola Pincher at the jail, so being Saturday Nic and the children pay her a visit and almost unbelievably, Gran produces a valid receipt for Pincher from none other than Ollie Bowser, dog thief. But where is this fellow now? In a new job perhaps? Hmm. Could he now be wearing a uniform and demanding receipts? Can Theo pull off a rescue plan and save not only their own dog but others too?

With the occasional chapter narrated by Sherlock himself, this zany chapter book for new solo readers will leave them hoping for another madcap Pinchers’ instalment. Those who didn’t read the first book may well want to go back and do so now.