Pierce, Tamora. Terrier. 2006. Random House, 581 pages. $18.99 ISBN: 037581468X
Beka Cooper is about to start her first year as a Puppy in the Provost Guard or as they are commonly called the Dogs. She has been assigned to the Lower City of Corus, where she grew up until she went to live with her foster family in the Lord Provost’s home. Beka has been assigned to the best pair of Dogs in the city, Clare Goodwin and Matthias Tunstall. Beka is eager to learn and with her unique abilities to hear the ghosts that ride on the backs of pigeons and talk to dust spinners, she is soon bring her Dogs valuable clues in more than one crime. Beka discovers that a mass murder has occurred somewhere in the lower city, but must work with Goodwin and Tunstall to find enough physical evidence to discover the crime scene, murderer and motive.
On her own time Beka devotes herself to helping find the Shadow Snake, the kidnapper and murderer of Beka’s friend Tansy’s son Roland. With the help of her magic cat Pounce, friends on the other side of the law, Rosto, Aniki, and Kora, Beka slowly collects enough evidence to take to her partners. Beka knows she must triple her efforts when the Shadow Snake takes Tansy’s husband Herun and his grandfather Crookshank refuses to pay the ransom. With good detective work and the help of her partners, Beka hopes the Dogs will be able to catch both killers and bring them to justice.
Terrier is another strong start for what is sure to be a fabulous series by Tamora Pierce. Terrier brings readers back to the world of Tortal that Pierce first introduced in her Alanna series, but Terrier takes place 200 years before Alanna. Despite the difference in time period between series, fans of Pierce will recognize the character Pounce, and the glimpse of Beka’s descendent from Alanna George Cooper, who ironically is the Rogue in his own time. While the tastes of the familiar are there, Terrier is very different from Pierce’s other Tortall novels: first Terrier is written in journal form, second it’s a murder mystery and a good one at that.
Reading Level:
7th grade and up
Series Information:
Beka Cooper Trilogy:
Terrier
Bloodhound
Mastiff
Awards/Honors:
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults 2007
2006 Cybil Award Finalist
Author’s Website:
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