In Search of McDoogal by Mae Clair #bookreview #shortread #humor

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews

In search of something ugly…

All Brady Conrad wants to do is earn a few merit points with his artist girlfriend, so he volunteers to cover her gallery when she leaves town. What should be an easy day of sales goes belly up when he mistakenly sells a cherished painting.

With the clock ticking toward Vanessa’s return, Brady has less than a day to track McDoogal down. He coerces his friend Declan to tag along for moral support. How difficult can it be for an investigator and the director of a renowned institute to find a single painting in a town the size of a postage stamp?

Neither Brady nor Declan counted on a suspicious sheriff, rival baseball teams with a longstanding grudge, or a clueless kid trying to win his girlfriend with all the wrong gifts.

McDoogal is smack in the middle. But Brady’s biggest dilemma isn’t the disastrous hunt. It’s confessing to Vanessa her painting is the ugliest thing he’s ever seen. 

I’ve read several Mae Clair books now, but this short read is a departure from her supernatural suspense reads.  And boy, was it fun.

Poor Brady.  He’s trying to win the girl, but accidentally sells her beloved painting.  After a stroke of good luck tracking it down, he thinks retrieving it won’t be quite as difficult as he’d thought – guess again.  He and his friend hit one obstacle after another, and from the varying opinions on exactly what kind of animal is featured on this canvas (rat, hamster, cat, etc.), I had fun imagining what this “cherished painting” looked like.  Brady’s and Declan’s entertaining banter had me chuckling, as well as a certain Freddie Mercury-worshipping character.  As a cat lover, I especially enjoyed learning about the real McDoogal in the author’s note at the end.

If you’re looking for a humorous, light-hearted, quick read, In Search of McDoogal checks all those boxes.

59 thoughts on “In Search of McDoogal by Mae Clair #bookreview #shortread #humor”

    2. Jill, that is so wonderful to hear.
      And thank you for the comment on the cover. I designed it myself 🙂
      I wish you happy reading with In Search of McDoogal and hope you enjoy the tale. I really did have fun writing this one!

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  10. Gwen M. Plano

    I’ve yet to read McDoogal, but I’m definitely looking forward to doing so. Thank you for the lovely review and intro, Teri. And congratulations, Mae, for shining in this spotlight. You do it beautifully!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  18. So sorry I missed this one. I loved McDoogal! So clever and such a departure from Mae’s normal shivery (and wonderful) stories. Sharing this now! Better late than never. (I made that up, you know. No, really. I did. Okay, I didn’t, but I’m probably old enough to have done so! Hahaha.)

    Great review, Teri!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

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