MS. Cleary began the Jackie and Jake series with a warm feel for Jackie's character and her abilities to deal with her trials and tribulations. She,also,was able to reasonably convey Jake's character as an adopted canine family member. However,as the series has progressed,it has been more and more difficult to concentrate on the author's marvelous plots as Jake's character has become more and more ridiculous. It has always seemed that Ms. Cleary's knowledge of dog behavior was somewhat limited but Jake has become a comic book character that even a non-doglover would have a hard time believing. This novel had great potential as a good mystery but the distraction of Jake's ludicrous behavior made it a labor to read. Perhaps it's time for MS. Cleary and Jackie to put Jake and Maury up for adoption. Her mysteries are no longer "dog lover's mysteries".