Mystery in the Grand Canyon (Sir Edmund of the Wild West 1) by Dusti Bowling

What worked:

Sir Edmund could come across as a pompous character, as he thinks he’s worthy of being a member of the Royal Guard and dreams of being knighted by the queen. This dog narrates the story and frequently comments about his beauty and superior qualities. However, his attitude stems from confidence and dedication as a service dog, so he has earned some leeway. The book exposes young readers to service dogs and their importance to their owners. Edmund’s specialty is sensing seizures and helping his human avoid injuries during an episode, while a peacock says it’s an emotional support animal for its owner. Edmund takes his job seriously and steps up to keep his owners safe.

Edmund is initially disgusted with the other animal characters, as his superiority takes control of his opinions. A little, yappy Chihuahua proclaims himself King Ruler of the Grand Canyon, so Edmund’s annoyance is understandable. A boxer named Rocky adds humor to the story, as he’s slower to understand Edmund. Rocky initially greets Edmund by sniffing his butt and calls him Ed-Man throughout the rest of the story. Edmund slowly realizes that these two dogs might be new friends, and it’s okay to associate with non-royals.

The highlight of the story is Edmund’s ability to see and speak to ghosts. He interacts with a variety of characters who perished in the Grand Canyon, and it’s interesting to note that many of them are based on historical facts. The author shares this information at the end of the book. Edmund talks to a female influencer who fell while taking selfies along the edge of the canyon. Another ghost searched for gold and was killed by his partner. Edmund’s ability to speak with ghosts creates the possibility of unexpected characters popping up at any moment.

What didn’t work as well:

The mystery is the backdrop of the book, but real mystery lovers will be disappointed with the outcome. Willy’s interpretation of it is full of speculations, and the book never comes to a definite conclusion about the mystery. This may be due to the fact that it’s based on true events, but no one knows how it turned out. Also, it may not bother every reader, but the dogs somehow communicate with each other while in the presence of humans. It must be telepathy, because the humans never comment about their dogs making sounds.

The final verdict:

In many ways, this book is more about ghosts than it is about an actual mystery. It’s most appropriate for younger middle-grade readers, and I suggest they give it a try.