The Legend of Diamond Lil: A J.J. Tully Mystery
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

Gr 2-4-A former search-and-rescue dog, J. J. Tully is having a hard time enjoying his retirement. With a coop full of chickens to protect and a possum to keep out, he has his hands full. In this follow-up to The Trouble with Chickens (HarperCollins, 2011), a canine named Lil appears next door, and J. J. becomes suspicious of her. She is nice to him, and together they take walks at night; but every time they do, the possum reappears and attacks the pen. To make matters worse, when asked about the owner of the house's daughter, who recently moved away, Lil seems to know nothing about her or the family. Is she the sweet, refined dog she appears to be or is something else afoot? Although this early chapter book is only moderately paced, the characters are endearing and funny. The mystery of Diamond Lil plays mostly in the background but does a good job of holding readers' interest. Tully's search-and-rescue stories sprinkled throughout are entertaining and will attract the attention of those who like adventure. The eye-catching illustrations do a great job of drawing readers' attention to important story details. Children who like a little bit of everything mixed into their reading, particularly mystery, adventure, and animals, will enjoy this book.-Kira Moody, Whitmore Public Library, Salt Lake City, UT (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Retired search-and-rescue dog J.J. takes his responsibility for guarding a flock of chickens very seriously. His tough-guy one-liners are a cover-up, and rather a transparent one, for a heart of gold and the habit of cluing into a situation just one beat late. In this satisfying adventure he thinks that a roaming possum is what he has to worry about, whereas canny readers will want to warn him about the gorgeous Samoyed who has moved in next door, a gal with a dubious Southern belle demeanor. J.J. is blinded: "If I'd been a pile of dry sticks, she could have set me on fire." Those who enjoyed the first adventure (The Trouble with Chickens, rev. 3/11) will be pleased by a cameo reappearance of Vince the Funnel and more evidence that Moosh the chicken is the true smart cookie in J.J.'s world. Everyone will enjoy such gems as this dog-to-dog insult: "If you were any less of a dog, you'd need a litter box." Zing! sarah ellis (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The Trouble with Chickens (2011), will welcome the return of retired search-and-rescue dog J.J. Tully, mother hen Moosh and her four chicks in this follow-up adventure. The plot unfolds smoothly, ensuring that those unfamiliar with the first volume won't have trouble tracking the action, but readers are likely to enjoy the silliness even more if they're already familiar with the continuing cast of characters. This time around, there's a hint of romance with the sudden appearance of a lovely purebred in the neighborhood. Distracted by the dame (and prone to overestimating his own intelligence), J.J. spends some time swapping stories with "Diamond Lil" and misreads the situation entirely. So it takes him a while to figure out the connection between the lovely Lillian and an opossum that has been sniffing around the henhouse. With a little help from last volume's villain, Vince-the-Funnel, J.J. finally solves the mystery of Lillian's past. Meanwhile, Moosh matter-of-factly solves the possum problem, smoothing the way to a happy ending for all concerned. Cronin parodies the snappy dialogue and world-weary insouciance of classic noir detectives perfectly while keeping the text accessible for her intended audience. Cornell's black-and-white illustrations add to the humor and expand the personalities of Cronin's kooky crew. Here's hoping J.J. and company find more to puzzle over pronto. (Comic mystery. 8-11)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 2–4—A former search-and-rescue dog, J. J. Tully is having a hard time enjoying his retirement. With a coop full of chickens to protect and a possum to keep out, he has his hands full. In this follow-up to The Trouble with Chickens (HarperCollins, 2011), a canine named Lil appears next door, and J. J. becomes suspicious of her. She is nice to him, and together they take walks at night; but every time they do, the possum reappears and attacks the pen. To make matters worse, when asked about the owner of the house's daughter, who recently moved away, Lil seems to know nothing about her or the family. Is she the sweet, refined dog she appears to be or is something else afoot? Although this early chapter book is only moderately paced, the characters are endearing and funny. The mystery of Diamond Lil plays mostly in the background but does a good job of holding readers' interest. Tully's search-and-rescue stories sprinkled throughout are entertaining and will attract the attention of those who like adventure. The eye-catching illustrations do a great job of drawing readers' attention to important story details. Children who like a little bit of everything mixed into their reading, particularly mystery, adventure, and animals, will enjoy this book.—Kira Moody, Whitmore Public Library, Salt Lake City, UT