In The Gold Dragon Caper by Phyllis Entis, it has been three years since Damien and Millie Dickens’ last encounter with Derek Turpin in The Chocolate Labradoodle Caper, and things have gone downhill for them dramatically. Turpin has clearly been indirectly targeting them and their business, leaving them with just a single client, Susan Sutherland, owner of a major manufacturing conglomerate. Just as Damien and Millie decide to take up Susan on her offer to hire them as full-time security consultants, they learn that Susan’s nephew, Artie, her only living relative, has disappeared on a school ski trip. Soon, Susan gets a ransom demand for $10 million. The more Damien delves into the case, the more it appears that Derek Turpin may be involved.
Meanwhile, Millie gets word from the 19-year-old sister-in-law she didn’t even know she has that her brother, Colin Hewitt, went missing 10 days earlier. What is worse, he has been named a person of interest in the major heist of the casino where he works. So, knowing Damien will be upset at her doing so in the midst of the kidnapping case, Millie flies to Las Vegas to try to help her brother.
The Gold Dragon Caper was an exciting ride throughout the whole book. The dual plot points run in a parallel direction and keep things moving through the course of the book. The details of the search for Artie come across as interesting and creative in their elements. I also enjoyed learning more about Millie and her family background.
The characters further made me feel invested in them. I really wanted Damien and Millie to succeed and especially enjoyed spending time with Hershey, the labradoodle whom the Dickenses adopted in the previous book. Hershey does a lot to save the day and proves heroic. In addition, I found myself really abhoring Derek Turpin as his hatred-fueled crimes build up.
The audio edition of this book is performed by Tom Lennon. Lennon’s voice seems perfectly suited to the role of Damien Dickens, and he has come to embody the private investigator. Using good expressions, Lennon makes the book all the more enjoyable to listen to.
The Gold Dragon Caper is somewhat darker than the previous books, but even though I prefer cozy mysteries, I really loved this book. The plot lines kept things dramatically moving and were very exciting. I give this book five stars.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free for review purposes, but that had no influence on the content of my review.
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