Book Review: Till Death Do Us Bark

When I was young, I would read anything and everything. Now, with limited free time and a desire to fill my head and heart with as much peace and laughter as possible, I am much more selective about the books I buy or check out of the library. This is the reason that you will usually find me in the children’s or teen sections browsing through titles.

On a recent trip to the Geasa-Marana Branch Library, I pulled a book off the shelf whose title caught my eye: Till Death Do Us Bark (anyone who knows me will not be surprised by this).

I didn’t realize until I got home that it was Book Three in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series by Kate Klise.  It didn’t matter, however, since each book can stand on its own. A quick introduction to the characters was provided in the first couple of pages and then I was off and running.

43 Old Cemetery Road is the address of the Spence Mansion located in the town of Ghastly, Illinois. The author has a great deal of fun with puns and other word tricks designed to test your sense of humor and make sure you are paying attention. For example: our hero's name is Seymour Hope; one of the attorneys in town is Brad Pitbuhl; M. Balm is the librarian; the editor of the Ghastly Times is Cliff Hanger; the Bank of Ghastly, run by Fay Tality, is located on Scary Street. You get the idea.

The story is told through a series of letters and newspaper articles. Noah Breth, the richest man in town, passes away and makes his children, Kannine and Kitty, read a series of limericks that provide clues about their inheritance. Valuable lessons are learned along the way punctuated by wonderful illustrations by Sarah Klise.

The Klise sisters have collaborated on a number of books for children and won numerous awards – and many loyal readers – as a result. You can learn more about them by visiting their website at http://www.kateandsarahklise.com/ Make sure you check out Kate’s Top Ten Tips for Becoming a Bestselling Author and Sarah’s Top Seven Drawing and Writing Tips.

Why the word bark in the title? An Afghan hound named Secret plays a key role – and that’s all I can say without spoiling the surprise ending. Next time I am in the library I am going to look for Book One: Dying to Meet You and Book Two: Over My Dead Body.  I am now a Klise Sisters fan.