Spencer Quinn writes mysteries involving dogs and is probably most famous for his Chet and Bernie series.

The Right Side is a standalone. We first meet LeAnn at Walter Reed, recovering from injuries sustained in Afghanistan. She lost her eye and her memory is patchy at best. (She is the definition of the unreliable narrator.) And she is very very angry, so angry every comment sets her off. She is far too angry to let anyone help her. One day she gathers up her things and walks out of the hospital.

She purchases a car and travels west, finally coming to rest in a small town. A large stray dog literally saves her life. LeAnn is not a dog person but she can’t bear to give up the dog to a shelter.

Two parallel stories run side by side. First, her experiences in Afghanistan, told mostly in flashbacks. Second, the disappearance of Mia, daughter of Marci, a fellow injured vet LeAnn meets in Walter Reed.

I did not care for this book. Significantly more than half is taken up with LeAnn’s physical and mental struggles. She does not meet the dog until probably 70% through. I also would not have described this book as a mystery since only the final quarter has any mystery about it. Although LeAnn does not know what really happened the day of her injury, her commanding officer does. He explains it, and, sure enough, that was it. Plus, the cause of the disappearance of Mia is obvious to the reader well before it is to LeAnn.

Not Recommended.