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Sally Odgers: Dog at Heart?

© Sara Webb Quest

Sally Odgers, prolific author and Aurealis-Award winner for her children's fantasy Candle Iron, has partnered with hubby Darrel Odgers to create Jack Russell Dog: Detective: The Dog Den Mystery, the first book in a hilarious new children's series. The dog hero Jack has been described as "so lifelike the authors must have been dogs in their past lives." The book introduces Jack, a small dog with big wit, an uptown setter named Red, and a down-on-his-luck terrier called Foxie. Jack has moved with his owner, Sarge, to Doggeroo where he must solve the mystery of who is stealing the neighborhood doggy toys.

SQ: Sally, thank you so much for this inspiring opportunity to share your and Darrel's new book series! What motivated you to create this first "Jack Russell" book and how did it turn into a series?

SO: Darrel and I were walking our two Jack Russells (Tess and Ace) and noticed how keenly they investigated every scent and sound. Ace has a rubber ball over which she obsesses, and Darrel hides it now and again to get some peace from being pestered to throw it for her. Ace can track it down, even if it's shut up in a drawer or wedged in the top of a sliding door track. This is where we got the notion of detecting dogs. The name "Jack Russell" is a gift. As someone says to Jack in the story - "Is that you name, or what you are?" and Jack says - "Both." We planned the characters and basic situations and setting while we walked. We decided to offer it to Scholastic Australia as a package - a proposal and four storylines.

SQ: What is the book's central plot?

SO: Jack's owner Sergeant "Sarge" Russell is transferred from the city to a country town. Jack regrets leaving Sarge's aunt, Auntie Tidge, but loves the new possibilities of Doggeroo. On arrival, Jack finds an old boot in his new garden. That vanishes later and, more importantly, so does Jack's squeaker bone and blanket. Jack investigates.

SQ: Your writing has an immediacy that comes through in Jack Russell: Dog Detective. How much of the book did husband Darrel write and is such honest writing as second-nature to him?

SO: When Darrel and I co-write (which we have done on several occasions), we plan the story together. Later, I write the first draft. Darrel reads it and makes corrections in pen, which we transfer to the manuscript. We're quite practiced at this form of co-writing; it works well.

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