Turn Right at the Spotted Dog is a 1987 collection of articles and interviews by the English writer Jilly Cooper. It comprises 26 pieces that were first published by The Mail on Sunday. In the preface to the collection Cooper describes how she uses the collection to "repair the ravages of newspaper sub-editors". The Telegraph also listed it shortly after Cooper's 2025 death as one of five works by the author that are 'must-reads'.
First published in 1987,[2] it was Cooper's first edited collection to be published for five years.[3] In the preface to the collection Cooper describes how she uses the collection to "repair the ravages of newspaper sub-editors ... and sometimes ill-considered cuts" to pieces, including the profile on Princess Michael of Kent.[3]
Reception
Described by the Northern Echo as "embracing a diverse range of subjects",[1] the Huddersfield Examiner drew attention to the range of material in the book, citing Cooper's piece on Brighton's nudist beach as featuring alongside a major interview with Neil Kinnock.[4] The same review described the book as "amusing [with] an upper-class sort of humour" which included "funny but hurtful comments" on a range of celebrity figures, but concluded saying it was "a must for Cooper fans everywhere".[4] The South Wales Argus agreed describing the articles as "sometimes whacky, sometimes funny, usually interesting".[2] The Sydney Morning Herald described the collection as "a handbook for nouveau-rustics" citing differences in entertaining between London houses and in the countryside.[5]Punch highlighted her interview with David Gower as a key piece in the collection.[6] The book continued to feature in the top ten best-selling paperback charts in September 1988.[7]
Recognition
In an article in the The Guardian after the author's death in 2025, one reader described this collection as "perceptive" with "clarity of expression".[8]The Telegraph also listed it during the same period as one of five works by Cooper that are 'must-reads'.[9] The book has been compared to Cooper's other collections Class and Angels Rush In.[5] A quotation from the work also appeared in The Mammoth Book of Comic Quotes.[10]
References
1 2 Hunter, Ian (1988-09-01). "The mad days in Dublin". The Northern Echo (Yorkshire ed.). p.8. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
1 2 Williams, Lesley (1987-10-27). "Sunday best". South Wales Argus. p.4. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
1 2 Cooper, Jilly (1987). Turn right at the Spotted Dog. Mandarin. p.9.
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