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tksimmons02's review against another edition
3.0
Meh
So so. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't enjoy these books as much without the dog. I find the main character more annoyingly sarcastic than amusingly so. The plot/who done it was pretty easily identifiable. Not horrible, but less than stellar.
So so. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't enjoy these books as much without the dog. I find the main character more annoyingly sarcastic than amusingly so. The plot/who done it was pretty easily identifiable. Not horrible, but less than stellar.
opusfra's review against another edition
2.0
1.5 stars because there's a brave dog in it...
350+ pages of asinine banter coupled with annoying 'here's an interesting fact' interludes make this one to avoid. Alan Russell delivers fortune cookie wisdom and makes all his characters speak with one single voice, trading highschool-level witty comments regardless of the situation. Our hero can't even order a bunch of flowers for his saintly love interest without the florist first explaining the origin of the forget-me-not, then exchanging a full page of 'amusing' dialogue with our protagonist. When did you last have a conversation with a shop worker full of zingers and melancholic insight?
Avoid this series like the plague.
350+ pages of asinine banter coupled with annoying 'here's an interesting fact' interludes make this one to avoid. Alan Russell delivers fortune cookie wisdom and makes all his characters speak with one single voice, trading highschool-level witty comments regardless of the situation. Our hero can't even order a bunch of flowers for his saintly love interest without the florist first explaining the origin of the forget-me-not, then exchanging a full page of 'amusing' dialogue with our protagonist. When did you last have a conversation with a shop worker full of zingers and melancholic insight?
Avoid this series like the plague.
luckicj's review against another edition
3.0
Really liked the overall story. Some aspects of the writing style seemed to bug me. I would rate it a hopeful 3.5 stars and will probably read the second in the series to see if that one agrees with me :)
stelepami's review against another edition
3.0
2 3/4 stars. Mostly it made me want to read other cop mysteries I've enjoyed more. I got this one free with no-rush Prime shipping credits after getting the second one in the series free as a Kindle-first thing. I'll read the second one since I have it, but don't anticipate going out of my way for any that follow. It was a quick, easy read; I am slightly curious about the obvious hook, but it won't keep me up nights if I never find out more.
prpltrtl946's review against another edition
5.0
Introducing the Gideon and Sirius series book 1
And a thoroughly done introduction it is. We learn about our characters history, current and resulting behaviors so well they seem like friends, family or neighbors. Except for the evil bad guy who is just awful, but you now him too. On to book 2!!
And a thoroughly done introduction it is. We learn about our characters history, current and resulting behaviors so well they seem like friends, family or neighbors. Except for the evil bad guy who is just awful, but you now him too. On to book 2!!
whatmeworry's review against another edition
2.0
Detective novel about an LA cop and his dog that has 3 mysteries running through it, none of them particularly engaging. What really kills it is the hero/narrators unfunny wisecracking throughout that makes it feel like a Mad Magazine spoof of hard boiled crime fiction. The other big disappointment is the fact that the dog feels like a spare part.
5teverin0's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a quick, enjoyable read. The characters, especially Detective Michael Gideon, are well-drawn and interesting. The action is well-paced, and the plot was not as predictable as I sometimes find similar crime fiction to be. The fact that one of the main characters is a dog is a big plus in my book as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Cursing
kentquirk's review
4.0
I bought this book a) on sale, and b) with the recommendation that it's a mystery novel with a dog as the lead character. I thought that sounded cute so I picked it up.
Cute isn't what this book is. And the dog isn't the lead.
It's really a book about an LAPD K9 officer. It's well constructed, but really harsh in its subject matter. Not violent harsh (although there is some of that), just the sort of disturbing that makes you stay up at night. And to clarify that still further, it has an almost Stephen King sort of matter-of-fact attitude about really difficult people and events that makes you want to go hug someone close.
It did have a theatrical feel, like a movie would. But I will say that once, near the end, it actually had me in tears.
This is not a "OMG, you have to read this book!" sort of review. I think it's more like "if you choose to read this book, I think you'll probably be glad you did."
Cute isn't what this book is. And the dog isn't the lead.
It's really a book about an LAPD K9 officer. It's well constructed, but really harsh in its subject matter. Not violent harsh (although there is some of that), just the sort of disturbing that makes you stay up at night. And to clarify that still further, it has an almost Stephen King sort of matter-of-fact attitude about really difficult people and events that makes you want to go hug someone close.
It did have a theatrical feel, like a movie would. But I will say that once, near the end, it actually had me in tears.
This is not a "OMG, you have to read this book!" sort of review. I think it's more like "if you choose to read this book, I think you'll probably be glad you did."