Dog Days
Author: John Levitt
Publisher: ACE
ISBN-10: 0441015530
ISBN-13: 978-0441015535
Rating: 8/10
Every dog has its day. John Levitt should know. Since 1989, the San Francisco based author has made a career writing crime novels with bite. Now he’s traded in his trench coat and fedora to compose a novel that is rather…otherworldly. The result, “Dog Days”
Set in the present day, the book follows a semi-talented musician, Mason, as he scrapes to make a living, playing gigs in some of the roughest parts of town, for little pay. Naturally, his bohemian lifestyle brings him in contact with several ne’er do wells. He is also a ‘talent’; able to see and hear things that most human beings can’t. When one of the denizens of the dark attempts to end Mason’s life, the two worlds collide, forcing him to turn the screws on his perpetrator as only he can. He is aided by a four legged hound with unique abilities of his own.
“Dog Days” is one of the more fast paced reads. Throughout, Mason and his buddies, Lou the dog, and his ex-girlfriend all feel like three dimensional characters. Yet the real star is the city of San Francisco both gritty and pretty. It feels safe but danger lurks beneath the surface.. As Mason sojourns through the Mission district and battles icky creatures in downtown alleyways, it often seems as though the City By the Bay is itself a living breathing organism–no less alive than the human beings (and other creatures) that occupy it.
Though the plot can feel predictable at times, Levitt more than makes up for it with richly textured characters and a certain authenticity that only a former member of law enforcement can provide. Dynamic and engaging, “Dog Days” is a book that sinks its teeth into the reader, and holds on. Why not return the favor?
John Winn – Staff Writer
Buzzy Multimedia – Sci-Fi & Fantasy Audio Books & Funny T-Shirts
this review was interesting.
i liked how you described the book and gave me a general overview without telling me the whole story. lots of reviews do that, and then i feel like i do not have to read the book.
WELL DONE, Matt.
Sounds like it would be great on a flight or when waiting my turn at the DMV. Sometimes we are just looking for a book to entertain, not change our lives.