Wednesday 19 March 2014

MIKE RESNICK - DOG IN THE MANGER


Synopsis/blurb………..

Hired to investigate the disappearance of a Westminster winner, Eli Paxton stumbles into a web of intrigue.

A dog is missing. Not just any dog. The number one Weimaraner in the country and current Westminster winner.

Down-on-his-luck private eye Eli Paxton is hired to find him. Not exactly an elite assignment, but better than nothing. Maybe it will help him pay his rent.

It turns out to be anything but a routine case. People start dying in mysterious ways, a cargo plane goes missing, and someone is taking shots at him. It makes no sense. Even a top show dog isn't worth that much. 

Now the hunt is on. Paxton needs to find this dog to save his own skin. The trail leads to Arizona, then Mexico, and finally back to his hometown of Cincinnati—

Where he finds the startling solution. 
Praise…..

"I did something I rarely do these days—I read [Dog in the Manger] in a single sitting. I think you'll do the same."
—Ed Gorman
Author of the Sam McCain mystery series


"Eli Paxton is a likable addition to the ranks of fictional private eyes. Mike Resnick's fast-paced, cleverly plotted, wryly amusing adventures are sure to please both mystery readers and fans of his award-winning science fiction."
—Bill Pronzini
Grandmaster of Mystery Writers of America


Another author here who I have vaguely heard of before, but as he is better known for his numerous science fiction novels, one I have never tried. This mystery was originally published back in the mid-90’s and has been given a new lease of life by Seventh Street Books. Resnick has written two more with Eli Paxton as the main focus. The second – The Trojan Colt was released last June and the third – Cat on a Cold Tin Roof will be published in August of this year.




Unlike a few other PI novels I have read, Eli Paxton has few personal issues dogging him. He’s well adjusted, fosters decent working relationships with the police and his competition. He has an interesting back-story which establishes him as an honest, conscientious investigator; unafraid of doing the right thing and without the obligatory bottle of JD in his bottom desk drawer. In his 40’s, single, overweight and balding and without a multitude of martial arts belts and hand to hand combat skills. Jack Reacher he isn't and for all his ordinariness, he rather likeable and more importantly for me, believable.

Paxton is hired to investigate the disappearance of a show-winning Weimaraner dog; Baroness, by the show handler, who is himself being sued by the dog’s owner for its disappearance. The dog was due to have been shipped back to its owner on a small internal flight from Cincinnati to Arizona but never arrived. Paxton makes inquiries at the freight handling operation and soon discovers that the mystery itself is linked to the flight……..employees at the company are transferred, a couple die in “accidents” and when visiting the dog’s owner to make inquiries at the other end of the chain, someone takes some pot shots at him.     

Our missing dog case has morphed into someone somewhat larger and more dangerous for Paxton to unravel.

Only about 190 pages long, so this was a fairly quick read, but without the author sacrificing the development of the main characters within the book. Our settings for the mystery jump around and we enjoy a bit of Arizona and Mexico in addition to Paxton’s Cincinnati base. We have an involvement with the local police, in addition to some national agencies, as well as Mexican law enforcement and we get to learn a little bit about the world of dog breeders and dog showing and judging. Hmm….what a strange lot they are.

Lots to like and enjoy here and I’m looking forward to the second in the series sometime soon.

4 from 5

Thanks to Seventh Street Books for my copy of this.  

      

16 comments:

  1. Col, that's high praise from Ed Gorman and Bill Pronzini. I have, of course, heard of Mike Resnick but haven't read anything by him. Thanks as ever for the review.

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    1. Prashant, you're welcome. I enjoyed this one a lot, but I think I'll be limiting my Resnick reading to his mysteries.
      SCI-FI - with the exception of a few Ray Bradbury's in my formative years is a genre that doesn't do a lot for me.

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    2. Col, I'm selective of the sf I read as a lot of the stuff goes over my head. I like my sf simple with minimum technicals.

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    3. You and me both, too techno-orientated and I'm lost. I never cared much for the sciences at school and with the wrong book in the past have kind of felt like I needed a physics or chemistry degree to decipher what the author was implying. No doubt there are fine examples in this area that aren't over elaborate, but I think I'm relatively content with my chosen genre.

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  2. I'm glad you liked it, but it's probably not for me. Dogs just annoy me. And isn't Resnick the series detective in John Harvey's books? Too confusing for a simple brain.

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    1. Moira, "Dogs just annoy me." I'm curious, do they keep ringing your doorbell and running away? Kicking their football over the fence and damaging the glads?

      Never mind..... with Resnick we'll be having a horse next, followed by a cat.....I'm not partial to cats myself - as the Keane's are dog-lovers.....Jim and Frank - take a bow - one's an old Scottish terrier and the other's a young Heinz 57!

      Re John Harvey - yes his man is Resnick.....I have a few (not 15 - all unread) knocking about.

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  3. Col - This one sounds like a very good read. It's quite refreshing to meet a PI who's not got a whole raft of personal issues to deal with. And if you don't mind my sticking my nose in, I'm not much of a one for scifi myself. There've been a few authors in that genre whose work I've liked, but in the main? Not so much.

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    1. Margot - I definitely liked the non-baggage approach from the author. Re- sci-fi comment, I welcome and value all your (and everyone else's) comments on both my bit and the ensuing chats that sometimes develop.
      Sci-fi, romance and adult lit. are probably my 3 avoid genres, though at the risk of ruining any little credibility I may possess, I will admit to reading a Danielle Steel and Jackie Collins book back in the 80's. In my defence we were on holiday and I ran out of books.

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  4. Hmmm, well, I do read his daughter's work, she wrote romance and some fantasy. I think she also writes mysteries now or some variation thereof. I'll have to pass on this one for personal reasons.

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    1. Keishon - no problem. I just looked up his daughter's work and have to say, not my cup of tea. My turn for a rain-check!
      PS - We have a Goines in the house!

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    2. :D Great! Look forward to your review.

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    3. Please don't hold you breath (defo-2014 though!)

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  5. Col, being from Ohio I find the Cincinnati setting is appealing. Add to that an endorsement from Pronzini plus it's the first of a series and a reasonable length. I'm sold so will look for it.

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    1. Glen, I was fortunate to get a freebie copy, but the Pronzini recommendation didn't hurt at all. I'm looking forward to the 2nd one which is off a similar length. Actually a bit remiss of me, but the last 12 or so pages of this book are actually devoted to a bonus Paxton short story, something I could/should have mentioned.

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  6. Wow, lots of interesting tidbits here. Sci fi writer. Father of sci fi writer. An animal theme. Cincinnati AND Arizona. Hope Glen gets a copy.

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    1. Tracy, I really liked this one and hope Glen finds a copy, so you both can enjoy it. Perfect length - I kind of wish all books were like this, at least as far as page numbers go.

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