Metzger's Dog

I have a taste for books that are both funny and intense, and for that reason this is perhaps my favorite of all Perry's books. Years ago, I read sections of it (the parts about Chinese Gordon, his friends, and their adventures) out loud to my then ten year old son. (I thought the other sections weren't suitable for a child, so I censored them.) He howled with laughter, and both of us were awed by the scenes in which a few men completely, bloodlessly, shut Los Angeles down. What a glorious idea. Another reviewer is quite right -- this book would make a great "caper" movie. Where's the Rat Pack when you need them?

Thomas Perry's body of work is so original, so imaginative, that I'm surprized all his novels don't win Edgar awards. Bravo to the publishers for making his early work available; it's a joy to see where many of the themes that govern his later work took root.Metzger's Dog is peopled with the full-bodied characters you expect from Perry, along with irony, humor, and bursts of unexpected violence. Setting the CIA and a gang of thieves on a level playing field, and getting the reader to root for the gang of thieves is deft writing, indeed. Another word about Perry's use of violence. Given his plot lines, you'd expect a lot of it. Well, there's a lot of implied violence, and you expect it at every turn, yet he usually manages to shock you when it finally, and rarely, appears.Thomas Perry gets my vote as one of the best mystery/suspense writers of the century. --

Thomas Perry's early books are masterpieces and thank goodness the publishers have yielded to public pressure and made them available again. This is a delicious confection. Metzger's Dog has everything Perry is famous for -- violence, humanity, irony -- and unlike some authors, he carries through right up to the last scene. It's got the attention to details, strategic thinking, and casual violence of "tough" thrillers, mixed with an upbeat affection for life that makes it three-dimensional and unforgettable. You never want it to end; you never want to say goodbye to the characters. Now, join me in a moment of prayer that the publishers will reissue "Big Fish", another great book that should never have gone out of print.

Metger's Dog is one of the finest novels I have read in quite a while -- and working in publishing (don't hold it against me) I see hundreds a year. There are moments in this narrative, many moments, when the reader realizes he has placed his or her attention in expert hands. Humor and seriousness are expertly blended. Perry is a subtle observer of people and of life. The character of Chinese Gordon is revealed only on the very last pages of the book ( and never fully), and rarely have I seen such judicious treatment of a CIA type as with Perry's creation of the character Porterfield. Good and evil are carefully intertwined in this text -- all of the characters trouble these moral boundaries. Even Gravirjas (sp?), a drug boss, is admirable in his assessment of circumstances, in his reasoning and objectivity given the life he leads, the hand he holds. His fatal mistake would have been impossible for him to grasp ahead of time -- circumstances just got way beyond what he knew. In fact, only Poterfield and Chinese Gordon, the two main characters, are up to the chess board in this plot. And like two generals from opposing armies, they walk away respecting each other, though perhaps not equally.The name "Metzger's Dog" is a metaphor -- the dog in the novel, a vicious animal, has been salvaged from a junkyard and tamed. At the end of the novel, this dog is given the name Porterfield. In this story it is ultimately the CIA that has been tamed. The details of how this is achieved hold up to any test for authenticity.

My favorite of Perry's books, this non-stop tale of Chinese Gordon and his confederates kept me laughing and left me awestruck. I cannot believe no one has made a movie yet of this book! How often do you get to pull for the bad guys and hate the good guys, and laugh about it the whole time? What I particularly like about Perry's work is that he never finds it necessary to reveal every detail of a character's history, only what is needed to make the plot tick along. Inevitably, his characters remain in my mind long after I've finished the book, musing over how Chinese got his name (his name is Leroy), why his cat is named Dr. Henry Metzger, and how did he meet his girlfriend who is the PERFECT girlfriend for a former mercenary. Questions only Mr. Perry has the answer to, and I hope someday to encounter Chinese in print once again -- so I can ask some new questions!