Official Review: Dodgy Dogs and Bloody Bastards
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- Justine Ocsebio
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Official Review: Dodgy Dogs and Bloody Bastards
The year is 1950 and, in the town of Starmouth, a pharmacist named Ben Ellacott is a missing person. A pair of police officers, Detective Inspector James Temple and Sergeant Tom Cantwell, was sent to investigate Ellacott’s whereabouts. A seemingly ordinary mission took a dramatic turn when Temple and Cantwell’s investigation steered towards the discovery of an illegal greyhound gambling business. What does Ben Ellacott’s disappearance have to do with this? Will Temple and Cantwell be able to deliver justice to this mission?
As I start reading, I find J.T. Owens’ writing style interesting. The air of mystery and intrigue is present, but it is not the type of story that will keep you guessing along with the characters. The reader is merely a spectator who follows the characters as they figure out what the reader already knows. There is an interesting relationship dynamic between Cantwell and Temple in the beginning. Cantwell is a bit slow and gullible, whereas Temple is a serious, short-tempered man.
Through the story, one will learn about the lifestyle in the 1950s. It was interesting to know, for example, that people back then were heavily reliant on the cinema and the pub for entertainment. At the time, people needed the entertainment to relieve the distress brought by the war. Additionally, greyhound racing was something I have not heard of, so I liked how this book gave me an idea about it.
I did enjoy a handful of things in this book. Unfortunately, there were also several aspects that I disliked. The engaging reading experience brought by the unique storytelling eventually waned. The reader’s omniscience completely diminished the sense of thrill and anticipation. The author threw multiple characters into the story, but because they weren’t fleshed out properly, there was hardly anything to care about them. And because it was hard to sympathize with the characters, it diluted the impact of the action and the dramatic scenes. I also wished that the author did not rush the ending. The resolution became a mere summary of events, which wasn’t enough to provide a meaningful closure to the reader.
I decided to give Dodgy Dogs and Bloody Bastards a rating of 2 out of 4 stars because of the flaws in the narrative. The editing was also a problem, as I came across plenty of minor errors throughout the text. I did not give it a one because I liked the initial part of the book. Regardless of its shortcomings, I think readers who like very plot-driven books can still find this one a worthy read. The story is nothing too complex, so one should be able to follow along with ease. I also would recommend this to those who are curious about greyhound racing during the 1950s. However, this is not the book for readers who prefer character-driven novels.
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Dodgy Dogs and Bloody Bastards
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