Metzger's Dog, by Thomas Perry

Retrieved from: the library
(0684179482), 1983
Suggested by: on The List
My Ratings: 9 Merit, 9 Interest, 10 Fun

Where to start...?

First of all, no one writes like Perry. He is a master of noir-with-humor. There are similarities with Robert Parker's Spenser books, and to a certain degree with the "Lethal Weapon"-type movies (although since they came out after this book, that's not really a fair comparison), and your basic potboiler suspense novel. But there's still a twist, frequently in the characters in his books, that makes a Perry book a Perry book.

Secondly, although "Dog" is in the title, there's a lovely white cat on the cover. So you know before you open it that this book could be...unexpected. [Either that or the jacket designer completely messed up.]

Metzger is Doctor Henry Metzger. He's not an M.D.; he's unlicensable, but could probably ace any psychological practicum. He can restrain and control a killer dog like no one else. He's the one to whom we are meant to pay attention, but most of the action occurs elsewhere.

The main character is really Chinese Gordon, the leader of a band of people who blow things up and steal from others simply because they've figured out a new, fun way of doing so. The are opportunists. And they're likable. And pretty funny. And very human. Especially when they take on the sadly ridiculous government agency riddled with bureaucracy and run by the Peter Principle. One can't help cheering for the agent who eventually offs his boss in order to save the hundreds of embedded operatives across the globe that have been put in danger because the boss won't back down. The boss is a CEO brought over to 'manage' the CIA. Never ask a boy to do a man's work. And never underestimate a man who will bring his wife to his enemy's wedding as a--mostly--social occasion.

Perhaps I should say never ask a man to do a cat's work....

This is why Perry is on my list of authors. I could read this book over and over.