All Creatures Dark and Dangerous : The Dr. David Westbrook Stories [Paperback]

Doug Allyn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 19, 1999

Dr. David Westbrook, a small-town veterinarian in Michigan, has a one-eyed, three-legged cat named Franken Kat, whom he found by the roadside and patched together. "She's a terrific mouser," David explains. "She can't catch anybody but she spooks the hell out of 'em and they change neighborhoods." All creatures can be dark and dangerous, but Dave knows that humans can be the most dangerous of all.

With the cooperation of the local sheriff, David finds that his ministrations to cats, dogs, horses and other four-legged creatures lead him to dark side of a more complicated creatures — the two-legged kind.

And David discovers that just as he stitched Franken Kat back together, he sometimes has to reassemble people's lives, including his own.

Doug Allyn is one of the most gifted short-story writers in the mystery field. He has won an Edgar for Best Short Story from the Mystery Writers of America, and two of his stories in All Creatures Dark and Dangerous won the Ellery Queen Readers Award.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

paper 1-885941-32-3 All Creatures Dark And Dangerous ($40.00, paper $16.00; Jun. 30; 208 pp.; 1-885941-31-5, paper 1-885941-32-3): Prolific storyteller Allyn (A Dance in Deep Water, 1997, etc.) collects seven storiesincluding the EQMM Readers Awardwinning ``Franken Kat'' and Roadkill''in which veterinarian David Westbrook tends to the ailing animals of his rural Michigan town, and comes up against the deeper maladies of their human owners. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Doug Allyn is one of the most gifted short-story writers in the mystery field. He has won an Edgar for Best Short Story from the Mystery Writers of America, and two of his stories in All Creatures Dark and Dangerous won the Ellery Queen Readers Award.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Crippen & Landru Publishers; 1 edition (May 19, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885941323
• ISBN-13: 978-1885941329
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,958,431 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Allyn, June 30, 2001

By 

Dennis Collins (Port Austin, Mi USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: All Creatures Dark and Dangerous : The Dr. David Westbrook Stories (Paperback)

Nobody tells a story like Doug Allyn. His short stories are outstanding and this book is a collection of some of his best. These tales, although distinctly different, share the common thread of one Dr. David Westbrook, small town veterinarian. Dr. Westbrook is human with human failings that tend to endear him to the reader. This likeable guy encounters a variety of very troublesome situations in his seemingly routine profession and his approach to solving these dilemmas will hold your interest. One of the stories, "Puppy Land" is well worth the price of the book all by itself. It is a very moving and thought provoking account of a woman faced with a terminal illness, who is able to put her own troubles aside to care for a frail and sickly puppy. A masterpiece.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good short stories, April 6, 2005

By 

L. J. Roberts (Oakland, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: All Creatures Dark and Dangerous: The Dr. David Westbrook Stories (Hardcover)

I'm one who would normally say that short stories are not my favorite form as there isn't enough time to become involved with the characters. Perhaps because I actually read "The Burning of Rachel Hayes" just before reading this book, and because of the continuity of protagonist through, these read more as chapters. Although it was a bit disconcerting that one sub-story here was told differently in "Rachel Hayes," I very much enjoyed this book and read it straight through in one evening.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Collection of Winners, November 29, 2010

By 

Michael A. Black (Blue Island, IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: All Creatures Dark and Dangerous : The Dr. David Westbrook Stories (Paperback)

This book collects the Dr. David Westbrook stories that have appeared primarily in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Doug Allyn is the modern master of the short story, and these stores feature a veternarian in the Midwest who solves his share of mysteries. The short story is a distinct art form into itself and no one does it better than Doug. Give yourself a treat and pick up this collection. YOu won't be disappointed.