Smalltown Texas is the setting for a fast paced mystery in which a barking dead dog is wired up at full volume, and it is local hero Jack Track's job to discover why--before anyone else dies. By the author of Pink Vodka Blues.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Problems raised by a "dead electric dog" open Barrett's second mystery, after Pink Vodka Blues . Max Coomer, the wealthiest man in Pharoah, Tex., finds his black Lab murdered in the back yard. With its jaw wired and a Walkman tied around its neck, the dog seems to be barking in unison with the tape that's playing. Joining the motley crowd of rednecks ogling the spectacle is town marshall Jack Track, who spent 14 years of his life with another name, another home, and another profession (Wayne, Vegas and killer, respectively) before returning to his hometown. Pretty soon Coomer is as dead as his dog, dressed in a football uniform and wired to look like he did when running for touchdowns as a high school hero. Jack, the dead man and a few others, including the victim's widow and Pharoah's sheriff, Deke Glover, went to high school together. Jack tries to piece together the puzzle with the help of his girlfriend Cecily, who owns a line of yogurt shops and isn't pleased at Jack's brief tryst with Max's widow, and his best pal Earl Murphy, a rich cantankerous black man who made a fortune on Wall Street. More murders lead Jack to a lunatic's private theater as the humor, coming as fast as the instantly orgasmic widow Coomer, plays at--but doesn't quite go over--the edge.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Max Croomer is the richest man in Pharaoh, Texas. When his dog is found dead in his backyard, jerryrigged to keep right on barking even as a corpse, the local citizenry, including temporary town marshal Jack Track, dismiss it as a sick prank by someone Max had offended. Shortly thereafter, though, Max gets a similar treatment--impaled on the high-school football field in his old uniform with his legs pumping and a crowd recording blaring over the PA. Meanwhile, Jack, who just got back to town and has a past he'd prefer not to reveal, is smitten with Max's widow, Millie, who has a daughter, Smoothy, who's 12, looks 20, and likes to go topless. And let's not forget Deke, the racist sheriff, and Earl, the only rich black man in town, both of whom have plenty of reasons to hate Max. Barrett, author of the very successful Pink Vodka Blues (1992), has hit pay dirt a second time, once again mixing a breezy, ironic narrative style with situations that are anything but funny. It's a roller-coaster ride to hell, and the guy in the next seat is crackin' wise. Wes Lukowsky
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You owe it to yourself to try Neal Barrett,
By
This review is from: Dead Dog Blues (Paperback)
If you are a fan of great writing, you must try out Neal Barrett. This "Blues" series is Barrett in top form. After you've torn through these books, check out Joe Lansdale and Andrew Vachss, and while you're at it, track down a copy of Barrett's out-of-print masterpiece, "The Hereafter Gang."
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
ANOTHER TEXAS AUTHOR WHO KNOWS HOW TO DELIVER!!!,
By
This review is from: Dead Dog Blues (Paperback)
For readers who enjoy the novels of Joe R. Lansdale-specifically the Hap/Leonard series-let me introduce you to Mr. Lansdale's mentor, Neal Barrett, Jr., a Texas author who's been writing for well over forty years. I've been aware of Barrett as a SF author since the late Sixties, but it was only a few weeks ago that I finally decided to purchase a couple of mysteries by him. I picked up a copy of DEAD DOG BLUES (though it has "Blues" in the title, this isn't a Wiley Moss novel), read a few pages, and found myself hooked line and sinker. I can easily see how Mr. Lansdale was influenced by the work of Neal Barrett, especially with regards to developing one's sense of dark humor and in being able to create a cast of colorful, off-the-wall characters. This is definitely a novel that's filled with both dark humor and an array of colorful characters that leave you wanting more when the last page is finally reached. DEAD DOG BLUES is the story of Jack Track, a native of Pharaoh, Texas, who left town to go to college and disappeared for fourteen years, living a life of crime part of the time and hiding for the rest by riding the rails. When his Uncle Will gets sick, Jack returns to Pharaoh and agrees to take over his uncle's job as town constable on a temporary basis. It's an easy job for Jack. All he has to do is make sure the downtown stores are locked up at night. Things suddenly change, however, when millionaire Max Croomer's dog is murdered in a rather peculiar fashion. Then, Max's maid, Emma, disappears. When Max is murdered and his body is publicly displayed on the local school's football field, Jack realizes that he has a deadly killer on his hands. What makes matters even worse is that Max's wife, Millie, had a brief fling with Jack when they were teenagers, and now she's showing interest in renewing their old relationship. This could cause Jack some serious problems, especially if his girlfriend, Cecily Benet-the yogurt queen of Texas-finds out. The only one Jack can really count on is his close friend, Earl Murphy, both of which shared a childhood of being poor. Now, Earl is a self-made Wall Street millionaire who lives on the lot next to Jack's. There's no house on Earl's property-only stacks of lumber, brick, shingles, pipes, and a shed filled with power tools. Earl cooks on a camp stove and sleeps in his Aston-Martin Lagonda. Being black, Earl still harbors some hard feelings toward the good citizens of Pharaoh, and it doesn't bother him in the least that a few of them have been murdered. Earl, however, has to take a stand when the killer decides to come after Jack. That's why he keeps a .44 Magnum revolver under the seat of his two hundred thousand dollar car. DEAD DOG BLUES is a surprise of the best sort. Mr. Barrett made the town of Pharaoh, Texas come alive with his vivid descriptions and eccentric characters. Though having done things that are against the law, Jack Track is a strong protagonist that tries to do what's right. His relationship with Earl Murphy reminded me a lot of Hap Collins and Leonard Pine in the Joe R. Lansdale series. These are two men who have a bond of friendship between them that can't be broken, and each is ready to come to the other's rescue at a moment's notice. The women in the story (Cecily Benet, Millie & and Smoothy Croomer) are beautiful, smart, sexy, and know how to make a man suffer in ways that only a female can. The supporting characters rang true to the ear and reminded me a lot of people I knew from the small town in North Carolina where I come from. I will say the Mr. Barrett surprised me with who the killer is in the story. I never saw it coming. Few writers are able to catch me like that. I hope the author will eventually bring back Jack Track and Earl Murphy in a future novel. These guys, like Hap and Leonard, are simply a lot of fun to hang out with, and you never know what they're going to get into. Highly recommended.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dead Dog Blues captures your attention immediately.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Dead Dog Blues (Paperback)
This mystery is great because you never know for sure who did it until the very end. The characters in the book are delightful as well as comical. It is different from traditional mysteries and very well written.
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