SLEEPING DOGS. [Paperback]

Thomas. Perry (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: NY: RANDOM HOUSE. 1992; aFirst Edition First Printing edition (1992)
• ISBN-10: 0679741569
• ISBN-13: 978-0679741565
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,311,114 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

THOMAS PERRY is the author of 19 novels including the Jane Whitefield series (Vanishing Act, Dance for the Dead, Shadow Woman, The Face Changers, Blood Money and Runner), Death Benefits, and Pursuit, the first recipient of the Gumshoe Award for best novel.
He won the Edgar for The Butcher's Boy, and Metzger's Dog was a New York Times Notable Book. The Independent Mystery Bookseller's Association included Vanishing Act in its "100 Favorite Mysteries of the 20th Century," and Nightlife was a New York Times bestseller. Metzger's Dog was voted one of NPR's 100 Killer Thrillers--Best Thrillers Ever.
Thomas Perry was born in Tonawanda, New York in 1947. He received a B.A. from Cornell University in 1969 and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Rochester in 1974. He has worked as a park maintenance man, factory laborer, commercial fisherman, university administrator and teacher, and a writer and producer of prime time network television shows. He lives in Southern California.  His website: www.thomasperryauthor.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Action And Suspense, May 17, 2000

By 

N. Sausser "pucksau" (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sleeping Dogs (Mass Market Paperback)

The specialist (from "The Butcher's Boy") is back. He's been laying low in England for the past ten years, when he is rudely thrust back into his old life. What follows is all based on one wrong assumption he makes. I was reminded of the time in the movie theater when the man in front of me got so caught up in the movie, he actually shouted at the screen, "Hey! You've got it all wrong. Wake up!". I was about to shout that that at this book, but I didn't want to startle the dog sleeping at my feet. I found the main character appealing even though he is an assassin. He is, after all, taking out the bad guys. There is lots of action and it's fun to see how he gets out of one scrape after another. I like the way Thomas Perry writes. As with his Jane Whitefield stories (she is a specialist too. She helps people disappear) he is clever, witty, sometimes even humorous, and he doesn't waste my time with unnecessary dialogue or endless descriptions. The ending was spectacular. You really got me with this one Mr. Perry.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flawless, September 7, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Sleeping Dogs (Mass Market Paperback)

Sleeping Dogs, I admit, was the first book I read by Thomas Perry. I have since read and enjoyed, to varying degrees, all his other works. I always come back to Sleeping Dogs though. It is definitely my favorite book, and when ever I read it, it's as if I've come home again. I realize it's almost scary to have a person sympathize with the Butcher's Boy as much as I do, but I constantly admire, appreciate, and understand his ruthless and logical approach to solving problems. I also felt that the "villains" in the book were incredibly fun, and provided a good balance. it's difficult to pick favorites, but Fratelli, the one who is infuriated more and more while trying to escape the Butcher's Boy, and shake off the clingy paranoid bank manager, as well As Bala himself with his unbelievable losing streak against his Gin partner in prison are definite stand outs to me. Also Jack Hamp, I felt, was a wonderful addition as the flip side of the coin to the Butcher's Boy. And of course, I fell in love with the Honourable Meg as well. Overall, I just feel this book is exciting, amusing, ironic, and just thoroughly enjoyable. The only fault I can find is that Perry's Mafia structure doesn't quite jive with reality, but it really doesn't matter. I keep trying to figure out if certain people are from New York, or if they're Chicago, but in Perry's world it seems like Mafia is Mafia, with no real seperation. And that doesn't ultimately matter. To sum up, I feel this book is flawless, and will probably continue to read it once a month until my eyes go.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Butcher's Boy revisited..., March 3, 2003

By 

Laurie Fletcher "Laurie Fletcher" (Casper, Wyoming, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sleeping Dogs (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the much-anticipated (by me) follow-up to "Butcher's Boy". It is a good but not wonderful sequel, as so many are, but still worth the read. But be forewarned: this also has a pretty implausible and coincidental ending. As in "Butcher's Boy", Perry has made our protagonist (here he is named Michael Shaeffer) a just-sympathetic-enough sociopath for us to be rooting for him without compromising our true sense of right or wrong. By accident, he is flushed out of hiding in England and instead of continuing to flee, he returns to the United States to meet his ghosts head-on. The will to survive in this killer is so strong, that it is possible to admire that element and distance oneself from the horror of what he does - but only just. It is never a comfortable choice and requires a full complement of justification. In telling this story, Perry takes us from England back to the States and on a grand tour of characters, locations, and techniques and the journey is never dull. One scene that is fixed in my mind is Michael's character-establishing encounter with a New York street tough. It is icily well written.