Saratoga Bestiary [Mass Market Paperback]

Stephen Dobyns (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1995

What's Super Bowl Sunday without a little gambling party in Saratoga Springs? By bedtime, private detective Charlie Bradshaw's a busy man. The bash has been robbed, Charlie hasn't recovered a stolen painting and a grocer lies dead behind his cash register.

The names of five heavy gamblers promise to hold the key to the murder...and maybe much more. Charlie's investigation veers toward terror as it twists through a netherworld of unpleasant surprises.

"Dobyns is a graceful, assured writer with felicity of word and phrase. His characters spring to life, and he captures the charm of Saratoga Springs, both past and present." (The Washington Post)

--This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"A group of mysteries in one, Saratoga Bestiary builds up smoothly to a truly savage ending." In his fifth outing, PI Charlie Bradshaw pays off a ransom, investigates a theft, a murder and the robbery of his friends during a Superbowl party. "Bradshaw is always half a step behind his suspects. But this keeps the story engaging and the reader well entertained," lauded PW.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Dobyns returns to Charlie Bradshaw's Saratoga Springs ( Saratoga Snapper ), where a stolen painting of Man o' War, a heist from an illegal gambling party, and a murdered grocery store owner have something in common. While unearthing the intricate connectionsall of which lead to a very nasty villain who arranges pit bull dog fights and snuff videosCharlie ponders the "difficulties" of turning 50. The author handles this tangled web of gamblers and crooks with mastery, secure amidst well-established backdrops and series regulars. REK
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140106138
• ISBN-13: 978-0140106138
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,713,246 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Is There Anything Dobyns Can't Do?, July 19, 2004

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M. Neal (Austin) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Saratoga Bestiary (Mass Market Paperback)

Better known for his poetry, Dobyns has shown his mastery of the mystery genre as well. This addition to the Saratoga series is especially great, but I have yet to read one that's poor or even just good; each one has been excellent. Dobyns talent is in taking the conventions of the typical mystery and giving them a facelift. Saratoga Bestiary--and the other Saratoga books--are filled with comedy, excellent characterization, and a poet's flair for masterful language and dialogue. I found myself strangely attached to the characters in a way that I haven't been since adolescence. I highly, highly reccomend this series of books--even if you don't like mysteries as I didn't--as well as the rest of Dobyns work.