Customer Reviews

The Song Dog (G K Hall Large Print Book Series)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I recently bought this book in a thrift store along with perhaps 20 others I knew absolutely nothing about other than what was touted on their jackets. My boyfriend started The Song Dog yesterday only to put it back down at page two because it has a sexually explicit opening scene. I put down "The Almond Picker" to see why he was so disturbed and wound up reading the book in six hours. Do not be put off by this scene because that's where the 'pornography' (as he put it) ends and am I glad I didn't take his reaction as an indictment. Written nine years ago and set in 1962 South Africa, there is a lot that today would be considered politically incorrect. However, the book does not feel dated, just written with attitudes and language that are often disturbing but context appropriate. Other than to say that there is something very refreshing about this novel I can't quite put my finger on why it was so compelling. I could not stop reading The Song Dog. It's a shame that McClure has gotten buried, he has never shown up in any searches I've done here despite its being so much better than many current books in the genre, perhaps because his Kramer/Zondi series began in 1971. The Song Dog is a prequel, depicting how Lieutenant Kramer and Detective Zondi first met. I loved this book so much I just ordered all of his Kramer/Zondi books from Amazon. If you like moody, intriguing police procedurals set in interesting places with refreshing characters, you will love this book. Who knows about the others, but I will report on the rest of the series shortly. I love McClure's tough guy writing style. For me, a page turner. Be warned, though, of the startling and unapologetic attitudes that you might expect of 1962 South Africa.

McClure writes a prequel to his Trompie Kramer/Mickey Zondi series that haunts the emotions as it satisfies the curiosity. McClure has said in an interview that he identifies with Zondi, although he "didn't realize it until someone told him." Here we see into Zondi's past at mission school as well as how both he and Kramer met their mates, Miriam and the Widow Fourie. I found the predictions of their deaths by the piestess of the Song Dog spine chilling and touching at the same time.

The books in this series are all excellent and this is one of the best.

I was forced to give it only 1 star because I couldn't get past page 30!
I really heard good things about it, but still.
If anyone can tell me something intresting about it...