Metzger's Dog
by Thomas Perry
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Description
When Leroy "Chinese" Gordon breaks into a professor's lab at the University of Los Angeles, he's after some pharmaceutical cocaine, worth plenty of money. Instead, he finds the papers the professor has compiled for the CIA, which include a blueprint for throwing a large city into chaos. But how is the CIA to be persuaded to pay a suitable ransom, unless of course someone actually uses the plan to throw a large city into chaos-Los Angeles, for instance? Assigned to cope with the crisis and show more restore the peace, veteran agent Ben Porterfield steps onto the scene to remind us that the CIA's middle name is, after all, Intelligence. Enlivening the mix are Gordon's beautiful girlfriend, Margaret, his temperamental cat, Dr. Henry Metzger, and Metzger's friend, an enormous half-wild dog with huge teeth. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
I liked Carl Hiassen's introduction more than the novel. Chinese Gordon breaks into a lab to steal drugs and grabs secretly funded CIA research on psychological warfare. Chinese then attempts to sell the papers back to the U.S. government, and there is much mayhem. The human characters were lame, totally eclipsed by Chinese's cat (Dr. Henry Metzger) and the vicious security dog his gang stole. Perry's other books are better; this one can be skipped.
What's not to love? Metzger's Dog has so many selling points it's hard to define it, but I'll try. Chinese Gordon is a great antihero. The CIA is comprised of 90% absolute idiots. It has horrible animals you can't help but love. There is a great combination of suspense, humor and romance which makes it hard to predict. Essentially, it has everything a reader could ask for.
Overall, it is one of my favorite books, if not my absolute favorite.
Overall, it is one of my favorite books, if not my absolute favorite.
Quirky, enjoyable "caper" tale that pits the CIA against an unusual band of thieves.An imaginative writer, Perry seems to specialize in "good" bad guys who get away with "it". Hopefully things like this don't happen in real life.
I just couldn't get into this book at all. The plot was just way too convoluted. I had trouble following it and then I finally realized that I didn't care that I couldn't follow it. I finished it, but I probably should have just let it go. Not bad, just not for me.
Fun. Delightful. Satisfying. I won't say more about the story than what the book summary already tells you. I will say the book left me smiling and looking forward to my day.
Without question one of my favorite fiction books of all time. Chinese Gordon and his pals should have a series of their own. Of course, he shows up very briefly in "Island", but we want more.
It was okay. I wouldn't read it again. And I wouldn't pick up any more books by this author on the basis of this one. But I wouldn't turn away from another book from Perry just because of this either.
The plot is complicated... and told from a chopped up perspective... and sorta political in nature... and there's no butt kicking or sex in it so I don't even know why it was on my reading list.
Oh well... it was a change of pace, but... I'm done with that pace for now. Back to the good stuff.
The plot is complicated... and told from a chopped up perspective... and sorta political in nature... and there's no butt kicking or sex in it so I don't even know why it was on my reading list.
Oh well... it was a change of pace, but... I'm done with that pace for now. Back to the good stuff.
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Author Information
41+ Works 12,967 Members
Thomas Perry was born in Tonawanda, New York, in 1947. He graduated from Cornell University in 1969 and earned a Ph. D. in English Literature from the University of Rochester in 1974. Perry's novels, successful both critically and with the public, are suspenseful as well as comic. Butcher's Boy received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of show more America for Best First Novel in 1983, and another one of his novels has been adapted in the movie, The Guide (1999). His other novels include: Death Benefits, Nightlife, Fidelity, and Strip. (Bowker Author Biography) Won an Edgar for The Butcher's Boy, and Metzger's Dog was a New Yor Times Notable book of the Year. Vanishing Act was chosen as one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the century by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. Perry's other works include: Death Benefits, The Face Changers, Shadow Woman, Dance for the Dead, and Blood Money. He lives in Southern California with his wife and two daughters. (Publisher Provided) show less
Awards and Honors
Notable Lists
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Metzger's Dog
- Original publication date
- 1983
- Quotations
- "That's right," said Chinese Gordon. "You're better at this guerrilla shit than I am, because you're an animal. But that's also your flaw, Doctor Henry Metzger. You don't even know it's Saturday, you shithead. I don't wear ov... (show all)eralls on Saturday. If it had been me, I'd have pissed on your blue jeans and shirts." He laughed as he walked into his bedroom to dress.
"You're a clever man, Chinese," said Kepler.
"Devious," said Immelmann, squinting his eyes and pondering. "Odd that you should be such a jackass in other ways."
"It's one of the mysteries," Kepler agreed.
"Being with you two has been something of a religious experience for me."
"Oh?" said Kepler.
"It proved that God, in His bounty and generosity, always creates more horses' asses than there are horses to attach them to."... (show all)
"Amen," said Kepler, popping open a beer can.
If Morrison was here, it was a disaster. Morrison wasn't someone who'd be called in to discuss strategies or solve problems. His only value was that he was someone who could be placed in positions that required the right fami... (show all)ly, a certain kind of influence. The fact that he appeared to be a fool was part of his protection as an operative; the fact that he was a genuine fool meant the disguise was impenetrable.
"Just tell me this much: Are you in danger? I mean, this time have you and your merry men signed up to go to some country that smells like cow dung and teach little brown people how to murder each other, or did you just swind... (show all)le somebody?"
"Money talks, but only if you pay off with talking money."
"I'm not ready to declare war, destroy a major city, or take over a country, even if the CIA provides a foolproof recipe. I don't need the additional responsibility of owning a country at this time."
A man in a Mercedes leaned on his horn and yelled, "Get the hell back to your car! What if it starts moving again?"
One of the girls stopped beside the man's window. Her face was calm and expressionless and sincere. "It ca... (show all)n't, see? I have the keys."
The young man seemed pleased to be able to say something that sounded like information.
"Look, I don't think this is any of my business, but I love you very much, and someday I hope to marry you if I ever can find a shred of evidence that you're not criminally insane. Then this would be my business, because I'd ... (show all)like to cook for you."
"Feel free to plumb the depths."
"Hell, no. The food in some of those places is terrific. The secret history of the world is that the French concentrated on placing chefs in all of the major cities, and the British concentrated on taking over those places so... (show all) that they could get something decent to eat. If you spend time in England you begin to wonder if all animals are made up entirely of innards."
Chinese Gordon nodded. "Okay, if that's true, what does it mean?"
"A man whose animals outsmart him should not pretend he's Socrates. Stop asking me questions you think you know the answers to."
"The airplane has a radio, and I'm sure you also have a little card that says you can use everyone's radio."
"No, my electric underpants cause static." - Canonical DDC/MDS
- 813.54
- Canonical LCC
- PS3566.E718
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Statistics
- Members
- 457
- Popularity
- 66,526
- Reviews
- 9
- Rating
- (3.76)
- Languages
- Czech, English, German
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 17
- ASINs
- 5
