Casual Rex

I think I liked this book more than the other one by this author. I suppose it is one of those books where you just have to suspend disbelieve in order to be able to enjoy it. Maybe it's easier with the second one in the series..
It's the "tough private eye" style that still bothers me, though. The storyline is carefully crafted with twists and turns and funny bits, so it was a good enough read. And the background story about dinos living among us makes me look at people differently ;-D

This book is a prequel to Anonymous Rex but was published second. I read the other book so long ago that I don't remember a lot about it. I do remember that I thought it was very funny and wacky and loved the idea of dinosaurs stuffing themselves (with lots of corsetry help) into latex people suits to pass for humans. Yes, they never died out, they evolved and went into hiding. The stories are set in modern day Los Angeles and use a hardboiled detective approach to tell a mystery.

The main character is Vincent Rubio, PI a velociraptor. He and his partner, Ernie Watson, another dinosaur, are investigating a cult that seem to kill those who leave it. The subtext seems to be a satire on Scientology and those groups who manufacture their show more heritage, and insist that one and all venerate it as complete truth.

I liked this book, but not nearly as much as the first. I don't know if the conceit is a one hit wonder, or the book isn't up to previous standards. It isn't badly written, and the setting and characters are well done. The dinosaur-centric elements are also done well, and fleshed out so that it all works.

The story is perhaps the problem. It seems to be a bit slow, and a bit disconnected in terms of setting up the mystery and then solving it. Its not terrible, but one of those books that you get a way into it, hoping it will grab you, but all you really want is for it to be over.

I have the final book in the series ( Hot and Sweaty Rex ) to read, and will do so soon, but only to get the whole thing done. show less

Good fun, not sure how the whole series holds up, but I liked this one

amusing but a bit too cutesy