An amusing mystery piece, through and through. A good mix of thrills, humor, and personality. Not my favorite entry into the genre - certain aspects of the main character's personality got more than a touch grating at times (they were supposed to, by the by) - but it was a well-written, engaging read, with enough twists in the case to keep you going into the night. Plus, in true Bakker form, it trickled in here and there little touches of his philosophical notations. Much less so than in his Prince of Nothing series, of course, and in different form, but it makes for an interesting - if dark - addition to the piece. All around? Short, engaging, and entertaining. Memorable quote: ‘Makes me feel like a cannibal, sometimes, the eater of momentary souls’ Disciple Manning is a PI with a unique ability – he remembers EVERYTHING, which, in his profession seems like a gift, but for Disciple it makes the world boring and uneventful, that is, until commissioned to locate missing attractive 21yro cult member Jennifer. I couldn’t help but draw comparison to Spillane’s mucho P.I Mike Hammer in Disciple’s mannerisms and chauvinistic attitude coupled with the tendency for violence and general self love. Disciple was a hard character to like and I often found myself wanting to read more of the suspects than the protagonist – Xen (cult leader) especially. There was a distinct Carter Brown Al Wheeler pulp mystery feel to this (refer to ‘The Lover’), and the premise was interesting but it felt like Bakker was trying too hard to hide literature in a dumb downed hardboiled wonderland of profanity and meaningless action. ‘Disciple of The Dog’ looks great from the synopsis but didn’t quite delivery in actuality. I’m interested to see where Bakker takes Disciple, as I think there is something good here, albeit with a slight tweak here and there. 3 stars.
What do You think about Disciple Of The Dog (2000)?
What's the difference between a skeptic and a cynic? =) Loved it.
—Desienna
I liked the characters, but the plot could have been better.
—melsbells
