Book Review: Rain Dogs

Reviewed By: Woodstock - RAM

Rain Dogs     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Sean Doolittle
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Hard Boiled   Thriller
Bantam Dell, January 2006

Sean Doolittle returns to the theme of life's unforseen consequences which he examined in his previous novel BURN.

RAIN DOGS has a more somber tone, and also visits a part of the US rarely seen in fiction - the open spaces of western Nebraska, where the scenic Niobara river draws canoing enthusiasts and where law enforcement officers are responsible for wide expanses of territory so vast as to tax the energy, time, and ability of the most determined lawman.

Journalist Tom Coleman has returned to his boyhood home, after a devastating personal tragedy. His grandfather's will has made him the owner of a riverside resort catering to the canoing vacationers. The presence of his grandfather's single employee leaves Tom plenty of time to drift through the days in the anesthesia of steady alcohol consumption.

But even though western Nebraska is sparsely populated, the issues prevalent in the rest of society are present here, too. What is obviously a meth lab explodes near Tom's property, and at least one young man is seriously injured. This event draws Tom unwillingly into the surrounding community, the somewhat clumsy actions of DEA enforcement, and back into the life of a childhood sweetheart.

With his previous two books, Doolittle proved himself an author to watch out for. RAIN DOGS lives up to every expectation. Highly recommended!

Woodstock - RAM

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