Synopses & Reviews
“A lot of fun, full of unexpected depths and twists.”
--Josh Bazell, bestselling author of Beat the Reaper on The Dog Park Club
Max Bravo is ready for some rest and relaxation. But when an old friend takes a leap off the Golden Gate Bridge, Max realizes that rest and relaxation simply aren't in the cards. The jumper, Frank Kelly, was a failed writer and an accomplished hothead. Max acquires Frank's journal, and is soon following the dead man through a foggy landscape of artistic manias and romantic intrigues. Along the way, he encounters a motley crew of crackpots, bohemians, and wily ghosts that refuse to be buried in San Franciscos Barbary Coast past. Fans of quirky, literary mysteries will love this second dose of Max Bravo and his outrageous adventures in Cynthia Robinson's The Barbary Dogs.
Review
“This esoteric tale, peopled with dozens of quirky characters, draws you in and spits you out dazed and delighted with the journey.”
— Kirkus Review - The Worlds Toughest Reviewers
"This quirky and offbeat novel may well appeal to fans of Lisa Lutzs Spellman Files, also a little wacky and set in San Francisco."
— Jessica Moyer, Booklist
" . . . a rollicking romp through the caverns of Max's roller-coaster mind. Those seeking a conventional whodunit should look elsewhere."
— Publishers' Weekly
“The serpentine story line has more wonderful curves than Lombard Street as Max, accompanied by Dixie and the ghosts, provides an intriguing tour of San Francisco.”
— Harriet Klausner, Genre-Go-Round
“Somewhere in the authorial firmament, Raymond Chandler is attempting to steal this passage for his latest celestial novel:
‘Blashky introduced me to Miss Vicky. She leaned her forearms onto the bar, framing her bounteous breasts in the strong embrace of her bare arms. A man could lose his motel keys in that cleavage.
Robinson's stylistics and Max's theatrics—equally bravura—make for a most exotic port of call in a mystery that defies categorical gravity, quite alike a perpendicular cable-car ride."
— David Marshall James, Yahoo Shine
Review
Praise for The Barbary Dogs
“Fans of…supernatural escapades and dogs will enjoy Robinsons second mystery…A rollicking romp.”
--Publishers Weekly
Praise for The Dog Park Club
“An amusing dark comedy with charismatic characters and a story that seems ripped from the headlines but turns out to be far more interesting than the truth.”
--Kirkus Reviews (starred)
“Compelling and readable, this offbeat debut will appeal to all lovers of dog mysteries.”
--Booklist
“That rarest of gems, a comic tour de force that steals your heart.”
--David Corbett, author of The Devils Redhead
“Beautifully written, The Dog Park Club will make you laugh out loud and then break your heart; Max Bravo is one of the most original and appealing protagonists to appear in years.”
--Jeremy Duns, author of Free Agent
“This is a wry, darkly comic, terminally knowing novel, which can't quite hide the yearning at its heart.”
--David Gates, author of Jernigan
Synopsis
When one of Max Bravos old friends takes a leap off the Golden Gate Bridge, Max realizes that this wasnt a simple suicide. The jumper, Frank Kelly, was a failed writer and an accomplished hothead. Max acquires Franks journal and is soon following the dead man through a foggy landscape of romantic intrigues. Along the way, he encounters a motley crew of crackpots and wily ghosts that haunt San Franciscos Barbary Coast past and may well have a fatal effect on Maxs present.
Synopsis
Opera singer extraordinaire Max Bravo is back in this sequel to THE DOG PARK CLUB that explores both mysterious disappearances and misleading appearances.Max Bravo is ready for some rest and relaxation. But when an old friend takes a leap off the Golden Gate Bridge, Max realizes that rest and relaxation simply aren't in the cards. The jumper, Frank Kelly, was a failed writer and an accomplished hothead. Max acquires Frank's journal, and is soon following the dead man through a foggy landscape of artistic manias and romantic intrigues. Along the way, he encounters a motley crew of crackpots, bohemians, and wily ghosts that refuse to be buried in San Franciscos Barbary Coast past. Fans of quirky, literary mysteries will love this second dose of Max Bravo and his outrageous adventures.
About the Author
CYNTHIA ROBINSONs stories have appeared in Opium.com and the First Thrills anthology. Nominated for the Best New American Voices Award, she lives in San Francisco. The Barbary Galahad is her second novel with Minotaur/Thomas Dunne Books; the first, The Dog Park Club, was published in July 2010.