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The Dogcatcher
Sean Patrick Carlin’s debut novel, an occult horror/dark comedy in the spirit of Shaun of the Dead, begins with a trio of college students savagely mauled on a hiking trail coming home from the bar. The next night, a pair of high-school sweethearts is stalked and massacred at a state park. Something monstrous lurks in the woods of Upstate New York, setting the idyllic Finger Lakes community of Cornault on edge.
Investigating the wildlife attacks is beleaguered Animal Control Officer Frank Antony. Misunderstood by his father, the mayor of Cornault, mistreated by his brother, chief of staff at City Hall, and mischaracterized as “the dogcatcher” by the newspaper’s op-ed columnist, Frank commands no one’s respect. Even his earnestly loyal sidekick, Animal Care Technician Steve “Waff” Pollywaffle, is too hopelessly irresponsible to ever be counted on.
Aided by world-weary forensic veterinarian Jessie Bartendale, Frank and Waff soon suspect the creature menacing their town is something far more horrifying than an ordinary wild animal . . . and the underestimated “dogcatcher” and his team might be the only ones who can stop it.
“The Dogcatcher is a darkly funny romp filled with unique characters. It manages to put a new twist on the genre and Carlin’s writing ensures there’s never a dull moment. This book is just the thing to get you in the mood for the Halloween season.”
- J.G. Faherty, author of Ragman, Songs in the Key of Death, The Wakening
“An inventive and terrifying must-read for any horror fan.”
- John Kachuba, author of Shapeshifters: A History
Investigating the wildlife attacks is beleaguered Animal Control Officer Frank Antony. Misunderstood by his father, the mayor of Cornault, mistreated by his brother, chief of staff at City Hall, and mischaracterized as “the dogcatcher” by the newspaper’s op-ed columnist, Frank commands no one’s respect. Even his earnestly loyal sidekick, Animal Care Technician Steve “Waff” Pollywaffle, is too hopelessly irresponsible to ever be counted on.
Aided by world-weary forensic veterinarian Jessie Bartendale, Frank and Waff soon suspect the creature menacing their town is something far more horrifying than an ordinary wild animal . . . and the underestimated “dogcatcher” and his team might be the only ones who can stop it.
“The Dogcatcher is a darkly funny romp filled with unique characters. It manages to put a new twist on the genre and Carlin’s writing ensures there’s never a dull moment. This book is just the thing to get you in the mood for the Halloween season.”
- J.G. Faherty, author of Ragman, Songs in the Key of Death, The Wakening
“An inventive and terrifying must-read for any horror fan.”
- John Kachuba, author of Shapeshifters: A History
- GenresHorror
302 pages, Paperback
Published September 16, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 1, 2024
First, a pointless ramble. Feel free to skip ...
I started this year (2024) with a return to one of my favourite authors and his somewhat aberrational graphic novel about a werewolf - Stephen King's Cycle of the Werewolf to be precise.
I was left reasonably entertained but far from mesmerized, which is hardly a putdown for any average book, but then with King I would consider anything meriting less than four stars still something of a disappointment. It was through my reading of this superficial, by-the-numbers tale, however, that I happened to be put in contact with a budding American novelist and online blogger, Sean Patrick Carlin, who in the most humble and unintrusive of ways, invited me to read his book, which he would very kindly mail out my way for free.
Generally, I tend to steer clear of these kinds of situations. I like to be open and forthcoming in my opinion about books, love them or hate them, and it's perfectly fun - indeed, cathartic - to brutally tear apart something you hated reading. Like a failed relationship with an asshole or an evil woman, it's no fun having to live with it, but much satisfaction and therapy can be garnered afterwards by eviscerating them with your friends. It's not quite the same thing though, when your friends fall suddenly blank and silent, then you hear an awkward clearing of the throat, slowly turn around and notice, sitting just one café table over from yours, is your ex, all hurt and teary and shit ... Ahhhh, I wasn't talking about, you know, it was, ahhhh - Hey, how's it going?
This is kind of what happened to me when I decided to read someone's entire Wattpad novel back in, oh, 2020, maybe? Don't ask me where I found the motivation to do so; it is not without reason that I have a shelf called "mostly-rubbish-wattpad". The book was The Cracks in the Labyrinth and, since I didn't like it much, and also didn't expect the guy would pay any attention to my little review, I didn't hold back all that much. I mean, I certainly didn't savage it. I am all too aware of my own faults and fragilities as a wannabe writer to do something like that. Bad books are only fair game for savagery if the writer, at the end of the day, gets to sit back in their jacuzzi, sipping fine wine and surrounded by hot specimens of the opposite sex (or not! I hasten to add), and laugh at your impotent hatred (I am looking at you, E.L. James, among a few others). Suffice to say, since I try to be a nice person, I was quite ashamed when the poor author guy commented on my review, and, in true humility, thanked me for my honest feedback.
Sort of getting to the point now. Feel free to skip also ...
Why do I spend so long digressing on something unrelated to Carlin's book?
Well, because I feared in taking up his offer, that I risked facing the moral dilemma of disliking the book (Wattpad severely lowered by expectations for new and/or independently published authors) and either hurting someone's feelings in the name of honesty, or taking the coward's way of lying, saying I enjoyed it, and then having to come to terms with myself for allowing a book a higher rating than I felt it deserved. Back in the fun days of 2016 and before, my OCD was at its peak and, as one of many unpleasant manifestations, I became super anal about my actions of Goodreads. Thankfully, I have long since escaped those caves of mental turmoil. But I still remember the dank smell well enough to greatly dislike rating a book different to how I really feel.
Fortunately - ever so fortunately - Carlin is an excellent writer. And this novel, his impressive debut, is a joy from start to finish. I confess to being a little wary at first, as the whole werewolf thing does little for me personally. Also, given his citing of influences in the realm of dark comedy horrors along the lines of Gremlins and Ghostbusters, I was expecting a gore-filled, cruel and subversive tale about shitty people dying karmic deaths which can't help feeling unnecessarily sadistic, a dark romp through the menaced mind of someone with little respect or liking for humanity. I do not mean to say that Carlin struck me as this type at all. I just had my preconceptions about what such a story was likely to be like. And while I adore the first Ghostbusters, which isn't anything like what I described above, Gremlins and its ilk are very much to my distaste. Or maybe it's just that I have a special disregard for anti-Christmas movies, sentimental Christian family guy that I am.
Okay, that's enough. To the review ...
The Dogcatcher starts off and for a while plays out something like a murder-mystery, with the added element wherein the reader alone actually knows that the killer is in fact a werewolf. I would have to say my favourite part of this book was the first third of the story, because on top of doing a marvellous job introducing all the characters - the ever-likeable animal control officer, or "dogcatcher", Frank Antony, the disillusioned Doctor Bartendale, the ever sinusy smartass, Steve "Waff" Pollywaffle, etc - and indeed the beautifully rendered town of Cornault, New York, which renewed my desire to travel through the quiet towns and leafy dales of New England - Carlin also deftly plays off a trope I love and recognised from one of my favourite novels ...
There is actually quite a lot in this book that reminded me of Peter Benchley's Jaws, a book both loved and reviled by shark enthusiasts and environmentalists, depending maybe on their politics or whether the film endeared them through trauma as a child. I loved the whole "Is it a bear? Is it a coyote?" aspect. Naturally, Frank Antony is on the case from the start, sensing something fishy about the brutal manner in which the victims are killed. He and Waff set out to find and humanely tranquilize the perpetrator, which soon turns out to be worse than any of them ever imagined. Much like in Jaws, Antony's insistence that a popular annual festival be cancelled for the sake of protecting civilians (after the Pandemic, no less, where the town economy has already greatly suffered) scores him few friends among the local government (of which his own father and brother are at the top), nor the approval of the resident right-wing shock jock, who is a gleefully accurate parody of your typical angry white guy with a blue checkmark.
I will not linger on the plot beyond this, so as not to spoil anything. Suffice to say that things quickly escalate, and people soon realise that they ought to have taken Frank Antony a lot more seriously than they had.
This perhaps is an appropriate place to talk about my only criticism of the book, which is small by all means, but nevertheless necessary in order to say I provided some kind of constructive feedback instead of just a gushy, positive review ...
The fact that the brutal killings, and even the werewolf itself, do not really take centre stage as the story progresses is indeed a pleasant surprise, and definitely one of the things that allowed this book to score four stars instead of three from me. The only thing I found slightly disappointing is that, for all the family drama and the underdog status of the protagonist, I wish it had all been given even more page space than it got. It is very well established that Frank is not respected, and by many is downright disrespected and assumed to have been given his job merely through family connections. This is all set up very well, and explored to good effect. However, I personally would have loved for the town's disregard for Frank to have been drawn out more, to their own detriment, in order for his eventual vindication to be all the more satisfying.
I just felt like, in the interests of keeping the pace rolling and the horror elements close at hand, the bloodbath of the town festival that ends up vanquishing any doubt of Frank being right would have been a lot more effective and satisfying if it really felt like he was pushed to the end of his tether by that point. Once it became a story simply of the heroes getting together and hunting down the werewolves (especially the alpha), I was right on board and certainly enjoyed the coming together of Frank's wrought family. But at the same time, I was somewhat saddened to see the plot take centre-stage and the underlying tensions of Frank's status and emotional development halted with the stamp of approval by the rest of the characters.
This is not to say that everything is brought to a neat end long before the conclusion. But I don't know ... I just feel like the whole thing between him and his brother, Nick, would have been more emotionally fulfilling had the strains that threatened their relationship been more focussed on beforehand. Maybe - probably - this is just me though. I understand that most people who pick up a "dark comedy/horror" about a werewolf have not come, nor intend to stay, for the stuff about a man reconciling with his father and brother over the death of their mother. I might also have been one of those, except for the fact that it is in the level of humanity and charm Carlin infuses throughout his story, that I absolutely loved just being in the book, whether or not shit was hitting the fan yet.
This leads me to what I loved about the book more broadly. Beyond the fact that it is an absolute ripper of a story, never remotely boring, often amusing and occasionally surprising, Carlin is one enviably good writer. I do not speak flippantly here when I say he really does have that special quality you just cannot manufacture in a top-tier writer. It is something I have have spent years coming to terms with knowing that I don't have. He has a style all his own, an impressive way of seamlessly fusing plot with character development and exposition. While I would say sometimes the back-and-forths between Waff and Frank might slightly lead to distraction and feel a little clunky, for the most part the dialogue is excellent - superb at its very best.
Funnily enough, while I did find myself chuckling here and there, I actually didn't get so much of the comedy out of this. That is, I would not class this is a horror comedy, but rather as a horror that has a sense of humour. To me, there is a fine distinction between the two. And a large part of this is that, contrary to my expectations, the comedy does not come from any mean-spiritedness on the writer's part. As a matter of fact, I found the entire novel to be much more - dare I say? - wholesome than I could have expected. I suppose some (maybe lots) of readers would take issue with this, but for me it was very impressive that Carlin - in his debut, no less - had the confidence and maturity to write a horror novel that was consistently human, compassionate, and all-round likeable.
There is more I could say, and more I intended to say. But the thing is, I am tired. The reason it took me so long to finish this fast-paced, joyously entertaining book is that my wife and I had a child while I was reading it, and thus I have been exhausted and hard-pressed to read anything, let alone write anything amounting to a half-decent review. I hope I haven't disappointed with this one.
In short, I can say without any forced politeness or distaste for being critical, that I loved this book more than I thought I would, more than I even thought I could have. It is hands-down the best werewolf story I have read. Granted, I have only read three or so aside from this, but still ...
I would like to sincerely thank you, Mr Carlin, for the book, and your kind correspondence. And I would like to affirm that you have most definitely found a new fan. Whatever, whenever, your next book is, I will eagerly await it.
I started this year (2024) with a return to one of my favourite authors and his somewhat aberrational graphic novel about a werewolf - Stephen King's Cycle of the Werewolf to be precise.
I was left reasonably entertained but far from mesmerized, which is hardly a putdown for any average book, but then with King I would consider anything meriting less than four stars still something of a disappointment. It was through my reading of this superficial, by-the-numbers tale, however, that I happened to be put in contact with a budding American novelist and online blogger, Sean Patrick Carlin, who in the most humble and unintrusive of ways, invited me to read his book, which he would very kindly mail out my way for free.
Generally, I tend to steer clear of these kinds of situations. I like to be open and forthcoming in my opinion about books, love them or hate them, and it's perfectly fun - indeed, cathartic - to brutally tear apart something you hated reading. Like a failed relationship with an asshole or an evil woman, it's no fun having to live with it, but much satisfaction and therapy can be garnered afterwards by eviscerating them with your friends. It's not quite the same thing though, when your friends fall suddenly blank and silent, then you hear an awkward clearing of the throat, slowly turn around and notice, sitting just one café table over from yours, is your ex, all hurt and teary and shit ... Ahhhh, I wasn't talking about, you know, it was, ahhhh - Hey, how's it going?
This is kind of what happened to me when I decided to read someone's entire Wattpad novel back in, oh, 2020, maybe? Don't ask me where I found the motivation to do so; it is not without reason that I have a shelf called "mostly-rubbish-wattpad". The book was The Cracks in the Labyrinth and, since I didn't like it much, and also didn't expect the guy would pay any attention to my little review, I didn't hold back all that much. I mean, I certainly didn't savage it. I am all too aware of my own faults and fragilities as a wannabe writer to do something like that. Bad books are only fair game for savagery if the writer, at the end of the day, gets to sit back in their jacuzzi, sipping fine wine and surrounded by hot specimens of the opposite sex (or not! I hasten to add), and laugh at your impotent hatred (I am looking at you, E.L. James, among a few others). Suffice to say, since I try to be a nice person, I was quite ashamed when the poor author guy commented on my review, and, in true humility, thanked me for my honest feedback.
Sort of getting to the point now. Feel free to skip also ...
Why do I spend so long digressing on something unrelated to Carlin's book?
Well, because I feared in taking up his offer, that I risked facing the moral dilemma of disliking the book (Wattpad severely lowered by expectations for new and/or independently published authors) and either hurting someone's feelings in the name of honesty, or taking the coward's way of lying, saying I enjoyed it, and then having to come to terms with myself for allowing a book a higher rating than I felt it deserved. Back in the fun days of 2016 and before, my OCD was at its peak and, as one of many unpleasant manifestations, I became super anal about my actions of Goodreads. Thankfully, I have long since escaped those caves of mental turmoil. But I still remember the dank smell well enough to greatly dislike rating a book different to how I really feel.
Fortunately - ever so fortunately - Carlin is an excellent writer. And this novel, his impressive debut, is a joy from start to finish. I confess to being a little wary at first, as the whole werewolf thing does little for me personally. Also, given his citing of influences in the realm of dark comedy horrors along the lines of Gremlins and Ghostbusters, I was expecting a gore-filled, cruel and subversive tale about shitty people dying karmic deaths which can't help feeling unnecessarily sadistic, a dark romp through the menaced mind of someone with little respect or liking for humanity. I do not mean to say that Carlin struck me as this type at all. I just had my preconceptions about what such a story was likely to be like. And while I adore the first Ghostbusters, which isn't anything like what I described above, Gremlins and its ilk are very much to my distaste. Or maybe it's just that I have a special disregard for anti-Christmas movies, sentimental Christian family guy that I am.
Okay, that's enough. To the review ...
The Dogcatcher starts off and for a while plays out something like a murder-mystery, with the added element wherein the reader alone actually knows that the killer is in fact a werewolf. I would have to say my favourite part of this book was the first third of the story, because on top of doing a marvellous job introducing all the characters - the ever-likeable animal control officer, or "dogcatcher", Frank Antony, the disillusioned Doctor Bartendale, the ever sinusy smartass, Steve "Waff" Pollywaffle, etc - and indeed the beautifully rendered town of Cornault, New York, which renewed my desire to travel through the quiet towns and leafy dales of New England - Carlin also deftly plays off a trope I love and recognised from one of my favourite novels ...
There is actually quite a lot in this book that reminded me of Peter Benchley's Jaws, a book both loved and reviled by shark enthusiasts and environmentalists, depending maybe on their politics or whether the film endeared them through trauma as a child. I loved the whole "Is it a bear? Is it a coyote?" aspect. Naturally, Frank Antony is on the case from the start, sensing something fishy about the brutal manner in which the victims are killed. He and Waff set out to find and humanely tranquilize the perpetrator, which soon turns out to be worse than any of them ever imagined. Much like in Jaws, Antony's insistence that a popular annual festival be cancelled for the sake of protecting civilians (after the Pandemic, no less, where the town economy has already greatly suffered) scores him few friends among the local government (of which his own father and brother are at the top), nor the approval of the resident right-wing shock jock, who is a gleefully accurate parody of your typical angry white guy with a blue checkmark.
I will not linger on the plot beyond this, so as not to spoil anything. Suffice to say that things quickly escalate, and people soon realise that they ought to have taken Frank Antony a lot more seriously than they had.
This perhaps is an appropriate place to talk about my only criticism of the book, which is small by all means, but nevertheless necessary in order to say I provided some kind of constructive feedback instead of just a gushy, positive review ...
The fact that the brutal killings, and even the werewolf itself, do not really take centre stage as the story progresses is indeed a pleasant surprise, and definitely one of the things that allowed this book to score four stars instead of three from me. The only thing I found slightly disappointing is that, for all the family drama and the underdog status of the protagonist, I wish it had all been given even more page space than it got. It is very well established that Frank is not respected, and by many is downright disrespected and assumed to have been given his job merely through family connections. This is all set up very well, and explored to good effect. However, I personally would have loved for the town's disregard for Frank to have been drawn out more, to their own detriment, in order for his eventual vindication to be all the more satisfying.
I just felt like, in the interests of keeping the pace rolling and the horror elements close at hand, the bloodbath of the town festival that ends up vanquishing any doubt of Frank being right would have been a lot more effective and satisfying if it really felt like he was pushed to the end of his tether by that point. Once it became a story simply of the heroes getting together and hunting down the werewolves (especially the alpha), I was right on board and certainly enjoyed the coming together of Frank's wrought family. But at the same time, I was somewhat saddened to see the plot take centre-stage and the underlying tensions of Frank's status and emotional development halted with the stamp of approval by the rest of the characters.
This is not to say that everything is brought to a neat end long before the conclusion. But I don't know ... I just feel like the whole thing between him and his brother, Nick, would have been more emotionally fulfilling had the strains that threatened their relationship been more focussed on beforehand. Maybe - probably - this is just me though. I understand that most people who pick up a "dark comedy/horror" about a werewolf have not come, nor intend to stay, for the stuff about a man reconciling with his father and brother over the death of their mother. I might also have been one of those, except for the fact that it is in the level of humanity and charm Carlin infuses throughout his story, that I absolutely loved just being in the book, whether or not shit was hitting the fan yet.
This leads me to what I loved about the book more broadly. Beyond the fact that it is an absolute ripper of a story, never remotely boring, often amusing and occasionally surprising, Carlin is one enviably good writer. I do not speak flippantly here when I say he really does have that special quality you just cannot manufacture in a top-tier writer. It is something I have have spent years coming to terms with knowing that I don't have. He has a style all his own, an impressive way of seamlessly fusing plot with character development and exposition. While I would say sometimes the back-and-forths between Waff and Frank might slightly lead to distraction and feel a little clunky, for the most part the dialogue is excellent - superb at its very best.
Funnily enough, while I did find myself chuckling here and there, I actually didn't get so much of the comedy out of this. That is, I would not class this is a horror comedy, but rather as a horror that has a sense of humour. To me, there is a fine distinction between the two. And a large part of this is that, contrary to my expectations, the comedy does not come from any mean-spiritedness on the writer's part. As a matter of fact, I found the entire novel to be much more - dare I say? - wholesome than I could have expected. I suppose some (maybe lots) of readers would take issue with this, but for me it was very impressive that Carlin - in his debut, no less - had the confidence and maturity to write a horror novel that was consistently human, compassionate, and all-round likeable.
There is more I could say, and more I intended to say. But the thing is, I am tired. The reason it took me so long to finish this fast-paced, joyously entertaining book is that my wife and I had a child while I was reading it, and thus I have been exhausted and hard-pressed to read anything, let alone write anything amounting to a half-decent review. I hope I haven't disappointed with this one.
In short, I can say without any forced politeness or distaste for being critical, that I loved this book more than I thought I would, more than I even thought I could have. It is hands-down the best werewolf story I have read. Granted, I have only read three or so aside from this, but still ...
I would like to sincerely thank you, Mr Carlin, for the book, and your kind correspondence. And I would like to affirm that you have most definitely found a new fan. Whatever, whenever, your next book is, I will eagerly await it.
October 15, 2023
This is going to be two reviews, or perhaps a review with a followup. Sean has a blog entry where he shows how the sausage is made which I plan to read later. I don't always like knowing how a magic trick is done because it takes the thrill out of it, but it really depends on my mood, and I am interested in reading about the process behind getting this book out but not before giving my own, for lack of a better term, unbiased or uninformed review. The blog post may or may not explain a couple of things that confused or bothered me, but I'll find out later.
Also, I received a delayed reader's copy, and the author did not require a review, honest or otherwise, (though he said I would "honor [him] with one"), but really, since when have I read a book and not reviewed it? (I think he knows that about me.) If you'd like to read it yourself (which I highly recommend), you can get a copy from Amazon here in paperback or on the Kindle.
Ignorant review:
For 16 days this book had a perfect five star rating from six raters, and here I come with my four to knock it cattywampus.
Now I feel like an asshole. Oh well. I always try to be honest with my ratings, and I honestly "really liked" this, which is what the fourth star stands for.
This is Sean's first book, and I must say I'm quite impressed. I've read several books from novice authors that I thoroughly enjoyed, yet I often felt like they were stories turned in for a college creative writing course. There were always minor, rookie flaws peppered throughout, usually implausible solutions to problems such as a deus ex machina to get the author out of a corner he had accidentally put himself into. Sometimes research on a specific topic didn't go all the way (or worse, no research was done at all and the author was just making shit up). Then there are editing mistakes such as occasional typos. This doesn't suffer from any of that. This was like reading a real book from a real author put out by a real publisher. It's clear a lot of research was done, (this is confirmed in the acknowledgments), and though I can't say how accurate the findings are since I'm not an expert in the fields discussed, nothing stood out that made me cry "bullshit."
Sean and I have had a correspondence going on for a few months about this, that, and the other, and I've always been impressed with his vocabulary and his writing ability. He uses that to great advantage with his prose as well. However, there were a couple of stylistic elements that grated on me right from the start, but it's really due to personal preference. He has a tendency to use sentence fragments instead of a complete sentence. I suspect this was done for emphasis or flow (I suck at English lit stuff, so I'm not sure what the right term is), but I'm afraid it drove me to distraction due to the frequency, especially for the first couple of chapters. Once in a while is fine, and such maneuvers work to a writer's advantage if it's used sparingly, but this was everywhere. After chapter two, though, I threw out a serenity prayer to the heavens, and plowed on. At that point he either stopped doing it (or at least didn't do it as often; I did see it again from time to time), or I just stopped noticing. Once I made a conscious effort to just appreciate the story and stop treating it like an English assignment I needed to grade, I enjoyed the ride.
I'll give an example since I brought it up. Here's a sentence from page nine: "Squatted over the remains." That's the whole thing. There's no subject in that sentence, and my brain just has a syntax error over such syntax license. I knew what the subject was because it was mentioned two sentences prior. (Yes, the sentence before that one was also a fragment, although a much longer one.) It works, but it irks.
I also got lost a couple of times when a long dialogue was playing out because he wouldn't always use "he said," and "she said," or something similar to indicate who was speaking, and I had to go back to figure it out. However, I confess that my reading comprehension skills are sometimes slightly below average, so this could be a personal problem.
The other thing I noticed, though it didn't bother me as much, was a lack of articles and conjunctions. They were there sometimes, but they weren't always there. This is also personal preference stuff, so if that kind of thing doesn't bother you, then you won't have any trouble with it.
This book is also progressive, but not hatefully so, just annoyingly so, at least to one with my right-wing sensibilities. (I hail from the basket of deplorables in MAGAland.) The story is set in the post-pandemic era when masks are no longer required, but life hasn't completely gotten back to normal, so there are mentions of it here and there, and opinions, etc., etc. I understand an author wanting to weave his views into his work, and I actually encourage that if it's done well, but that is sometimes a difficult trick to pull off. One of my favorite quotes from Stephen King's It occurs when Bill is in a writing course in college, and the class is talking about lofty English Lit matters and he finally says "I don't understand any of this. Why does a story have to be socio-anything? Politics... culture... history... aren't those natural ingredients in any story, if it's told well?... Can't you guys just let a story be a story?"
I think Sean almost pulls that off; it's so close. He's certainly ahead of a couple of professional authors who really ought to be a lot better at this kind of thing. Yeah, I'm looking at you Stephen King (who used to be excellent at it, but has either lost that subtle skill or just doesn't give a shit anymore) and John Irving (whom I will never read again because the one book of his I did read left such a bad taste in my mouth due to this very issue though the book was rather decent otherwise.) The point is the author can express his own views on divisive matters without bludgeoning the reader to death with them, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate Sean doing it that way. His characters have a conversation about whatever topic (or we get an inner monologue), they air their grievances, then that's that. They move on, and it's back to the story.
The character who did this the most was Jessie. I disagreed with almost all of her political, cultural, environmental, whateveral opinions, but I really liked her as a character. Did any of those conversations she had with whomever add anything to this story about a werewolf terrorizing a town? Not at all. However, they did add depth to her character. But is depth of character important in this kind of story which is a light, horror comedy? I don't know; you'll have to be the judge of that. Personally, I don't think so, but I could be wrong. (Update: This is explained in his blog post linked above. See below.)
But that's enough nitpicking. This was an absolute joy to read, and I may even give it a reread one day because it was a lot of fun. It was quite humorous, and it's horror without excessive gore. Don't get me wrong; gore is just fine with me, but a lot of writers throw it in there gratuitously just for the sake of shock value, and that has never impressed me. (I've even been known to fall asleep during splatter films.) Sean doesn't do that. The gore here fits in just right.
The plot was great for this kind of book and worked perfectly. The subtle nods to other franchises were great. (There were several, and I wish I had jotted them down, though I do remember a reference to Tombstone, and General Zod is the best name for a dog ever.) And it happens during Oktoberfest! I've always felt that was a holiday that doesn't get enough glory. (I love Oktoberfest music, and if I still drank and weren't an alcoholic, I'm sure I'd love the beer part of the holiday too, but that's just for people who can handle it responsibly, and if that's you, then roll out the barrel and have a barrel of fun.) For some reason Oktoberfest seems to be set during Halloween instead of late September in this, but writers are allowed a bit of license to make the story work. (You should see the holiday/full moon timeline abuse Stephen King does in Cycle of the Werewolf, and nobody complains about that.) To be fair, the name is a bit misleading. The holiday runs for a couple of weeks in September and usually ends the first Sunday in October.
Then there were the characters. They were all believable, and I enjoyed reading about their complicated relationships with each other. Unless I miss my guess, I suspect they were based on people Sean knows personally, or at least has met in various walks of life. The most memorable of these is Waff. I'm sure we all know a fuckup who could screw up a wet dream and really isn't worth the buckshot needed to blow him to hell. You know; the kind of fellow who can be infuriating due to his irresponsibility, but we keep him around anyway for other redeeming qualities. Usually because these people tend to be a hoot. (And it looks like Sean isn't the only one who can drop a sentence fragment. Dammit, I hate it when I lose credibility.) I simultaneously loved and hated Waff, and
To sum up: This was a load of fun though a couple of stylistic elements might be an acquired taste.
Extra note apropos of nothing: I have a million homemade bookmarks from stuff like event tickets, wrapping paper, pictures, and movie tickets (such as they are now; you have to print the things out if you want a keepsake, and where's the fun in that)? Mama and I saw the 1989 Batman in the theater a couple years ago, and of course I saved that one for this purpose. Sean and I have discussed that movie a few times, and we both well remember the summer of Batmania with nostalgic fondness. Sean also sent me a card with the book that had Batman on the front. This seems like fate, or destiny, or kismet to me: use the Batman ticket bookmark. I actually just laminated this one a few weeks ago, and this was its maiden voyage.
(Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is on the back waiting for its ride when I get to that novelization.)
Thank you, and you're welcome. Now I'm off to read the blog post to see what I missed.
Enlightened review:
Pending... I've now read the post.
I really don't have much to add here. He discusses how the book came about, why it took 14 years, what was going on in his life during that time, how that worked its way into the story, etc. He used to be a screenwriter for Hollywood back in the day, and he was actually blackballed by them over this story. Personally, I would consider being blackballed by Hollywood a badge of honor since I consider L.A. one of the five cesspools of American rot. (Then the poor man moves right to one of the other four, NYC.) I appreciated getting the extra info. If you enjoy those documentary extra features on DVDs, then you should check it out too.
He did answer one of my questions, though, the one about sociowhatever issues being interwoven into the story and whether or not they belong there. In short, his answer is the same is mine which if you recall is "I don't know." But let him tell you about it:
Recommended to all horror fans...
Woops, there I go again. Damn sentence fragments...
AAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!
It must be contagious!
Also, I received a delayed reader's copy, and the author did not require a review, honest or otherwise, (though he said I would "honor [him] with one"), but really, since when have I read a book and not reviewed it? (I think he knows that about me.) If you'd like to read it yourself (which I highly recommend), you can get a copy from Amazon here in paperback or on the Kindle.
Ignorant review:
For 16 days this book had a perfect five star rating from six raters, and here I come with my four to knock it cattywampus.
Now I feel like an asshole. Oh well. I always try to be honest with my ratings, and I honestly "really liked" this, which is what the fourth star stands for.
This is Sean's first book, and I must say I'm quite impressed. I've read several books from novice authors that I thoroughly enjoyed, yet I often felt like they were stories turned in for a college creative writing course. There were always minor, rookie flaws peppered throughout, usually implausible solutions to problems such as a deus ex machina to get the author out of a corner he had accidentally put himself into. Sometimes research on a specific topic didn't go all the way (or worse, no research was done at all and the author was just making shit up). Then there are editing mistakes such as occasional typos. This doesn't suffer from any of that. This was like reading a real book from a real author put out by a real publisher. It's clear a lot of research was done, (this is confirmed in the acknowledgments), and though I can't say how accurate the findings are since I'm not an expert in the fields discussed, nothing stood out that made me cry "bullshit."
Sean and I have had a correspondence going on for a few months about this, that, and the other, and I've always been impressed with his vocabulary and his writing ability. He uses that to great advantage with his prose as well. However, there were a couple of stylistic elements that grated on me right from the start, but it's really due to personal preference. He has a tendency to use sentence fragments instead of a complete sentence. I suspect this was done for emphasis or flow (I suck at English lit stuff, so I'm not sure what the right term is), but I'm afraid it drove me to distraction due to the frequency, especially for the first couple of chapters. Once in a while is fine, and such maneuvers work to a writer's advantage if it's used sparingly, but this was everywhere. After chapter two, though, I threw out a serenity prayer to the heavens, and plowed on. At that point he either stopped doing it (or at least didn't do it as often; I did see it again from time to time), or I just stopped noticing. Once I made a conscious effort to just appreciate the story and stop treating it like an English assignment I needed to grade, I enjoyed the ride.
I'll give an example since I brought it up. Here's a sentence from page nine: "Squatted over the remains." That's the whole thing. There's no subject in that sentence, and my brain just has a syntax error over such syntax license. I knew what the subject was because it was mentioned two sentences prior. (Yes, the sentence before that one was also a fragment, although a much longer one.) It works, but it irks.
I also got lost a couple of times when a long dialogue was playing out because he wouldn't always use "he said," and "she said," or something similar to indicate who was speaking, and I had to go back to figure it out. However, I confess that my reading comprehension skills are sometimes slightly below average, so this could be a personal problem.
The other thing I noticed, though it didn't bother me as much, was a lack of articles and conjunctions. They were there sometimes, but they weren't always there. This is also personal preference stuff, so if that kind of thing doesn't bother you, then you won't have any trouble with it.
This book is also progressive, but not hatefully so, just annoyingly so, at least to one with my right-wing sensibilities. (I hail from the basket of deplorables in MAGAland.) The story is set in the post-pandemic era when masks are no longer required, but life hasn't completely gotten back to normal, so there are mentions of it here and there, and opinions, etc., etc. I understand an author wanting to weave his views into his work, and I actually encourage that if it's done well, but that is sometimes a difficult trick to pull off. One of my favorite quotes from Stephen King's It occurs when Bill is in a writing course in college, and the class is talking about lofty English Lit matters and he finally says "I don't understand any of this. Why does a story have to be socio-anything? Politics... culture... history... aren't those natural ingredients in any story, if it's told well?... Can't you guys just let a story be a story?"
I think Sean almost pulls that off; it's so close. He's certainly ahead of a couple of professional authors who really ought to be a lot better at this kind of thing. Yeah, I'm looking at you Stephen King (who used to be excellent at it, but has either lost that subtle skill or just doesn't give a shit anymore) and John Irving (whom I will never read again because the one book of his I did read left such a bad taste in my mouth due to this very issue though the book was rather decent otherwise.) The point is the author can express his own views on divisive matters without bludgeoning the reader to death with them, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate Sean doing it that way. His characters have a conversation about whatever topic (or we get an inner monologue), they air their grievances, then that's that. They move on, and it's back to the story.
The character who did this the most was Jessie. I disagreed with almost all of her political, cultural, environmental, whateveral opinions, but I really liked her as a character. Did any of those conversations she had with whomever add anything to this story about a werewolf terrorizing a town? Not at all. However, they did add depth to her character. But is depth of character important in this kind of story which is a light, horror comedy? I don't know; you'll have to be the judge of that. Personally, I don't think so, but I could be wrong. (Update: This is explained in his blog post linked above. See below.)
But that's enough nitpicking. This was an absolute joy to read, and I may even give it a reread one day because it was a lot of fun. It was quite humorous, and it's horror without excessive gore. Don't get me wrong; gore is just fine with me, but a lot of writers throw it in there gratuitously just for the sake of shock value, and that has never impressed me. (I've even been known to fall asleep during splatter films.) Sean doesn't do that. The gore here fits in just right.
The plot was great for this kind of book and worked perfectly. The subtle nods to other franchises were great. (There were several, and I wish I had jotted them down, though I do remember a reference to Tombstone, and General Zod is the best name for a dog ever.) And it happens during Oktoberfest! I've always felt that was a holiday that doesn't get enough glory. (I love Oktoberfest music, and if I still drank and weren't an alcoholic, I'm sure I'd love the beer part of the holiday too, but that's just for people who can handle it responsibly, and if that's you, then roll out the barrel and have a barrel of fun.) For some reason Oktoberfest seems to be set during Halloween instead of late September in this, but writers are allowed a bit of license to make the story work. (You should see the holiday/full moon timeline abuse Stephen King does in Cycle of the Werewolf, and nobody complains about that.) To be fair, the name is a bit misleading. The holiday runs for a couple of weeks in September and usually ends the first Sunday in October.
Then there were the characters. They were all believable, and I enjoyed reading about their complicated relationships with each other. Unless I miss my guess, I suspect they were based on people Sean knows personally, or at least has met in various walks of life. The most memorable of these is Waff. I'm sure we all know a fuckup who could screw up a wet dream and really isn't worth the buckshot needed to blow him to hell. You know; the kind of fellow who can be infuriating due to his irresponsibility, but we keep him around anyway for other redeeming qualities. Usually because these people tend to be a hoot. (And it looks like Sean isn't the only one who can drop a sentence fragment. Dammit, I hate it when I lose credibility.) I simultaneously loved and hated Waff, and
To sum up: This was a load of fun though a couple of stylistic elements might be an acquired taste.
Extra note apropos of nothing: I have a million homemade bookmarks from stuff like event tickets, wrapping paper, pictures, and movie tickets (such as they are now; you have to print the things out if you want a keepsake, and where's the fun in that)? Mama and I saw the 1989 Batman in the theater a couple years ago, and of course I saved that one for this purpose. Sean and I have discussed that movie a few times, and we both well remember the summer of Batmania with nostalgic fondness. Sean also sent me a card with the book that had Batman on the front. This seems like fate, or destiny, or kismet to me: use the Batman ticket bookmark. I actually just laminated this one a few weeks ago, and this was its maiden voyage.
(Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is on the back waiting for its ride when I get to that novelization.)
Thank you, and you're welcome. Now I'm off to read the blog post to see what I missed.
Enlightened review:
I really don't have much to add here. He discusses how the book came about, why it took 14 years, what was going on in his life during that time, how that worked its way into the story, etc. He used to be a screenwriter for Hollywood back in the day, and he was actually blackballed by them over this story. Personally, I would consider being blackballed by Hollywood a badge of honor since I consider L.A. one of the five cesspools of American rot. (Then the poor man moves right to one of the other four, NYC.) I appreciated getting the extra info. If you enjoy those documentary extra features on DVDs, then you should check it out too.
He did answer one of my questions, though, the one about sociowhatever issues being interwoven into the story and whether or not they belong there. In short, his answer is the same is mine which if you recall is "I don't know." But let him tell you about it:
Rather than being rendered irrelevant by the current events that coincided with its writing, The Dogcatcher actively engaged in real-time conversation with those sociopolitical happenings.And there you have it. For the record, this reader came to be entertained, and he was. The base of this is shock-schlock which is often the only thing some people want in this kind of work. However, the seasonings (his prosocial values, the characterizations, family dynamics, town dynamics, themes, etc.) add a depth I certainly appreciate and it raises the quality which is nice to see. This will never be one of the Great American Novels, but it's not trying to be.
Maybe that was the right call and maybe it wasn’t. Time will tell. All I know is this: If the novel had insisted on existing in an apolitical or ahistorical reality, it would’ve just been a “creature feature” about a monster on the loose. And maybe that alone would’ve been enough to entertain readers, but it wouldn’t have been sufficient to sustain my interest writing it for the two-plus years it took to bring to fruition. To be sure, I wanted it to be fun—a spiritual successor to the kinds of horror/comedies that had directly inspired me as a young adult—but I also insisted it reflect the prosocial values I’ve promoted on this blog the past many years.
Recommended to all horror fans...
Woops, there I go again. Damn sentence fragments...
AAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!
It must be contagious!
October 10, 2023
Carlin’s debut book is a combination of werewolf-based light horror, a buddy adventure, and a foray into the trials of familial love. It’s gripping, humorous, bloody, charming, and heroic. That’s a lot packed into this entertaining read that I barreled through during two plane rides.
Frank is the local Animal Control Officer in a small New York town. He and his childhood friend Waff take the work seriously even though they’re often looked down upon as mere “dogcatchers.” But when several college students are viciously mauled to death, Frank and Waff take on the task of capturing the rogue animal. Only it’s not an ordinary creature.
The pace of this novel moves along well, and the plot is fairly straightforward. Frank and Waff are underdogs who face an uphill battle throughout – first to be believed, and then to capture the alpha werewolf that’s turning the town’s citizens into a bloodthirsty pack. There’s plenty of hair-raising action, and those scenes were among my favorites.
Frank’s relationships—with buddy Waff, an old flame Jessie, and his father and brother—are another compelling element of this read. Family relationships are contentious, fraught with old hurts and misunderstandings, and ultimately loving and loyal. When not engaged in battling werewolves, this is a heart-warming story of forgiveness and understanding.
Technically, the book includes some unique sentence structures that I never got used to. Otherwise, the book is well-edited without errors. A highly recommended read for fans of light horror with a touch of humor, and some endearing characters.
Frank is the local Animal Control Officer in a small New York town. He and his childhood friend Waff take the work seriously even though they’re often looked down upon as mere “dogcatchers.” But when several college students are viciously mauled to death, Frank and Waff take on the task of capturing the rogue animal. Only it’s not an ordinary creature.
The pace of this novel moves along well, and the plot is fairly straightforward. Frank and Waff are underdogs who face an uphill battle throughout – first to be believed, and then to capture the alpha werewolf that’s turning the town’s citizens into a bloodthirsty pack. There’s plenty of hair-raising action, and those scenes were among my favorites.
Frank’s relationships—with buddy Waff, an old flame Jessie, and his father and brother—are another compelling element of this read. Family relationships are contentious, fraught with old hurts and misunderstandings, and ultimately loving and loyal. When not engaged in battling werewolves, this is a heart-warming story of forgiveness and understanding.
Technically, the book includes some unique sentence structures that I never got used to. Otherwise, the book is well-edited without errors. A highly recommended read for fans of light horror with a touch of humor, and some endearing characters.
January 28, 2024
This book is a light and easy read with a slightly absurd plot that will catch you off guard. You’ll be laughing, feeling, and growing with these characters. When you’re done, you’ll be sure to thank your local dogcatcher. Sean Patrick Carlin did an excellent job of taking a well known trope and creating a new story to enjoy and root for local government. Who knew it could be so effective? Sorry, Nick.
January 9, 2024
The Dogcatcher was a thrilling read from start to finish. So much more than a story about werewolves wreaking havoc on a small town…Carlin’s wit, humor, and charm brings to life a grander story about humanity, compassion, love, and self respect. Couldn’t put it down and will definitely re-read!
December 18, 2023
Really fun campy horror story. He gets a bit into the weeds with unnecessary political commentary that lends nothing to the story, but once it gets moving, it doesn't matter.
October 14, 2023
I LOVED THIS BOOK! And I’m not just saying that because it provided such a fun romp through a small, quaint Northeast "Three Pines" town in the scariest season of the year. It was also the richly drawn, completely relatable characters – each and every one, well except maybe for the villain, worth going to bat for. Through author Carlin’s command of story nuance and exquisite character and scene descriptions, I felt like I was absorbed in a fast-paced action movie – with heart. I arrived at book’s end completely satisfied yet disappointed it was over. Perfect end to any book!
September 30, 2023
Perfect for Fall reading. Set in upstate NY during the fall, The Dogcatcher immerses you in a world where people are good, community is everything… but there’s a monster on the loose, hunting townspeople. A horror book with humor and heart.
April 11, 2024
An absolute blast of a book that feels like a fun 80s werewolf flick.
October 5, 2023
Creative storyline and set in a fictional town that you would like to visit the author has created a very enjoyable read. With excellent character development and the effective use of humor this is a must read.
January 29, 2024
Oh, this was a lot of fun! :-)
A wonderful blend of Jaws, Shaun of the Dead and lycanthrope tropes, it was right up my street. Irreverent humour amongst the mayhem too.
Jaws elements: a festival with tourists and a mayor (& citizens) that don't want to miss out on family fun & an economic boost, regardless of what kind of teeth are out there. Also, significant nod in the text ("smile, you son of a bitch") - yes, it's my favourite film and clearly resonates with the author too.
And who doesn't love a murderous wolfman loping around and ripping people to pieces? (well, okay, there may be a few, but this book isn't aimed at them).
One of the best touches of the book is that the hero is a true underdog, the runt of the family but who is nonetheless a charming and caring person. And he has a wonderfully inept sidekick. And there's a love angle. A perfect piece of escapism with an underlying nod to being nice to fellow humans and animals. Lovely stuff.
A wonderful blend of Jaws, Shaun of the Dead and lycanthrope tropes, it was right up my street. Irreverent humour amongst the mayhem too.
Jaws elements: a festival with tourists and a mayor (& citizens) that don't want to miss out on family fun & an economic boost, regardless of what kind of teeth are out there. Also, significant nod in the text ("smile, you son of a bitch") - yes, it's my favourite film and clearly resonates with the author too.
And who doesn't love a murderous wolfman loping around and ripping people to pieces? (well, okay, there may be a few, but this book isn't aimed at them).
One of the best touches of the book is that the hero is a true underdog, the runt of the family but who is nonetheless a charming and caring person. And he has a wonderfully inept sidekick. And there's a love angle. A perfect piece of escapism with an underlying nod to being nice to fellow humans and animals. Lovely stuff.
February 15, 2024
This book is a page-turning delight to read. It seamlessly blends science, humor, and horror in a compelling narrative that is at once socially aware and just plain fun. It runs very much in the vein of many Max Brooks novels, especially "Devolution." It's also a kind of candy store of treats if you've spent any time in Ithaca, NY, which inspired the setting for the story. The Cornell clock tower will never look quite the same again! The writing shows considerable talent for story weaving and I can't wait to see what Sean publishes next.
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