More authentic on auto mechanics than dialog
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It is great writing and I pulled an all-nighter until I'd finished it. Wonderful technical detail, from botany to cars. The dialog is not Elmore Leonard standard. No drug-addicted prostitute I have ever known (and I've known a few) ever expressed herself in such terms as "hypothetically speaking couldn't the information the police sought be obtained over the phone." I liked finding that a witty and hard-boiled crime writer included a few decent, helpful, effective, and even sincerely religious, characters.
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VERY ORIGINAL WRITING
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The title and book cover are very deceiving at first glance. I had picked the paperback up three times and put it back before reading a few of the pages. It gives the impression of being a sci-fi/horror book. Instead, I was rewarded with a good, solid suspense mystery. Very good writing,original characters with humor to boot. Looking forward to reading "NO OFFENSE INTENDED.' Keep them coming, Barbara, 'cause you have a fan here.
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It was thrilling and was fast paced and educational.
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I liked the whole thing. It made me think and look back in the story at old information to try and solve it before the solution was given. I just plain out liked it. I liked the descriptiona nd information given about the Los Angeles area that I was able to relate to.
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Alas, humans involved.
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This is another boonie dog book review by Wolfie and Kansas. We eagerly looked forward to reading Barbara Seranella's novel "No Human Involved". Both the title and the fact that the main character is named "Munch" gave rise to certain expectations. Alas, it turned out that nearly all of the characters in this novel are noncanine animals of primate derivation. Even Munch is human. This novel has two saving graces, however. First, one of the lead characters, a police detective, does save two dogs from being "put to sleep" at the "humane shelter". Second, "No Human Involved" may be the best first novel in the crime fiction genre that we have ever read--and we had to think twice about including the word "first" in this sentence.
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One of my top 3 for 1997!
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This is a wonderful first novel which is chock full of story(s), and great characters you really root for. There is something for everyone here from S/M to AA to Alzheimers, child abuse, drugs, motorcycle gangs, car chases, guns, a non-hokey romance,and even pets adopted from an animal shelter! Seranella's narrative flow keeps it all in the air and moving. She makes the whole thing almost believable, and she caught me with a nifty surprise ending. Despair is everywhere, but so is hope, and the reader is lead to believe these wonderful characters are headed for redemption. This is one of the top three books I've read this year, and I recommend it highly. P.S. It even has narrow margins!!!
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