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zanybibliophile's review against another edition
5.0
Cassie Tam is back with missing dog case that is more than what it seems.
You can read my full review here!
I think it is safe to say I am a fan of the Cassie Tam Files! I cannot wait to read book three, LV48.
You can read my full review here!
I think it is safe to say I am a fan of the Cassie Tam Files! I cannot wait to read book three, LV48.
rebl's review against another edition
5.0
Having read the first in this series, I was eager to get my hands on the second. The combination of noir and a not-too-distant-future setting remains intriguing. I'm also always happy to see women at the forefront of genre fiction, an area where there's still a lot of ground to cover in terms of diversity.
One of the strongest elements of the Cassie Tam Files is the development of Cassie's environment in both tangible and intangible terms. Doyle continues to expand New Hopeland, a city that grows and unfolds as a character in its own right.
The city is caught between its industrial roots and a corporation-driven, technological future. As a past-meets-present hybrid (much like Cassie herself, who shares a sympathetic and symbiotic relationship with the city), New Hopeland is the perfect breeding ground for a complex criminal underworld; an underworld writhing with corruption and decay. But much like weeds that break through the foundations of an ancient building, that decay and destruction has become necessary to maintain the integrity of New Hopeland. The challenge for Cassie? To know which criminals hold New Hopeland together, and which threaten to tear the place apart.
There's a sense of the anachronistic in The Fox, the Dog, and the King which, to me, works very well. Like today, there's a gap between what is possible with technology, and what people feel comfortable doing with it. Cassie seems a little behind-with-the-times, so to speak, but I would say most of today's population is, too. I own an iPhone, but I doubt I explore more than 10% of its capabilities. This aspect of her characterisation helps keep her grounded, likeable, and believable.
This book had, I believe, a better balance between movement and stagnation. I am not usually a reader of crime fiction, so in any detective story, I find it a challenge to follow extensive passages that explore the sleuth's inner thoughts and/or solo investigations into data and documents. This isn't a criticism of either of Doyle's books, but rather a comment on my own reading tastes and less-than-fantastic ability to follow technical or super-specific, complex descriptions. It's the same problem I have when I read 'hard' scifi. For readers who, like me, aren't always patient with crime fiction, you'll find this book more easy-going than Book 1 in the series.
The F/F relationship between Cassie and Lori continues to unfurl itself in soft increments. Lori features quite a lot in the early chapters of the book but, as the case heats up, becomes a background character -- though she's never far from Cassie's thoughts. In terms of the other characters, I quite enjoyed Hanson and I hope we get to see more of her in the books to come.
On the whole, this is another effectively constructed futuristic noir crime fiction from Matt Doyle. I love stories with a living, evolving setting and on that count, TFTDATK certainly delivers.
One of the strongest elements of the Cassie Tam Files is the development of Cassie's environment in both tangible and intangible terms. Doyle continues to expand New Hopeland, a city that grows and unfolds as a character in its own right.
The city is caught between its industrial roots and a corporation-driven, technological future. As a past-meets-present hybrid (much like Cassie herself, who shares a sympathetic and symbiotic relationship with the city), New Hopeland is the perfect breeding ground for a complex criminal underworld; an underworld writhing with corruption and decay. But much like weeds that break through the foundations of an ancient building, that decay and destruction has become necessary to maintain the integrity of New Hopeland. The challenge for Cassie? To know which criminals hold New Hopeland together, and which threaten to tear the place apart.
There's a sense of the anachronistic in The Fox, the Dog, and the King which, to me, works very well. Like today, there's a gap between what is possible with technology, and what people feel comfortable doing with it. Cassie seems a little behind-with-the-times, so to speak, but I would say most of today's population is, too. I own an iPhone, but I doubt I explore more than 10% of its capabilities. This aspect of her characterisation helps keep her grounded, likeable, and believable.
This book had, I believe, a better balance between movement and stagnation. I am not usually a reader of crime fiction, so in any detective story, I find it a challenge to follow extensive passages that explore the sleuth's inner thoughts and/or solo investigations into data and documents. This isn't a criticism of either of Doyle's books, but rather a comment on my own reading tastes and less-than-fantastic ability to follow technical or super-specific, complex descriptions. It's the same problem I have when I read 'hard' scifi. For readers who, like me, aren't always patient with crime fiction, you'll find this book more easy-going than Book 1 in the series.
The F/F relationship between Cassie and Lori continues to unfurl itself in soft increments. Lori features quite a lot in the early chapters of the book but, as the case heats up, becomes a background character -- though she's never far from Cassie's thoughts. In terms of the other characters, I quite enjoyed Hanson and I hope we get to see more of her in the books to come.
On the whole, this is another effectively constructed futuristic noir crime fiction from Matt Doyle. I love stories with a living, evolving setting and on that count, TFTDATK certainly delivers.
emhamill's review against another edition
5.0
Matt Doyle's tech-noir PI Cassie Tam is at it again in the fantastic second book.
Cassie has promised her tech-shifter girlfriend, Lori, to take some easy cases and get a little break. When she reluctantly takes a seemingly innocent missing dog case for a mysterious performance artist, Cassie should have known that she would stumble into something a heck of a lot bigger than that. New Hopeland's seedy underworld of crime lords and dealers are gearing up for a confrontation, and Cassie is, as usual, in the thick of things faster than her cyber-gargoyle Bert can say "CAW."
I love Cassie's character. Her tough exterior masks a host of insecurities that make her a real person. We don't see a whole lot of Lori in this book, which is fine, but the tech shifter artist Kitsune is fascinating and mysterious and really, really cool. Doyle does a fantastic job at presenting this person as neither male nor female, but Kitsune, and we never see them out of their fox persona (part of their entertainment contract clause). An added treat at the end of the book is the user's manual for the tech-shifting suits, which was an awesome addition to this book.
All in all, a very quick, exciting read, and a satisfying addition to the Cassie Tam Files. If you haven't read ADDICT, do it now, and then pick up this fantastic book.
Cassie has promised her tech-shifter girlfriend, Lori, to take some easy cases and get a little break. When she reluctantly takes a seemingly innocent missing dog case for a mysterious performance artist, Cassie should have known that she would stumble into something a heck of a lot bigger than that. New Hopeland's seedy underworld of crime lords and dealers are gearing up for a confrontation, and Cassie is, as usual, in the thick of things faster than her cyber-gargoyle Bert can say "CAW."
I love Cassie's character. Her tough exterior masks a host of insecurities that make her a real person. We don't see a whole lot of Lori in this book, which is fine, but the tech shifter artist Kitsune is fascinating and mysterious and really, really cool. Doyle does a fantastic job at presenting this person as neither male nor female, but Kitsune, and we never see them out of their fox persona (part of their entertainment contract clause). An added treat at the end of the book is the user's manual for the tech-shifting suits, which was an awesome addition to this book.
All in all, a very quick, exciting read, and a satisfying addition to the Cassie Tam Files. If you haven't read ADDICT, do it now, and then pick up this fantastic book.
aly36's review against another edition
5.0
This was a great book for me. I enjoyed the mystery and the characters. Nothing is ever an "easy" job right. This book was a fun read for me. I can't wait for more from this series! *This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.*
stephbookshine's review against another edition
4.0
*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Another great sci-fi tech novel from Matt Doyle, featuring the efficient and emotionally strait-laced Cassie Tam taking on her smallest and biggest case yet… and it’s the same case!
A missing dog leads to deeper, darker secrets in the corrupt world of New Hopeland and Cassie has to decide between the lesser of many evils again, taking her further into a morally grey area and out of her good-vs-bad comfort zone.
One of the things I liked about the previous book was that the main character’s sexuality was integral to her characterisation, but not to the plot, and the author achieves this normalisation again here, effortlessly including non-binary gender characters without revolving everything around their genitals.
Identity is a plot theme here, but it is more about the public faces we present to the world versus our private personas, and how differences between the two can enhance or inhibit career choices. This ties in with the longer-running theme of the series, featuring the Tech Shifters and Cassie’s uncomfortable acceptance of their choices. The added technical information at the end of this novel clarifies a lot more about the Tech Shifting mechanics, and also made me wonder whether Cassie was becoming more open to the technology herself?!
Readers who enjoy well-written PI mysteries, like Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone series, crossed with futuristic urban sci-fi will love this series. And of course, there’s the cute sidekick Bert as an added incentive!
I sigh and lean back against the wall next to the disturbingly clean toilet. “I guess I could do with a break.”
“Good,” Lori says and pushes the door open. “She’ll take the case,” she yells and shoots me a wicked grin while Kitsune starts shouting back their thanks.
My jaw drops open in shock. Lori’s argument was sound, but the money is still uncomfortable. Now I really will have to concentrate on Kitsune’s case to make myself feel better about accepting it. Lori knew that I might change my mind and just made it so that I can’t back out. “I can’t… you just…” I whisper-shout.
“Yup,” Lori winks. “You can thank me after you find the lost little puppy.”
– Matt Doyle, The Fox, the Dog and the King
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/01/31/the-fox-the-dog-and-the-king-matt-doyle/
Another great sci-fi tech novel from Matt Doyle, featuring the efficient and emotionally strait-laced Cassie Tam taking on her smallest and biggest case yet… and it’s the same case!
A missing dog leads to deeper, darker secrets in the corrupt world of New Hopeland and Cassie has to decide between the lesser of many evils again, taking her further into a morally grey area and out of her good-vs-bad comfort zone.
One of the things I liked about the previous book was that the main character’s sexuality was integral to her characterisation, but not to the plot, and the author achieves this normalisation again here, effortlessly including non-binary gender characters without revolving everything around their genitals.
Identity is a plot theme here, but it is more about the public faces we present to the world versus our private personas, and how differences between the two can enhance or inhibit career choices. This ties in with the longer-running theme of the series, featuring the Tech Shifters and Cassie’s uncomfortable acceptance of their choices. The added technical information at the end of this novel clarifies a lot more about the Tech Shifting mechanics, and also made me wonder whether Cassie was becoming more open to the technology herself?!
Readers who enjoy well-written PI mysteries, like Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone series, crossed with futuristic urban sci-fi will love this series. And of course, there’s the cute sidekick Bert as an added incentive!
I sigh and lean back against the wall next to the disturbingly clean toilet. “I guess I could do with a break.”
“Good,” Lori says and pushes the door open. “She’ll take the case,” she yells and shoots me a wicked grin while Kitsune starts shouting back their thanks.
My jaw drops open in shock. Lori’s argument was sound, but the money is still uncomfortable. Now I really will have to concentrate on Kitsune’s case to make myself feel better about accepting it. Lori knew that I might change my mind and just made it so that I can’t back out. “I can’t… you just…” I whisper-shout.
“Yup,” Lori winks. “You can thank me after you find the lost little puppy.”
– Matt Doyle, The Fox, the Dog and the King
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/01/31/the-fox-the-dog-and-the-king-matt-doyle/
jpjackson's review
4.0
Cassie Tam is a perpetually grumpy, stubborn, slightly ornery PI, and her gruff nature has once again shone through in the second Cassie Tam book, The Fox, the Dog, and the King. She reminds me of the loveable curmudgeon from Pixar's movie "Up" - you know the type - cane-wielding, arm shaking, "You kids get off my lawn," yelling senior citizen - this to me sums up Cassie perfectly. But in this sequel to Addict, we get to see a bit of a softer side as Cassie's relationship with Lori - the Tech Shifter from the first book starts to develop.
Now having said that, the relationship is not the point of the novel, more of a side arc. The mystery is the tracking down of a Japanese Anime inspired Performance Artist named Kitsune, who is convinced that their dog has been abducted.
As Cassie traces down her leads, she soon realizes that the large number of dog-nappings that have occurred lately throughout New Hopeland is only the proverbial 'tip of the iceberg'. After uncovering a dog-fighting ring, Cassie discovers a much deeper revelation.
Now that you're sitting on the edge of your seat, I couldn't possibly reveal that - you'll have to read the book yourself!
What I will say is this: The plot is clever. Although mysteries are not my usual fare, there was some careful story weaving in order to convey this tale. And what's the one thing I always say? "Give me a clever story." So, to that end, I say, well done Mr. Doyle! The intricacies and detail, and once again the attention to the tech detail were incredible. The back of the book even contains an "Owner's Manual" for the Tech Shifting suits. Fantastic!
Pet Owners and Animal Lovers beware! I have to say, I'm fairly dark and twisted, and I can subject myself to a rather wide range of topics and not have it linger within my soul. This story did though...one scene, in particular, took me out of reality and placed me right in the ring...the dogfighting ring. That bothered me, a lot. As a dog owner, this scene rattled my bones and disturbed me because I was able to easily place my little chihuahuas in place of Fish - the abducted dog. I know my sweet little pups wouldn't have lasted 30 seconds in that environment, and that violent imagery left me haunted. Now, some of you may be thinking how terrible that was, and you'd be right, it wasn't pleasant. BUT, and this is a monumental BUT - the author was able to create several pages of detail that made me remove myself from reality - step into their world - and live it so deeply that it made me have emotions outside of their world.
And that, my reading friends, is called true storytelling, and I wish every book I picked up would transport me like this moment did.
Well done. Very well done. Bring on Cassie Tam #3 - which I understand has been completed...and so we wait. What trouble will the PI who can straddle both worlds of Light and Dark get herself into next?
Now having said that, the relationship is not the point of the novel, more of a side arc. The mystery is the tracking down of a Japanese Anime inspired Performance Artist named Kitsune, who is convinced that their dog has been abducted.
As Cassie traces down her leads, she soon realizes that the large number of dog-nappings that have occurred lately throughout New Hopeland is only the proverbial 'tip of the iceberg'. After uncovering a dog-fighting ring, Cassie discovers a much deeper revelation.
Now that you're sitting on the edge of your seat, I couldn't possibly reveal that - you'll have to read the book yourself!
What I will say is this: The plot is clever. Although mysteries are not my usual fare, there was some careful story weaving in order to convey this tale. And what's the one thing I always say? "Give me a clever story." So, to that end, I say, well done Mr. Doyle! The intricacies and detail, and once again the attention to the tech detail were incredible. The back of the book even contains an "Owner's Manual" for the Tech Shifting suits. Fantastic!
Pet Owners and Animal Lovers beware! I have to say, I'm fairly dark and twisted, and I can subject myself to a rather wide range of topics and not have it linger within my soul. This story did though...one scene, in particular, took me out of reality and placed me right in the ring...the dogfighting ring. That bothered me, a lot. As a dog owner, this scene rattled my bones and disturbed me because I was able to easily place my little chihuahuas in place of Fish - the abducted dog. I know my sweet little pups wouldn't have lasted 30 seconds in that environment, and that violent imagery left me haunted. Now, some of you may be thinking how terrible that was, and you'd be right, it wasn't pleasant. BUT, and this is a monumental BUT - the author was able to create several pages of detail that made me remove myself from reality - step into their world - and live it so deeply that it made me have emotions outside of their world.
And that, my reading friends, is called true storytelling, and I wish every book I picked up would transport me like this moment did.
Well done. Very well done. Bring on Cassie Tam #3 - which I understand has been completed...and so we wait. What trouble will the PI who can straddle both worlds of Light and Dark get herself into next?
stephbookshine's review
4.0
*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Another great sci-fi tech novel from Matt Doyle, featuring the efficient and emotionally strait-laced Cassie Tam taking on her smallest and biggest case yet… and it’s the same case!
A missing dog leads to deeper, darker secrets in the corrupt world of New Hopeland and Cassie has to decide between the lesser of many evils again, taking her further into a morally grey area and out of her good-vs-bad comfort zone.
One of the things I liked about the previous book was that the main character’s sexuality was integral to her characterisation, but not to the plot, and the author achieves this normalisation again here, effortlessly including non-binary gender characters without revolving everything around their genitals.
Identity is a plot theme here, but it is more about the public faces we present to the world versus our private personas, and how differences between the two can enhance or inhibit career choices. This ties in with the longer-running theme of the series, featuring the Tech Shifters and Cassie’s uncomfortable acceptance of their choices. The added technical information at the end of this novel clarifies a lot more about the Tech Shifting mechanics, and also made me wonder whether Cassie was becoming more open to the technology herself?!
Readers who enjoy well-written PI mysteries, like Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone series, crossed with futuristic urban sci-fi will love this series. And of course, there’s the cute sidekick Bert as an added incentive!
I sigh and lean back against the wall next to the disturbingly clean toilet. “I guess I could do with a break.”
“Good,” Lori says and pushes the door open. “She’ll take the case,” she yells and shoots me a wicked grin while Kitsune starts shouting back their thanks.
My jaw drops open in shock. Lori’s argument was sound, but the money is still uncomfortable. Now I really will have to concentrate on Kitsune’s case to make myself feel better about accepting it. Lori knew that I might change my mind and just made it so that I can’t back out. “I can’t… you just…” I whisper-shout.
“Yup,” Lori winks. “You can thank me after you find the lost little puppy.”
– Matt Doyle, The Fox, the Dog and the King
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/01/31/the-fox-the-dog-and-the-king-matt-doyle/
Another great sci-fi tech novel from Matt Doyle, featuring the efficient and emotionally strait-laced Cassie Tam taking on her smallest and biggest case yet… and it’s the same case!
A missing dog leads to deeper, darker secrets in the corrupt world of New Hopeland and Cassie has to decide between the lesser of many evils again, taking her further into a morally grey area and out of her good-vs-bad comfort zone.
One of the things I liked about the previous book was that the main character’s sexuality was integral to her characterisation, but not to the plot, and the author achieves this normalisation again here, effortlessly including non-binary gender characters without revolving everything around their genitals.
Identity is a plot theme here, but it is more about the public faces we present to the world versus our private personas, and how differences between the two can enhance or inhibit career choices. This ties in with the longer-running theme of the series, featuring the Tech Shifters and Cassie’s uncomfortable acceptance of their choices. The added technical information at the end of this novel clarifies a lot more about the Tech Shifting mechanics, and also made me wonder whether Cassie was becoming more open to the technology herself?!
Readers who enjoy well-written PI mysteries, like Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone series, crossed with futuristic urban sci-fi will love this series. And of course, there’s the cute sidekick Bert as an added incentive!
I sigh and lean back against the wall next to the disturbingly clean toilet. “I guess I could do with a break.”
“Good,” Lori says and pushes the door open. “She’ll take the case,” she yells and shoots me a wicked grin while Kitsune starts shouting back their thanks.
My jaw drops open in shock. Lori’s argument was sound, but the money is still uncomfortable. Now I really will have to concentrate on Kitsune’s case to make myself feel better about accepting it. Lori knew that I might change my mind and just made it so that I can’t back out. “I can’t… you just…” I whisper-shout.
“Yup,” Lori winks. “You can thank me after you find the lost little puppy.”
– Matt Doyle, The Fox, the Dog and the King
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/01/31/the-fox-the-dog-and-the-king-matt-doyle/
clacksee's review
3.0
I still really like Cassie, Lori, and Bert. And Charlie too. I’m beginning to be fascinated by Hanson and Devin. Cassie and Lori’s blossoming relationship is sweet. The world they inhabit is interesting.
The trouble I had with this book is the nitty gritty details of the plot just didn’t make sense. I’m not sure if the book was intricately plotted and just not explained in a way I could follow or if the plot really wasn’t planned out at the detail level. Either way, it didn’t make a lot of sense.
It was still a light, easy read. I just had to set aside my desire to understand why people did things and to be able to follow the important conversations.
I’m super glad Fish survived unharmed though.
The trouble I had with this book is the nitty gritty details of the plot just didn’t make sense. I’m not sure if the book was intricately plotted and just not explained in a way I could follow or if the plot really wasn’t planned out at the detail level. Either way, it didn’t make a lot of sense.
It was still a light, easy read. I just had to set aside my desire to understand why people did things and to be able to follow the important conversations.
I’m super glad Fish survived unharmed though.
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