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Let Loose The Dogs Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Let Loose The Dogs




St. Martin's, March 2003, 24.95, 320 pp.
ISBN 0312307519

In 1895 Toronto gambling on which dog could kill the most rats in a set of time is an illegal, but widespread practice. Harry Murdock bets his entire summer earnings on his dog Havoc winning a contest, but at the last moment he was distracted and Mr. Delaney's canine is victorious.
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A drunken Harry accuses Delaney of cheating. However, when someone kills Delaney, the police charge Murdock with the crime. He's found guilty and is sentenced to hang.   The warden contacts Murdoch's son William, an acting-detective. When Harry begs his son to clear his name, Will is dismayed because he doesn't want to help the man who beat him up so many times, but accedes to his request. At first it looks like nobody other than Harry could have killed the victim but Will's investigation rattles many of the betting community whose alibis aren't as airtight as they want every one to believe.

LET LOOSE THE DOGS is a very atmospheric story starring a likable protagonist who readers will admire. The audience empathizes with Will as they understand the hero's ambivalence about investigating his father's case since he fled his childhood home when he was thirteen to escape his father's fist. The fact that he gives it an honest effort makes him better than many people who hold grudges beyond the grave. The mystery is well done with a plethora of suspects who could have committed the crime but Will only has a few days to discover if one of them is the killer before his father hangs.

Harriet Klausner

The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner



Chapter Analysis of Let Loose The Dogs

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Plot & Themes

Composition of Book descript. of violence and chases 10%Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives 40%Feelings, relationships, character bio/development 40%How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) 10% Tone of story    -   suspenseful (sophisticated fear) How difficult to spot villain?    -   Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues Time/era of story:    -   2000+ (Present) What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot?    -   60% Special suspect?    -   chronically deranged person Misc. Murder Plotlets    -   Proving innocence of very obvious suspect Kind of investigator    -   police procedural, American Kid or adult book?    -   Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot?    -   grudge Crime Thriller    -   Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown)    -   Yes

Main Character

Gender    -   Male Profession/status:    -   police/lawman Age:    -   20's-30's

Setting

The Americas (not US):    -   Yes The Americas:    -   Canada

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   generic/vague references to death/punishment Amount of dialog    -   significantly more dialog than descript

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Maureen Jennings Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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