Murder Unleashed [Mass Market Paperback]

I read this book a year ago and was revisiting Amazon recently when I read the review by "booklover" ("Good Dogs, Bad Books") and was very surprised to find someone who obviously hasn't even read this book writing a review of it!  How does this happen?  Why?

I can understand differences in taste. "booklover" recommends Susan Conant and Laurien Berensen in place of reading Kelley's dog mysteries. I've read one book each by these authors and found them to be below average -- actually not much better than a third grade level compared to Kelley's electric writing, at least IMO. Meanwhile I love Kelley's characters, his storytelling style, and think his writing is fresh, first rate, and far above a third grade level, which I suppose if you hadn't read Hemingway and Faulkner you might not appreciate.  I doubt "booklover" would agree with me on this, even if she had read "Murder Unleashed", though she clearly hasn't: I had the pleasure of re-reading this book over the weekend, just to be sure I was right about some of the nonexistent plot points she mentions.

First of all, no one has framed the lead character, Jack Field, for murder in this novel, especially not Sheriff Flynn. In fact, nobody at all is framed for murder! It's not part of the plot! I have no idea where she'd get that idea if she'd actually read the book.

Second, while it's true that Jack and Sheriff Flynn were antagonistic toward one another in the first novel, they actually like each other in this book, and work together to solve one part of the mystery.

Third, Jamie, the state medical examiner, who is Jack's love interest, is not his "married lover", as this so-called reviewer states. Yes, she was legally separated in the first novel but was waiting for her divorce to be finalized. In "Murder Unleashed" she is finally divorced, which gives Jack an opportunity to propose to her.  (Does he?  I won't say!)

As I said before, I understand that different readers have different tastes. I'm sure that Susan Conant and Laurien Berensen sell more novels than Mr. Kelley, despite the fact that he's the better writer.  What I don't understand is why someone would want to "review" a novel they haven't even read!!  Please!

This is a funny, suspenseful, intelligent, and superbly written novel.  Five stars.

A prominent Judge is found dead in his car, his throat ripped up, and his daughter's dog his only company. The police point the finger at the dog, a boxer named Roark. Jack Field, kennel owner and former cop, believes that there are no vicious dogs and that behavior problems can be solved with liver treats, a tennis ball or a good game of tug-o-war. He immediately takes Roark under his protection. Jack doesn't really want to get involved in the investigation, but he can't stand by while a dog is accused of murder! With the help of Jamie Cutter, medical examiner and love of his life, he dives into the tangled webs surrounding the murder. It's a race to the finish, as Jack and Jamie dodge bullets and search for clues.

The banter between Jack and Jamie is lively, and their romance adds extra interest to the story. The supporting ensemble is made up of shallow caricatures, but the main characters have complex histories and relationships. The plot gets a little too busy at times; it doesn't twist so much as become cluttered with numerous side adventures. There is a small logical flaw in part of the plot involving a diary that I found jarring, but not enough to ruin my enjoyment of the book.

Dog lovers will definitely get a kick out of the canine characters and will probably be interested in Jack's training techniques as well. Author Lee Charles Kelly has been a professional dog trainer for 10 years. Murder Unleashed is a quick, entertaining read and does not depend on having read the first Jack Field novel, A Nose for Murder.

Why is it that sexy ladyloves of tough burned-out ex-cops have to hit their men to keep them in line? Maybe it's because Jack Field knows dogs better than he does people. He's also prone to an occasional slip of the tongue over billiards. (ie. on marriage: "Thankfully the subject has never come up.") By the end of the book, however, he undergoes a transformation and, complete with a Tiffany diamond, proposes to the small town medical examiner, Dr. Jamie Cutter. That is, if she can get him away from his dogs, especially ones accused of murder!

Jack not only has A Nose for Murder (title of the debut novel of the series), he has a nose for quality. He defends a bloodhound against murder charges, and saves Tulips, an Asian-American singer and illegitimate daughter of a murdered judge, against the abuse of her drug-running boyfriend. Unfortunately, a shady sergeant, the murdered judge's even more shady in-law sniffing around Jamie tend to raise Jack's hackles and make him more dangerous than a dachshund that can't reach the Puppy Chow. But the pair who burglarizes together stays together. How can a man write realistic male-female relationships? The answer's easy: Borrow some of the sense God gave a dog, and like Jack Field, you'll sniff out and uncover what's really important in life, even without a rolled-up newspaper.