A quick read at only 241 pages, Black Dogs is a fast-paced novel that tells the story of Patrick Sullivan and his odd (but lovable) group of friends living in Baltimore. After a house theft gone wrong, Patrick gets off scot-free and one of his best friends, Alex, gets sent to prison. In order to right his wrongs and get a little spending money for him and his friends, he devises a plan to rob the most popular rock band of the time, Led Zeppelin. Not everything along the way goes as planned, and the reader is taken on a hilarious ride through the ups and downs of their utterly flawed mission. As one robbery leads not-so-flawlessly into another, the crew learns more about one another and also, not so obviously, about themselves. This book has plenty of classic rock references to satisfy the music enthusiasts in the audience, but will also appeal to the not-so musically inclined due to the pure excitement factor. Zeppelin fan or not, chances are you won’t be able to put this one down.
The book is based loosely on the “Zeppelin Robbery” that occurred in 1973. While the accounts leading up to the robbery and the characters were all fictional, the robbery did in fact take place. However, the culprit is still unknown today. Led Zeppelin’s safe deposit box at the Drake Hotel was robbed of $203,000 at the end of their ’73 tour. It was the largest safe deposit box robbery to happen in New York City at that time. Buhrmester’s account of the story is riveting and unapologetic. You’ll find your jaw dropped at some point in nearly every one of the hilariously titled chapters. Named everything from ‘The Worst Blow Job in the World’ to ‘Snowbirds’, the chapter titles alone will have you begging for more. But if that’s not enough, the rough dialogue and shallow lead characters will keep the pages turning.
If you’re interested in reading a book filled with hidden meaning and depth, this book may not be for you. But if you’re looking for an exciting read that will keep you on your toes until the very last page, try reading Black Dogs. And if you’re not convinced that you should read it yet based on content alone, the flashy red cover should give you that extra shove.
Witty introduction. Your review reads smoothly and is clear and precise.
ReplyDeleteI like the intro and something as simple as referencing the bright red cover to catch the new readers eye was great. The begging for more line however is bordering on cheesy and cliche.
ReplyDeleteI really like your last paragraph. Nice point and funny.
ReplyDeleteI think some of the descriptive words used liked riveting and unapologetic are a little strong. Also, the second paragraph seemed a little long. I'm somehow expecting a Reservoir Dogs reference every time I see this cover. Good review!
ReplyDeleteGood conclusion. You did a good job of using smooth transitions between paragraphs. Also, nice job of explaining your opinion.
ReplyDeleteI loved your intro, but I feel like you spent too much time on the plot/background of the story and not enough time on the novel itself.
ReplyDeleteThis had a lot of great things going. I found that you overused 'hilarious' and that you made the introduction a little long. The end when you suggested readers should or shouldn't read the book based on their style was a little off putting. I feel like you gave away your power as a reviewer. Personal opinion is apparent in your writing why not use that to convince a reader to get the book? I don't know...just a suggestion.
ReplyDelete(see how that works?)