Anonymous Rex [Paperback]

 

 

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Forget everything you know about dinosaurs. Not only did they not become extinct 65 million years ago, they currently make up about 5% of the "human" population. Rather than stomp all of us humans out of existence eons ago, they decided just to live in our world secretly, donning complex human guises and protecting their continued existence exceedingly carefully. You'd be amazed at just how many celebrities and power brokers are actually dinosaurs in disguise. All they want is to keep their secret, find the time and opportunity to really be themselves every now and again, and maybe get a good buzz on with basil or certain other herbs if and when the urge strikes. They live by two golden rules: never let a human learn their secret (and kill any who do) and never, ever, ever engage in interspecies relations with a human.

With Anonymous Rex, author Eric Garcia first brought this strange new world to life, garnering critical acclaim and a cult following for his efforts. He is a brilliantly wicked author, packing loads of comedy into noir-ish tales of dinosaur private investigator Vincent Rubio. Poor Vince has had a rough nine months. It all started when his partner Ernie was run over by a taxi in New York; Vince went a little nuts after that, broke a lot of rules and at least one nose during his investigation of the accident, and got himself declared dinosaur non grata in both New York and back home in Los Angeles. He is in an emotional and financial tailspin now, nursing a major basil addiction and basically trying to find a reason to keep on keeping on. With little left to his name, he finally gets a case thrown his way, an insurance job investigating a fire at a local dino club. As luck would have it, the club owner had important contacts in New York, and before you can say Velociraptor, Vince is back in the Big Apple conducting interviews for a case that may well have some relation to his old partner's death.

This thing gets pretty involved, as a simple case of possible arson soon leads Vince into a conspiracy of dinosaur-sized proportions involving human-dinosaur genetic experimentation (not to mention human-dinosaur relations of a much more personal nature). That is a serious no-no in the Dinosaur Council's notebooks. Slowly but surely, Vince starts assembling the pieces of the puzzle, but progress doesn't come without setbacks - a couple of attempts on his life, some inconvenient deaths of informants and friends, a serious lack of funds, and even a dangerous relationship with a singularly appealing human female. Danger is Vince's middle name, however, and in time he breaks out of his emotional funk, manages to stay away from basil long enough to clear his head, and relentlessly pursues a solution to a surprisingly complex mystery.

The book is written in first person, in the classic style of ye olde detective mysteries from the golden age of Dashiell Hammett and Sam Spade. And make no mistake - aside from the unique dinosaur angle and the constant showcase of sarcastic wit and genuinely funny writing, Garcia knows how to construct and tell a good mystery. Anonymous Rex is a thoroughly engaging read from start to finish. There's an edge to this story, a fair share of surprises along the way, and all sorts of social commentary you can read into things or simply ignore. If you've been yearning for something different, Vincent Rubio, P.I., is on the case, and the game's afoot.

What can you say about a book that has a dinosaur for a hero/narrator? And the dinosaur lives in present day Los Angeles, disguised as a human, trying to earn his living as a private detective? And, further more, he is part of a whole dinosaur sub-culture that exists side-by-side with the unknowing human culture? Well, I call it very, very clever and funny!

Our hero is dinosaur Vincent Rubio (VelociRaptor,get it?) a private eye whose partner has died (shades of Miles Archer), and whose business is headed straight for the toilet with various bill collectors knocking at the door. The insurance company Vincent works for from time to time gives him an arson case to investigate that, naturally, ends up being tied to the mysterious death of his partner. The story moves from Los Angeles to New York City to back again, all the while giving the reader typical detective story action, and untypical insight into Garcia's alternative world where the dinosaurs did not die out millions of years before the appearance of man on the scene. The reptiles have their own culture and society, have made their own accomodation to the present by going about in elaborate disguises (some of the funniest moments of the book occur when Vincent's current disguise goes haywire and threatens to expose him in more ways than one!), and keep strictly apart from the dominate human culture, which they view with contempt.

The book is written in a style that will remind you in a vague way of the noir mysteries of the 1940s and 50s. Vincent Rubio is an appealing character: I finished this book wanting to read the sequel, and was delighted to find out that a new hardcover ("Hot and Sweaty Rex: A Dinosaur Mafia Mystery") had just been released. My only real criticism of the book is that there is not enough "background material" on how the dinosaurs "survived" and evolved into creatures that could develop technology. Not all readers need a backstory; those who do will be spending some of their time filling in the blanks from the information that Garcia gives us in bits and pieces. If you are willing to suspend your disbelief, the dinosaur mystery books will be a real treat for you.

If you're going to read Anonymous Rex then be prepared to not only suspend your disbelief, but to tie it to a chair,carry it to the basement. gag it and stab it to death with some kind of garden tool. Dinosaurs disguised as people? Give me a break. This isn't genre bending. It's absurd. The characters are not believeable and the plot routine at best. Save your money.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly entertaining
Saw this book at the bookstore, and once I read the inside of the jacket, I knew I had to buy it!! Here I am, a mere 5 hours after starting the book, completely finished. Read more

Published on Jan 4 2003 by C. Smith

5.0 out of 5 stars Outrageous and funny
I just wanted to make a few comments on this book.

I read a lot of humorous books in this vein from Hiaasen, Chris Moore, Bill Fitzhugh, Tim Dorsey, and so on, but it would be... Read more

Published on Dec 27 2001 by magellan

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightfully wacky genre-blender!
I've rarely had more fun reading a story! Garcia takes an absolutely out-the-window bizarre premise (1 out of every 20 humans is actually a dinosaur in disguise - yeah, RIGHT! Read more

Published on Dec 4 2001 by Margaret Fiore

4.0 out of 5 stars Dino Noir
As expected, this book was the usual combination of detective yarn and... uh... dino flick? True, the 2 don't seem to combine well but that is where Garcia's book has its... Read more

Published on July 9 2001 by GLENN WHELAN

4.0 out of 5 stars GARCIA'S TALE
Eric Garcia has created an alternate universe of private eyes, dinosaurs and humans, where people are never quite what they seem and danger lurks around most corners. Read more

Published on Jun 3 2001 by Steven Witte

5.0 out of 5 stars This books takes you into a world where DINOS RULE!
This is a wonderful detective story, as well as a hillarious book! I loved it! Eric Garcia takes you into a world where anything can and will happen. Read more

Published on May 25 2001 by chrissall88

4.0 out of 5 stars Rex Triumphant
Not your typical private dick. The story is not new, but the characters are like nothing seen before. The writing is excellent and the humor sly and enjoyable. Read more

Published on April 30 2001 by John Bowes

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly good
This is a surprisingly good compulsivly readable novel. Even though the structure of the novel at times seems to be a bit weak the world of Dono's is so well built and so fun to... Read more

Published on April 27 2001 by Shawna Lanne

5.0 out of 5 stars A Dino-noir classic...
Vincent Rubio is a down on his luck Los Angeles detetctive. Creditors are knocking on his door, he's mourning the death of his beloved partner and fighting an addiction to... Read more

Published on April 3 2001 by R. Witte

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