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Skin Kadash #1
Lost Dog
Peter McKrall is at a crossroads–out of work, fighting a klepto habit, and trying to figure out his next move. Life takes an unexpected turn when a search for his niece's stuffed dog leads him to something else entirely: a bullet-riddled corpse. Talking to reporters lands Peter on the local news, which turns out to be a dangerous spotlight. And now Darla, the troubled daughter of the victim, is reaching out to him–but can she be trusted? When a second murder takes place and evidence is planted in his trash, the cops dredge up Peter's painful history. The only ray of sunshine in this harrowing nightmare is Ruby Jane, whose warm smile melts the winter chill.
An unwitting player in a bizarre chain of events, Peter has no idea that the deranged killer is after him–until he takes a shot at Ruby Jane.
An unwitting player in a bizarre chain of events, Peter has no idea that the deranged killer is after him–until he takes a shot at Ruby Jane.
384 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2007
4 people are currently reading
173 people want to read
About the author
Bill Cameron
27 books48 followersBill Cameron is also known as W.H. Cameron.
Crossroad author W.H. Cameron raises backyard chickens in Oregon, and shapes unruly words into captivating people caught in harrowing situations in his writing room. As Bill Cameron, he’s the critically-acclaimed author of the edgy and stirring Skin Kadash mysteries, including County Line. His young adult mystery Property of the State, introducing troubled yet resourceful Joey Getchie, was named one of Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2016.
In a starred review, Kirkus described Property of the State as, “An eminently satisfying series opener for mystery fans who want their downtrodden detectives to be appealing, clever, and unafraid of action.” Booklist said, “Joey’s intense, gripping narration of his heartbreaking life will haunt readers.” Publishers Weekly said of County Line, “Contemporary sharp-edged noir doesn’t get much better than Cameron’s mournful novel featuring ex-cop Skin Kadash.” New York Times bestselling author Chelsea Cain described Day One as “an utterly engrossing page-turner.” In the Vancouver Voice, Carolyn Schultz-Rathbun said, “The body count is positively Shakespearean, but in Cameron’s vision of P-town’s dark underbelly, love really is strong as death. Maybe stronger.” Chasing Smoke received a starred review from Library Journal, and Booklist declared, “it engages the reader on an emotional as well as literary level.”
In 2012, County Line won the Spotted Owl Award for Best Northwest Mystery. Lost Dog was nominated for the 2008 Rocky Award and was a finalist for the 2008 Spotted Owl Award. Cameron’s short story, “The Princess of Felony Flats,” was nominated for a 2011 CWA Short Story Dagger Award. His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Portland Noir, Murder at the Beach, Killer Year, First Thrills, and A Beast Without A Name: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Steely Dan.
Crossroad author W.H. Cameron raises backyard chickens in Oregon, and shapes unruly words into captivating people caught in harrowing situations in his writing room. As Bill Cameron, he’s the critically-acclaimed author of the edgy and stirring Skin Kadash mysteries, including County Line. His young adult mystery Property of the State, introducing troubled yet resourceful Joey Getchie, was named one of Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2016.
In a starred review, Kirkus described Property of the State as, “An eminently satisfying series opener for mystery fans who want their downtrodden detectives to be appealing, clever, and unafraid of action.” Booklist said, “Joey’s intense, gripping narration of his heartbreaking life will haunt readers.” Publishers Weekly said of County Line, “Contemporary sharp-edged noir doesn’t get much better than Cameron’s mournful novel featuring ex-cop Skin Kadash.” New York Times bestselling author Chelsea Cain described Day One as “an utterly engrossing page-turner.” In the Vancouver Voice, Carolyn Schultz-Rathbun said, “The body count is positively Shakespearean, but in Cameron’s vision of P-town’s dark underbelly, love really is strong as death. Maybe stronger.” Chasing Smoke received a starred review from Library Journal, and Booklist declared, “it engages the reader on an emotional as well as literary level.”
In 2012, County Line won the Spotted Owl Award for Best Northwest Mystery. Lost Dog was nominated for the 2008 Rocky Award and was a finalist for the 2008 Spotted Owl Award. Cameron’s short story, “The Princess of Felony Flats,” was nominated for a 2011 CWA Short Story Dagger Award. His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Portland Noir, Murder at the Beach, Killer Year, First Thrills, and A Beast Without A Name: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Steely Dan.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 9, 2010
A wonderful noir tale. When a kleptomaniac gets caught up in a murder investigation he begins to look like a good suspect. One of the nicest things about this setup is that the protagonist screws up. A lot. He makes dumb decisions that later come back to bite him. Even better: the real killer is developed beautifully. At the beginning he is cast as a loser with a violent streak, but as his menace grows so too does the revelation that he himself is a victim. No one here is wearing a white hat.
There are striking moments in this, wonderful writing, and the introduction of Skin Kadash, a cop that appears in some of Mr. Cameron's other books (Chasing Smoke and Day One) has left me wanting to follow that character.
There are striking moments in this, wonderful writing, and the introduction of Skin Kadash, a cop that appears in some of Mr. Cameron's other books (Chasing Smoke and Day One) has left me wanting to follow that character.
March 9, 2019
Surprisingly good for a debut novel. It's not really a mystery, since you know from the beginning who the killer is, but it's a good, quick read that moves right along and keeps pulling you with it. The "average Joe" that gets caught up in the murder investigation is totally believable as a random guy in a boring life that just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I read it right after Educated by Tara Westover and was ready for something lighter (so obviously a murder mystery, right?!) and this fit the bill as a good change of pace. Recommended for a quick mystery-like story - I didn't realize till I finished it that it's the first in a series of one of the cops.....I would definitely read the next one.
I read it right after Educated by Tara Westover and was ready for something lighter (so obviously a murder mystery, right?!) and this fit the bill as a good change of pace. Recommended for a quick mystery-like story - I didn't realize till I finished it that it's the first in a series of one of the cops.....I would definitely read the next one.
August 3, 2024
Not for me, I'm way too picky with my books, this barely reaches a weak one-star review. Barely. It's just silly. I don't like Cameron's writing at all and cannot recommend this wreck to anyone, friend or foe.
I have to say: avoid at all costs.
I have to say: avoid at all costs.
October 17, 2018
now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative book. i was hooked after the first page.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
August 24, 2015
First I’d just like to point out that I rarely read crime fiction, and I found Lost Dog in a box of free books on the side of the road, so I went in not knowing what to expect, and I come out not really knowing how to critique the book.
The best way I can describe this book is like watching an unsatisfying, but not unbearable tv movie. The title, first off, is very mediocre. Other than that, where the novel is good, it’s honestly pretty good, where it’s bad, it’s laughably bad. In my experience, this is the way that most crime-related storytelling goes, whether it be a novel, movie, tv show, etc., so like I said, it may just be a feature of the genre.
The first thing that I want to talk about, that I’ve been itching to talk about since I started the book, is the setting. Not so much the setting, actually, and rather the fact that we’re constantly reminded of the setting. CONSTANTLY. To the point that it’s baffling. Lost Dog takes place in Portland, Oregon, my home town and current residence. From the jump the author seems to be going out of his way to paint the caricature of Portland that everyone in the country is familiar with; hipsters, homeless people, rain, and coffee. And at the beginning, I was like “oh cool, it’s set in my hometown”. And I expected the reminders to dwindle once we got into the bulk of the story. But it doesn’t. From the beginning to the end, the main character will not stop obsessing about how Portland-y Portland is. In some chapters, you can’t go two pages without seeing the word Portland. It completely throws you out of the story, and for absolutely no reason. It’s almost as if it’s set in a town with the same name and iconic locations as my home town, that I have never been to. Just bizarre.
Another problem I have with this book is that it puts so much stock into character motivation, but then again, really doesn’t. Like the plot is so driven by each character’s why, but the motivations are all immediately and explicitly spelled out for you. You don’t get to wonder about the characters, you don’t get to observe for yourself, there is all tell, no show.
If you can look past those two glaring flaws, the story itself isn’t horrible, and the writing is definitely an addition to the story rather than a subtraction. I was usually surprised by each turn of events, and I was entertained by the plot the entire time. You could feel the effort put into the story just in the concise, intentional, focused writing style. I never got lost. I never got bored.
It also doesn’t pass the Bechdel Test, surprise surprise.
Over all I’m not sorry I read it, but I definitely wouldn’t read it again. I’d recommend it if you want crime fiction that you don’t have to think too hard about, although you could get the same thing from watching a rerun of Criminal Minds, and in a fraction of the time.
The best way I can describe this book is like watching an unsatisfying, but not unbearable tv movie. The title, first off, is very mediocre. Other than that, where the novel is good, it’s honestly pretty good, where it’s bad, it’s laughably bad. In my experience, this is the way that most crime-related storytelling goes, whether it be a novel, movie, tv show, etc., so like I said, it may just be a feature of the genre.
The first thing that I want to talk about, that I’ve been itching to talk about since I started the book, is the setting. Not so much the setting, actually, and rather the fact that we’re constantly reminded of the setting. CONSTANTLY. To the point that it’s baffling. Lost Dog takes place in Portland, Oregon, my home town and current residence. From the jump the author seems to be going out of his way to paint the caricature of Portland that everyone in the country is familiar with; hipsters, homeless people, rain, and coffee. And at the beginning, I was like “oh cool, it’s set in my hometown”. And I expected the reminders to dwindle once we got into the bulk of the story. But it doesn’t. From the beginning to the end, the main character will not stop obsessing about how Portland-y Portland is. In some chapters, you can’t go two pages without seeing the word Portland. It completely throws you out of the story, and for absolutely no reason. It’s almost as if it’s set in a town with the same name and iconic locations as my home town, that I have never been to. Just bizarre.
Another problem I have with this book is that it puts so much stock into character motivation, but then again, really doesn’t. Like the plot is so driven by each character’s why, but the motivations are all immediately and explicitly spelled out for you. You don’t get to wonder about the characters, you don’t get to observe for yourself, there is all tell, no show.
If you can look past those two glaring flaws, the story itself isn’t horrible, and the writing is definitely an addition to the story rather than a subtraction. I was usually surprised by each turn of events, and I was entertained by the plot the entire time. You could feel the effort put into the story just in the concise, intentional, focused writing style. I never got lost. I never got bored.
It also doesn’t pass the Bechdel Test, surprise surprise.
Over all I’m not sorry I read it, but I definitely wouldn’t read it again. I’d recommend it if you want crime fiction that you don’t have to think too hard about, although you could get the same thing from watching a rerun of Criminal Minds, and in a fraction of the time.
July 1, 2010
I'll first say that I spent all of my high school and college years reading mystery novels for fun. But when it was time for me to start writing my own books, I read only from the genre I was writing. And sadly for me and my childhood dreams, a mystery writer I AM NOT.
After following Bill Cameron on Twitter for a while and learning that his latest book came out this year, I FINALLY ordered his backlist. I have never been so glad I did.
All of my mystery love returned the minute I dove into this book. It's fantastic on so many levels, but I'm going to gush on one aspect in particular -- his character development is BRILLIANT.
Every character is so unique and full of complexity and amazing quirks and traits. I felt like I not only could fully picture them in my head, but that I knew them as people. I was so invested in a way I usually wouldn't be for something like this, that even when I wasn't reading, I was thinking about the characters and mapping them out in my brain.
And without spoiling, I have to say that part of what I love most is the way he crafted the story through to the end, because even that was about insanely developed characters. Let's face it, once you've read a few mysteries, you get into the formula of it and know what to expect. That's part of it. You want to be surprised by the "whodunit" but want to relax into the formula.
But there is nothing formulaic about LOST DOG. And I love it for surprising me.
I'm sure I could continue to gush and gush, but honestly, I recommend this book to everyone--but especially to writers. It's a master class on crafting characters. Truly amazing.
After following Bill Cameron on Twitter for a while and learning that his latest book came out this year, I FINALLY ordered his backlist. I have never been so glad I did.
All of my mystery love returned the minute I dove into this book. It's fantastic on so many levels, but I'm going to gush on one aspect in particular -- his character development is BRILLIANT.
Every character is so unique and full of complexity and amazing quirks and traits. I felt like I not only could fully picture them in my head, but that I knew them as people. I was so invested in a way I usually wouldn't be for something like this, that even when I wasn't reading, I was thinking about the characters and mapping them out in my brain.
And without spoiling, I have to say that part of what I love most is the way he crafted the story through to the end, because even that was about insanely developed characters. Let's face it, once you've read a few mysteries, you get into the formula of it and know what to expect. That's part of it. You want to be surprised by the "whodunit" but want to relax into the formula.
But there is nothing formulaic about LOST DOG. And I love it for surprising me.
I'm sure I could continue to gush and gush, but honestly, I recommend this book to everyone--but especially to writers. It's a master class on crafting characters. Truly amazing.
January 24, 2011
At the heart of any Hitchcockian "ordinary man in extraordinary circumstance" thriller, is the moment where our hero is at the wrong place at the wrong time. In the case of LOST DOG, we find our hero looking for a lost stuffed animal in a park.
Using coincidence is often at the heart of any thriller. The execution is very delicate and, for the most part, Cameron is successful in making us believe that when two people come together at the most inopportune moment, it is fate. A couple of times it edges toward being forced, but it never really goes over the line.
If I have any gripe, it is one of personal taste, so don't let it dissuade you from reading. While I like detail in a story, it often feels like there is too much detail for the sake of pace. Even during tense moments, Cameron feels the necessity to describe all the furniture before we move on. Like I said, this is personal taste, but I thought that it unnecessarily added to the length of the book.
Overall, a very strong first novel with solid characterization and a great sense of place.
Using coincidence is often at the heart of any thriller. The execution is very delicate and, for the most part, Cameron is successful in making us believe that when two people come together at the most inopportune moment, it is fate. A couple of times it edges toward being forced, but it never really goes over the line.
If I have any gripe, it is one of personal taste, so don't let it dissuade you from reading. While I like detail in a story, it often feels like there is too much detail for the sake of pace. Even during tense moments, Cameron feels the necessity to describe all the furniture before we move on. Like I said, this is personal taste, but I thought that it unnecessarily added to the length of the book.
Overall, a very strong first novel with solid characterization and a great sense of place.
January 21, 2011
Bill Cameron was on an "up and coming author" list I saw so, as is my habit, I went back to the first book in the series.
This is a good, non-derivative version of the "the cops think I did it so I have to figure out who did" plot. The main character is charming but unambitious/unemployed who stumbles upon a body. Chaos (and falling in love) ensue. Good use of the Portland, OR location.
Several of the chapters are told from the crazy killer's POV. I could have done w/o this as it was cliched and parts were disturbing...and some I just skipped over.
Themes of mental illness, domestic/child abuse, and consequences thereof, are dealt with realistically (especially the hero character's kleptomania).
I will definitely continue with the next in the series (which apparently features one of the police detectives who worked on this case).
This is a good, non-derivative version of the "the cops think I did it so I have to figure out who did" plot. The main character is charming but unambitious/unemployed who stumbles upon a body. Chaos (and falling in love) ensue. Good use of the Portland, OR location.
Several of the chapters are told from the crazy killer's POV. I could have done w/o this as it was cliched and parts were disturbing...and some I just skipped over.
Themes of mental illness, domestic/child abuse, and consequences thereof, are dealt with realistically (especially the hero character's kleptomania).
I will definitely continue with the next in the series (which apparently features one of the police detectives who worked on this case).
March 7, 2012
I read this book because it is in a genre I like, and because it is a Portland author (my hometown). Seemed like a good first effort. My likes: captured the mood of the town in winter. Dialogue was believable. Characters were distinct. My only real dislike was the antagonist. He was actually drawn up well, but I was simply repulsed by his demeanor (as I was supposed to be). It really boils down to the descriptiveness of the character's behavior. George RR Martin does the same thing, and his books are amazing. It's simply my preference that depravity not always be described in detail. However, I will likely check out Cameron's next offering at some point.
November 22, 2011
When Peter McKrall goes out early after Christmas to look for his niece's stuffed dog left in the park, he doesn't find it. Instead he finds the body of a prostitute murdered and left in a large sewer pipe--the kind kids play in--which unleashes a chain of events that makes him the next target of the deranged killer.
I read Bill Cameron's fourth book recently and liked it so much I went back to get the others. An interesting crime novel with unique characters and realistic dialogue. I'm definitely a new fan. He deserves wider readership.
I read Bill Cameron's fourth book recently and liked it so much I went back to get the others. An interesting crime novel with unique characters and realistic dialogue. I'm definitely a new fan. He deserves wider readership.
March 2, 2011
My favorite librarian thought I might like this book because it takes place in Portland ... practically in my daughter's backyard in fact. Sporting a cast of interesting, definitely off-beat characters, this crime mystery fiction, rather noir, definitely caught the flavor of certain neighborhoods. I felt as though I were walking along with Peter McKrall every step of the way. An enjoyable read, an interesting development of the psyche of the murderer over the course of the story.
August 29, 2011
This book is a good example of how an author can make things worse for a character at every turn and keep readers hanging on.
It's not a book for every reader. It's gritty and raw, and gets into the mind of the protagonist--a man with a host of issues--and the mentally unbalanced creepy killer.
Lots of good description of Portland, Oregon, and I'm looking forward to seeing the detective, Skin Kadash, take a larger role in later books.
It's not a book for every reader. It's gritty and raw, and gets into the mind of the protagonist--a man with a host of issues--and the mentally unbalanced creepy killer.
Lots of good description of Portland, Oregon, and I'm looking forward to seeing the detective, Skin Kadash, take a larger role in later books.
December 29, 2008
i know the author so i figured i'd support him and buy this book. i read it quickly and it was just alright. i really hoped it would be better. then again, this was his first effort so i'll probably buy his next and hope for improvement.
February 8, 2009
First book in the "Skin Kadash" detective series set in Portland. Very noir and gritty.
September 21, 2011
Another great Bill Cameron book! Cant wait to get my hands on another one!
February 16, 2012
It was a good book. Not great but good.
July 21, 2012
I thought the book was amazing because it really inspired me to think harder were my dog was if i had lost my dog.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2012
i read this book a long time ago, and loved it. it would definately be in my top ten
April 2, 2014
Great book.
January 17, 2011
Great writer, great plot. 373 pages
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews