The Dogs

by Jerrold Mundis

The Alpha Litter. An experimental breed of canines. Keenly intelligent. Strongly assertive. Savagely aggressive. At the age of fifteen weeks, one-a male-is missing. And a hundred miles away, in a small New England town, a divorced college professor named Alex Bauer has found a puppy "Far better than Jaws!"-Kirkus "Ferocious"-Library Journal "Relentless"-Booklist "Impressive"-The Washington Post "Finely crafted This superb novel by a supremely gifted naturalist is uncompromising."-Business WeekSelection: Literary Guild; Doubleday Book Club; Field & Stream Book Club

Genres: Horror

Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 1988

About the author

Also writes under pseudonyms Robert Calder and Eric Corder.

Reviews

[Karl]

This hardcover is copy 40 of 250 copies signed and numbered, signed by:

Jerrold Mundis
Lawrence Block
Cristina Bencina.

[Jeff Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those instances where marketing hype actually hurt my perception of the book. This was pitched to me as a horror book that was like "Jaws" with dogs. What it is is actually much better. It's more complex and nuanced. It's more about humans and nature and human nature. It's a quieter book.

It also feels like a trip back to a less noisy time. A less wired world. I loved that about this book--which is really just a byproduct of any book written before 2000.

I didn't care all that much for the main human character and I felt that the story kept me at a distance, always buzzing around the characters but not really inside them.

A fun, thoughtful read for anyone who wants to unplug for an afternoon. Oh yeah, also kinda tragic.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another very good suspense thriller, but mislabeled by Centipede Press as horror. The story of a genetically enhanced pup, Orphan (Orph) who through no fault of his own, other than following his instincts, becomes the focus of a massive hunt atop a mountain. Recommended.

[Cassandra Glissadevil · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 stars
Read it as a teen and it frightened the beejeebers outta me. Read it as an adult and it made me cry.
Mundis is an excellent writer. Totally underrated. His horror novel- The Retreat is in my top 10 horror novels of all time.

[Tara Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Years ago, I read and loved this book as a teen. Now decades later, I still think its a good book, though I shudder at some of the animal abuse in there. While its not portrayed as a good thing--and the book is clearly pro-animal, promoting the idea that dogs are what they are trained to be by their masters: good or bad--I did not remember various scenes of gore that were too realistic not to bother me. Well written, and certainly thought provoking. I would have liked a sequel with a happy ending and less gore. But then it probably wouldn't be a horror story LOL!