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Wolf
Johnny Wolfe carries his dog Sindra in a vial that he keeps in his pocket. He carries her out of loyalty. He carries her out of guilt. He carries her because there are no more dogs in this world. And he carries her to connect to her feral nature, so that he might take her inside himself and feel her animal wildness.
Johnny’s life is in shambles. His sales career at Bulldog Enterprises is on the blink. On his way to work one day he comes across a colleague who is killed by a dog. But with dogs now extinct, how is this possible? Going through his colleague’s dead body, Johnny discovers the colleague is carrying a rather sizeable sales order. Figuring “he’s dead, I’m not”, Johnny decides to place the order as his own.
Except he can’t figure out what product the colleague is selling. As he gets closer to understanding the product, Johnny starts to realize it has more and more to do with why the dogs might be returning, and why they’re so angry.
Then he starts to wonder if maybe the dogs know more about him and Sindra, and if maybe they’re angry with him.
Johnny’s life is in shambles. His sales career at Bulldog Enterprises is on the blink. On his way to work one day he comes across a colleague who is killed by a dog. But with dogs now extinct, how is this possible? Going through his colleague’s dead body, Johnny discovers the colleague is carrying a rather sizeable sales order. Figuring “he’s dead, I’m not”, Johnny decides to place the order as his own.
Except he can’t figure out what product the colleague is selling. As he gets closer to understanding the product, Johnny starts to realize it has more and more to do with why the dogs might be returning, and why they’re so angry.
Then he starts to wonder if maybe the dogs know more about him and Sindra, and if maybe they’re angry with him.
- GenresFiction
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2013
1 person is currently reading
311 people want to read
About the author
Jim Ringel
4 books106 followersJim Ringel writes the Lama Rinzen mysteries—a series of crime mysteries wrapped inside Buddhist mysteries.
Jim practices Zen, skis, hikes, bikes, and visits brew pubs throughout Colorado seeking out the Buddha in everyday life.
For more information please visit www.jimringel.com
Jim practices Zen, skis, hikes, bikes, and visits brew pubs throughout Colorado seeking out the Buddha in everyday life.
For more information please visit www.jimringel.com
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 1, 2014
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At Tome Tender Book Blog May 30 -June 30, 2014
A world without dogs? Dogs killed off? Extinct? Truly, a dystopian mystery with a smattering of horror, Wolf by Jim Ringel, is edgy, dark and definitely a walk on the wild side. After breeding designer dogs for every purpose, they are killed off and society is floundering. Caught up in the memories of his childhood pet, Sindra, and the guilt for what he did to her, Johnny Wolf tries to assume the best traits of her by carrying a vial that contains an injectable concoction made from her remains. In a misguided hope he would always have her near, as a part of him, Johnny is desperate, lonely and a failure in not only his own eyes, but the eyes of those around him. Fate steps in and he sees his chance to shine, but in the “dog-eat-dog” world of being a salesman, his grab at the brass ring is stolen, and he becomes determined to regain his loss. Too bad Johnny discovers there is more going on than he could ever have imagined in his worst nightmares. Friends become foes, and a conspiracy is afoot. Dogs are reappearing and Johnny seems to raise their ire without trying. Do they smell Sindra on him? Who or what is behind this chaotic and terrifying world Johnny has been thrown in to? Does science have something to do these dogs, or has greed corrupted an already dismal world?
Whether you’re a dog lover or not, Jim Ringel’s dark and dystopian world is filled with imagination and intrigue! Let the story sink in, absorb his attention to detail as he sets the stage for each scene. He writes with a stark, yet riveting style that pulls the reader along the twisted path he has created, while wickedly stirring the pot that almost boils over with tension. Using interesting dialogue between some of the characters, he teases the mind with what could be hints to unraveling this mystery. Is anyone who they seem to be? Jim Ringel will keep you guessing on that one until the very end and after that last word is over, you'll still be dissecting this tale looking for hidden meanings. When an author can hold me enthralled when the book is finished, for me, they have done their job.
I received this copy from Curiosity Quills Press in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: May 12, 2014
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
ISBN-10: 1620073676 paperback
ISBN-13: 978-1620073674 paperback
Genre: Adult Mystery/Suspense/Science Fiction
Print Length: 264 pages
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
At Tome Tender Book Blog May 30 -June 30, 2014
A world without dogs? Dogs killed off? Extinct? Truly, a dystopian mystery with a smattering of horror, Wolf by Jim Ringel, is edgy, dark and definitely a walk on the wild side. After breeding designer dogs for every purpose, they are killed off and society is floundering. Caught up in the memories of his childhood pet, Sindra, and the guilt for what he did to her, Johnny Wolf tries to assume the best traits of her by carrying a vial that contains an injectable concoction made from her remains. In a misguided hope he would always have her near, as a part of him, Johnny is desperate, lonely and a failure in not only his own eyes, but the eyes of those around him. Fate steps in and he sees his chance to shine, but in the “dog-eat-dog” world of being a salesman, his grab at the brass ring is stolen, and he becomes determined to regain his loss. Too bad Johnny discovers there is more going on than he could ever have imagined in his worst nightmares. Friends become foes, and a conspiracy is afoot. Dogs are reappearing and Johnny seems to raise their ire without trying. Do they smell Sindra on him? Who or what is behind this chaotic and terrifying world Johnny has been thrown in to? Does science have something to do these dogs, or has greed corrupted an already dismal world?
Whether you’re a dog lover or not, Jim Ringel’s dark and dystopian world is filled with imagination and intrigue! Let the story sink in, absorb his attention to detail as he sets the stage for each scene. He writes with a stark, yet riveting style that pulls the reader along the twisted path he has created, while wickedly stirring the pot that almost boils over with tension. Using interesting dialogue between some of the characters, he teases the mind with what could be hints to unraveling this mystery. Is anyone who they seem to be? Jim Ringel will keep you guessing on that one until the very end and after that last word is over, you'll still be dissecting this tale looking for hidden meanings. When an author can hold me enthralled when the book is finished, for me, they have done their job.
I received this copy from Curiosity Quills Press in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: May 12, 2014
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
ISBN-10: 1620073676 paperback
ISBN-13: 978-1620073674 paperback
Genre: Adult Mystery/Suspense/Science Fiction
Print Length: 264 pages
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
May 22, 2014
Wolf, by Jim Ringel is an exciting and descriptive novel of a world without dogs. Dog's are man's best friend; they greet us at the door after a long day, curl up at our feet when we're watching a movie, a life without dog's seems criminal. Jim's imagination takes us into a society where dog's were bred for every trait possible than killed when they weren't obedient. They were made extinct.
Wolf begins with action and intrigue as salesman Wolfe finds a co-worker in an alley with a dog. His co-worker Pinkie winds up dead and Wolfe ends up with a sales order worth millions for a product with an eight digit code, but no products are made with eight digit code. Wolfe is determined to fulfill the order and make the money. It is his bull headed search for the product that lands him in serious trouble time after time at the hands of some shady characters.
Jim's style of writing is filled with vivid descriptions that place the reader up front in the story. Every sight, sound, and touch are revealed in horrifying detail which serves to further the conspiracy leading to the unexpected ending. He carefully sculpted each character into a unique person with their own motives, leaving the reader and Wolfe trusting no one.
In my opinion Wolf is a parable for life without man's best friend, and how that absence creates greed.
Wolf begins with action and intrigue as salesman Wolfe finds a co-worker in an alley with a dog. His co-worker Pinkie winds up dead and Wolfe ends up with a sales order worth millions for a product with an eight digit code, but no products are made with eight digit code. Wolfe is determined to fulfill the order and make the money. It is his bull headed search for the product that lands him in serious trouble time after time at the hands of some shady characters.
Jim's style of writing is filled with vivid descriptions that place the reader up front in the story. Every sight, sound, and touch are revealed in horrifying detail which serves to further the conspiracy leading to the unexpected ending. He carefully sculpted each character into a unique person with their own motives, leaving the reader and Wolfe trusting no one.
In my opinion Wolf is a parable for life without man's best friend, and how that absence creates greed.
July 25, 2014
A boy and his dog becomes a man that carries the remains of his dog in a vial. That is just the beginning of the bizarre world, but too close to ours to be comfortable, Jim Ringel has created in "Wolf". A world without dogs or is it?
Johnny Wolfe tries to answer this question, and recapture the innocence lost when the dogs were killed, many by the ex-wife he still loves. If only he can make a sale he will win her back. When a colleague dies, Johnny discovers a large sales order in the dead man’s pocket, and Johnny believes his problems are solved. But what is the product? The order number doesn’t match anything in his company’s catalog. As Johnny works to unravel the mystery he finds himself in the middle of a nefarious plot to create the perfect customer.
At times the plot is opaque and maze like with lots of dead ends. All the characters constantly contradict themselves, and neither Johnny nor the reader can believe a thing they say.
I also felt there was no real grieving over the loss of dogs, and the story never explains how Johnny could still be in love with his ex-wife, the dog murderer.
However, the true brilliance in "Wolf" isn't the eerie mystery or a world without dogs, but the portrait of the modern salesperson. As Johnny explains, "It's a job for loners and losers, a pasted smile, a knack for being disconnected and loud, slapping backs, all covering how much you've slipped away from yourself. The strength to not see yourself as you really are."
And later on the antagonist notes, "sales is a scary profession. No certainty. Clients wear you down. They argue about price, they argue about delivery. Still, we're professionals. We bow to them, buy into their fragile egos. The customer's always right, whoever started that ridiculous little adage should be shot. That's why we need guns. To shoot the ridiculous adage makers."
"Wolf" is an intriguing novel that will have you clinging to your dog while desperately hoping it is describing a future that will never come true.
April 16, 2014
Despair, hopelessness, depression: complete loss of faith or hope in a potentially different future. Life is only survival, only going through the motions, if at all. THIS is what every Dystopian novel needs to convey, and WOLF brings it on in spades.
Our protagonist Johnny Wolf is a loser. Aging, obese, smoking, divorced, a failed salesman--but his saving grace is his love for Dogs, especially Sindra, his childhood companion, who lived 20 years before her disappearance (or death), at the time all the dogs went away (or were killed by the police). In fact, Johnny Wolf has internalized his dog: he injects a little bit of Sindra's heart or liver, every day.
Johnny is/was a salesman. He knows all the sales lessons by heart; and somewhat self-analytical (intermittently) he recognizes where he falls short.
Johnny may be an anti-hero, held in contempt by ex-wife and colleagues; but in the End, Johnny Wolf proves his mettle.
Our protagonist Johnny Wolf is a loser. Aging, obese, smoking, divorced, a failed salesman--but his saving grace is his love for Dogs, especially Sindra, his childhood companion, who lived 20 years before her disappearance (or death), at the time all the dogs went away (or were killed by the police). In fact, Johnny Wolf has internalized his dog: he injects a little bit of Sindra's heart or liver, every day.
Johnny is/was a salesman. He knows all the sales lessons by heart; and somewhat self-analytical (intermittently) he recognizes where he falls short.
Johnny may be an anti-hero, held in contempt by ex-wife and colleagues; but in the End, Johnny Wolf proves his mettle.
Read
January 4, 2021Wolf is a wonderfully weird and darkly funny read about a post-apocalyptic future without dogs, and therefore without a soul. Through that future walks a self-deluded, middle-aged, failing salesman, named Johnny Wolf. Wolf is trying to steal a sale from a dead man in a cynical world where the art of selling "nothing"to consumers is key to both success and to how the world arrived at such dark days in the first place. The noir language and the growing possibility that something werewolf-ish (or weredog-ish?) is going on just adds to the fun of turning the pages. Author Jim Ringel's thought-provoking voice reveals the soul of hope within the darkness, a voice I look forward to reading again.
May 13, 2014
Very good book. Interesting plot. Love the characters. I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend it. Look forward to reading more of Jim's books.
August 15, 2023
Weird. So weird.
August 8, 2014
The dogs have gone. Humans have deserted the suburbs and crammed themselves into the cities.
Johnny’s life is down the crapper. No sales -a salesman’s job is to sell. And no wife -she divorced him because he can’t sell. He once had a dog, but euthanized it when it got old. A piece of that dog lives in him, literally. After Sindra died he took a part of her to keep with him forever, and each day he injects a tiny piece of her into his body. His most treasured possession is the small vial containing a piece of her.
His life tumbles further down the sewer when a fellow salesman is killed in an alleyway. Two things, apart from the death of his co-worker complicate, matters further. A dog is in the alleyway, the first that has been seen for years. And, an order his associate is carrying is worth a shit load of money. Money that Johnny believes can repair his marriage and turn his life around. The problem is, his company doesn’t sell any products with the eight digit code on the order form. To fulfill the order he must find out what the product is. And from that moment his life is turned upside down.
Jim Ringel has a great way of building a scene. The narrative is rich and peppered with colorful descriptions, drawing the reader deeper into the scene. This dystopian novel is a great read and well worth adding to your library.
Johnny’s life is down the crapper. No sales -a salesman’s job is to sell. And no wife -she divorced him because he can’t sell. He once had a dog, but euthanized it when it got old. A piece of that dog lives in him, literally. After Sindra died he took a part of her to keep with him forever, and each day he injects a tiny piece of her into his body. His most treasured possession is the small vial containing a piece of her.
His life tumbles further down the sewer when a fellow salesman is killed in an alleyway. Two things, apart from the death of his co-worker complicate, matters further. A dog is in the alleyway, the first that has been seen for years. And, an order his associate is carrying is worth a shit load of money. Money that Johnny believes can repair his marriage and turn his life around. The problem is, his company doesn’t sell any products with the eight digit code on the order form. To fulfill the order he must find out what the product is. And from that moment his life is turned upside down.
Jim Ringel has a great way of building a scene. The narrative is rich and peppered with colorful descriptions, drawing the reader deeper into the scene. This dystopian novel is a great read and well worth adding to your library.
September 2, 2014
Wolf is a strange and twisting tale of a failing salesman. Johnny Wolfe carries bits of his dog in a vial in a pocket. Dogs are extinct because his cop ex-wife led the hunt to exterminate them. Thus it is complicated when an associate dies from a dog attack. He steals a sales order from the dead man. It’s a big sale and the commission would set him up for a year and perhaps impress his ex-wife enough to return to him.
The problem Johnny has is that his ex-wife doesn’t believe in dogs, and he becomes a suspect in his colleague’s death. It doesn’t help that he doesn’t know what he is trying to sell or what it does.
Johnny is an anti-hero in the tradition of Willie in Death of a Salesman. He is alternatively devious and incompetent. The reality of the dogs and what he is selling is creepy enough, but it is hard work to get there. The story asks for a lot from the reader as we wade through sales aphorisms and Johnny’s inability to achieve anything.
The concept of the story is interesting, but I had to struggle to get past the slow story and a bevy of characters who are all devious and incompetent in their own ways. I really wanted to like the book for the sake of the concept, but I can’t recommend this book.
The problem Johnny has is that his ex-wife doesn’t believe in dogs, and he becomes a suspect in his colleague’s death. It doesn’t help that he doesn’t know what he is trying to sell or what it does.
Johnny is an anti-hero in the tradition of Willie in Death of a Salesman. He is alternatively devious and incompetent. The reality of the dogs and what he is selling is creepy enough, but it is hard work to get there. The story asks for a lot from the reader as we wade through sales aphorisms and Johnny’s inability to achieve anything.
The concept of the story is interesting, but I had to struggle to get past the slow story and a bevy of characters who are all devious and incompetent in their own ways. I really wanted to like the book for the sake of the concept, but I can’t recommend this book.
May 3, 2014
(I received a free copy of this book from Curiosity Quills Press in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
A world without dogs is quite an interesting concept. I did think this book was entertaining, but it wasn't quite as good as it could have been.
I wasn't completely sure at what point in time this was meant to be set. I found the characters interesting and the storyline itself was really interesting. There was quite a bit I was confused about, though.
There were some really disturbing scenes in this book. Certain things made me cringe when I was reading them. The parasite thing was pretty interesting - I could almost hear the things screaming inside my mind.
The science aspects of this book were pretty cool and made a certain kind of sense. The mystery was a bit difficult to get my head around, though. I think a bit too much was happening and it wasn't always easy to follow. I also couldn't work out why people were acting the way they did.
The writing was mostly good, with a few mistakes that I noticed. I'd probably read a sequel to this book if there was a bit more explanation.
(This review may contain spoilers).
A world without dogs is quite an interesting concept. I did think this book was entertaining, but it wasn't quite as good as it could have been.
I wasn't completely sure at what point in time this was meant to be set. I found the characters interesting and the storyline itself was really interesting. There was quite a bit I was confused about, though.
There were some really disturbing scenes in this book. Certain things made me cringe when I was reading them. The parasite thing was pretty interesting - I could almost hear the things screaming inside my mind.
The science aspects of this book were pretty cool and made a certain kind of sense. The mystery was a bit difficult to get my head around, though. I think a bit too much was happening and it wasn't always easy to follow. I also couldn't work out why people were acting the way they did.
The writing was mostly good, with a few mistakes that I noticed. I'd probably read a sequel to this book if there was a bit more explanation.
June 23, 2014
I loved the plot description, but I couldn't connect with this book. It was almost uniformly bleak, off-putting and icky, with many references to bodily unpleasantness. The main character is a complete underdog, constantly victimized and mistreated. All of this could still work, and maybe it did for some people. I just found it all kind of nauseating. The plot thread of bringing the dogs back never really seemed to materialize in any way except metaphorically.
Want to read
April 16, 2014Literary horror coming from Curiosity Quills on May 14, 2014
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews