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Dog Days #2
New Tricks
Former enforcer Mason would normally be concerned with finding ghosts and vampires stalking the Castro section of San Francisco. Fortunately, Halloween provides the perfect explanation for the abundance of ghouls. But someone is trying to possess his old flame, Sarah. Now, with the help of his magical dog Louie, Mason must uncover the black magician responsible.
312 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 25, 2008
3 people are currently reading
361 people want to read
About the author
John Levitt
15 books98 followersAbout the Author - from his website:
I grew up in New York City. After a stint at the University of Chicago (I didn’t graduate–I had things to do) I traveled around the country and ended up in San Francisco. Drugs and rock ‘n roll. Did some light shows for bands, learned to play guitar – the usual stuff. I forgot all about writing.
A few years later, while working at a ski lodge in Alta, Utah, I found I was getting bored. So I looked around for the most unlikely thing I could think of, and joined the Salt Lake City Police Department. I only planned to do it for a year, just for the experience. That year turned into seven.
When I left, I had enough material to fill a book. So I wrote one, a police thriller. Then another.
Dog Days was my first Urban Fantasy, followed by New Tricks and Unleashed. Play Dead is the latest in the series and the last, at least for a while.
I split my time these days between Alta, Utah, and San Francisco, and when I’m not working or writing, play guitar with my band in SF, The Procrastinistas.
The character of the dog, Lou – well, he’s sort of a dog – is based on a real dog. Big surprise there. I personally have one cat and no dogs -- but my girlfriend now has four.
I grew up in New York City. After a stint at the University of Chicago (I didn’t graduate–I had things to do) I traveled around the country and ended up in San Francisco. Drugs and rock ‘n roll. Did some light shows for bands, learned to play guitar – the usual stuff. I forgot all about writing.
A few years later, while working at a ski lodge in Alta, Utah, I found I was getting bored. So I looked around for the most unlikely thing I could think of, and joined the Salt Lake City Police Department. I only planned to do it for a year, just for the experience. That year turned into seven.
When I left, I had enough material to fill a book. So I wrote one, a police thriller. Then another.
Dog Days was my first Urban Fantasy, followed by New Tricks and Unleashed. Play Dead is the latest in the series and the last, at least for a while.
I split my time these days between Alta, Utah, and San Francisco, and when I’m not working or writing, play guitar with my band in SF, The Procrastinistas.
The character of the dog, Lou – well, he’s sort of a dog – is based on a real dog. Big surprise there. I personally have one cat and no dogs -- but my girlfriend now has four.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
December 14, 2008
I really like this author. He was a cop for 7 years and is a musician, and his experiences clearly inform the novel. I found Mason, the lead, to be very appealing both in this book and in the first in the series Dog Days. Those who know me will be unsurprised to know that I enjoy having a dog as a character! The magical premise is tight and believable. I would call it an urban fantasy, but it's not dark or depressing. I did find this book a bit more, um, simplistically? plotted than the previous novel, but still an enjoyable mystery and resolution. I would easily recommend this book.
February 15, 2010
I was hoping that John Levitt's Dog Days novels would sharpen up their act with Book 2, and I am pleased to say that I wasn't disappointed. One of the biggest beefs I had with Book 1--our hero Mason's friends' annoying propensity to harp on him about what a slacker he is--was pretty much absent from this book. And there's nice mileage with Mason making music here, and of course, plenty of cute not-really-a-dog mileage with his Ifrit, Lou.
In this installment the crime that has to be solved is the mysterious draining of life essence out of San Francisco practitioners--one of whom is one of Mason's old girlfriends, Sarah. Mason and his colleagues Eli and Victor must figure out who's responsible, and the fact that a known dark practitioner from Portland has recently moved into the city seems like a suspect on a silver platter. This is of course Too Easy. A suitably alert reader won't have trouble figuring out who the perpetrator actually is, but a good bit of the substance of that revelation comes from Mason's own reaction to it, so it's okay.
Some of the side plots were the ones that were more interesting to me, though. Campbell, the healer from Book 1, makes another appearance here--and while I was initially disappointed to see her described as Mason's ex at this point, things are clearly not really over between them, so I'm pleased on that account. There's mileage with Victor having a potential steady love interest who actually contributes a bit to the plot, and it's pretty neat just to see the most competent and badassed of Mason's colleagues being a gay guy. There are new theories thrown around about where Ifrits come from, and in fact, there are intriguing attempts to make new Ifrits that go horribly, horribly wrong and which have ramifications clear into Book 3.
Good fun overall. Four stars.
In this installment the crime that has to be solved is the mysterious draining of life essence out of San Francisco practitioners--one of whom is one of Mason's old girlfriends, Sarah. Mason and his colleagues Eli and Victor must figure out who's responsible, and the fact that a known dark practitioner from Portland has recently moved into the city seems like a suspect on a silver platter. This is of course Too Easy. A suitably alert reader won't have trouble figuring out who the perpetrator actually is, but a good bit of the substance of that revelation comes from Mason's own reaction to it, so it's okay.
Some of the side plots were the ones that were more interesting to me, though. Campbell, the healer from Book 1, makes another appearance here--and while I was initially disappointed to see her described as Mason's ex at this point, things are clearly not really over between them, so I'm pleased on that account. There's mileage with Victor having a potential steady love interest who actually contributes a bit to the plot, and it's pretty neat just to see the most competent and badassed of Mason's colleagues being a gay guy. There are new theories thrown around about where Ifrits come from, and in fact, there are intriguing attempts to make new Ifrits that go horribly, horribly wrong and which have ramifications clear into Book 3.
Good fun overall. Four stars.
January 25, 2015
This book is a little better than the first, but not by much.
I do love Lou, Mason's Ifrit, but he is by far the most interesting character... and he's the dog.
The biggest problem with this series is that there is nothing really new here and the characters are hard to connect with.
It's not a terrible book, it fact it's quite good in places, it's just very forgettable, I only read it a couple of weeks ago and I can hardly remember what happened.
I do love Lou, Mason's Ifrit, but he is by far the most interesting character... and he's the dog.
The biggest problem with this series is that there is nothing really new here and the characters are hard to connect with.
It's not a terrible book, it fact it's quite good in places, it's just very forgettable, I only read it a couple of weeks ago and I can hardly remember what happened.
July 11, 2019
New Tricks is the second book in the Dog Days series written by John Levitt and centered on Mason, a former enforcer of magic turned jazz musician and Louie, his ifrit, which looks like a dog.
Mason, guitarist and magical practitioner, and his dog-shaped Ifrit familiar Louie, are enjoying a laid-back life in San Francisco. When a friend has her brain sucked out by nefarious magic, Mason and Lou are on the job, along with some other informal enforcers in the practitioner community, trying to find out who is doing what to whom and how.
New Tricks is written mediocrity well – better than the first installment. The pacing of the narrative is a tad slower and less intense than I expected in the typical urban fantasy – it is almost laid-back in its approach. Levitt's description of San Francisco and music – particularly guitar are well done, if a tad too descriptive at times.
All in all, New Tricks is written rather well and is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
Mason, guitarist and magical practitioner, and his dog-shaped Ifrit familiar Louie, are enjoying a laid-back life in San Francisco. When a friend has her brain sucked out by nefarious magic, Mason and Lou are on the job, along with some other informal enforcers in the practitioner community, trying to find out who is doing what to whom and how.
New Tricks is written mediocrity well – better than the first installment. The pacing of the narrative is a tad slower and less intense than I expected in the typical urban fantasy – it is almost laid-back in its approach. Levitt's description of San Francisco and music – particularly guitar are well done, if a tad too descriptive at times.
All in all, New Tricks is written rather well and is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
March 15, 2017
A good followup to the first adventure of Mason and his not-exactly dog Louie, this one delves a little deeper into the magic and the world of "practitioners", which is Levitt's endlessly repeated term for wizards, witches, sorcerers, or whatever other term you can think of for a magic-user. (I found it a little overused, can you tell?
Mason is a good lead character, generally, bringing an everyman sort of perspective to the whole thing. He's not the smartest or most talented practitioner in the world, but he's got a good heart, some serious musical talent, and most importantly he's got an Ifrit (Louie). It lets him screw up, get in over his head, and ask a lot of same questions the reader has, which is fairly helpful.
The major plotline is...ok? There's supposed to be a strong detective aspect to this one, but I spotted the whodunit fairly easily this time, and I'm not usually the best at it. Probably the bigger issue is that the entire cast are also pretty oblivious and as a result there's quite a few unnecessary deaths, which people feel bad about but don't really take a lot of responsibility for. The whole scenario is enough to drop the grade a little.
Still, it's fairly fun and there's a little more exploration into this world and one of the best aspects is several people trying to figure out why some people get an Ifrit and others wouldn't, along with whether someone can create one rather than just hope one appears for you. That asks a lot of interesting questions and explores what makes this world a little different from other urban fantasies. Plus, Levitt never lets Mason drift too far away from the music, which really helps keep the character a unique and interesting personality.
I'll keep an eye out for book three.
Mason is a good lead character, generally, bringing an everyman sort of perspective to the whole thing. He's not the smartest or most talented practitioner in the world, but he's got a good heart, some serious musical talent, and most importantly he's got an Ifrit (Louie). It lets him screw up, get in over his head, and ask a lot of same questions the reader has, which is fairly helpful.
The major plotline is...ok? There's supposed to be a strong detective aspect to this one, but I spotted the whodunit fairly easily this time, and I'm not usually the best at it. Probably the bigger issue is that the entire cast are also pretty oblivious and as a result there's quite a few unnecessary deaths, which people feel bad about but don't really take a lot of responsibility for. The whole scenario is enough to drop the grade a little.
Still, it's fairly fun and there's a little more exploration into this world and one of the best aspects is several people trying to figure out why some people get an Ifrit and others wouldn't, along with whether someone can create one rather than just hope one appears for you. That asks a lot of interesting questions and explores what makes this world a little different from other urban fantasies. Plus, Levitt never lets Mason drift too far away from the music, which really helps keep the character a unique and interesting personality.
I'll keep an eye out for book three.
September 24, 2010
The main character was blind to a situation that was pretty obvious to the reader. Really annoying when it seems like a main character is too dumb to deserve surviving the final conflict. Plus not even the character is convinced that he is truly talented, not s shining endorsement.
I'll read the next one in the hopes that he recaptures that edgy, interesting feel of the first book.
I'll read the next one in the hopes that he recaptures that edgy, interesting feel of the first book.
March 10, 2023
Wow
Ok, I thoroughly enjoyed this book as much or maybe just a teeny bit more than the previous one.
Written by someone who knows and loves San Francisco but doesn’t feel the need to name drop or fawn over insider details that only residents or natives of the city by the bay would know. Stern grove as a setting for a nefarious night time gathering? Heck, yes! Been there and (sorta) done that.
Kicking around Sutro Baths and ocean beach at night? Yeparoonie, that was my misspent youth right there.
Thanks to the author, can’t wait to read the next book in this series
Ok, I thoroughly enjoyed this book as much or maybe just a teeny bit more than the previous one.
Written by someone who knows and loves San Francisco but doesn’t feel the need to name drop or fawn over insider details that only residents or natives of the city by the bay would know. Stern grove as a setting for a nefarious night time gathering? Heck, yes! Been there and (sorta) done that.
Kicking around Sutro Baths and ocean beach at night? Yeparoonie, that was my misspent youth right there.
Thanks to the author, can’t wait to read the next book in this series
May 11, 2025
Kept me guessing who the real villain was
My only complaint is that this series doesn't come in audiobook.
It's a good series so far and I'm looking forward to reading the next book. I have all four in Kindle, since I have the first book in paperback on my shelf, I was confident I'd be making a great purchase.
My only complaint is that this series doesn't come in audiobook.
It's a good series so far and I'm looking forward to reading the next book. I have all four in Kindle, since I have the first book in paperback on my shelf, I was confident I'd be making a great purchase.
December 3, 2025
Fun little series.
March 4, 2017
After reading the first book in this series, I was truly disappointed by this book.. First the spitual connection between Mason and Lou that was in the first book was missing in this book. Lou seemed more like comic relief. Second the book felt like it was written from an outline and there was little floe between sections. Third the bad guy was very obvious to everyone but the characters. If this was a first book I would have written off the series.
May 19, 2016
Unfortunately, this book was a bit of a disappointment.
First off, you should know the author uses "faster" and "quicker" as if they do not mean the same thing. As in Person A is faster but Person B is quicker. Which is annoying the both times he does it. I'm just saying..
Moving on, it was clear to me Jo was the mystery baddie back in chapter seventeen, a full two chapters before Mason acknowledge it. I wouldn't be surprised if more people caught on even sooner, as there were only two real suspects to choose from. After Mason realized there was no evidence supporting Bryon's guilt, I was confused whenever he continued treating Byron as a suspect. Nothing the author did painted him suspicious.
Later Mason decides Rolando's guilty even though (like the siblings with Bryon) Mason has practically no evidence. The hypocrisy actually ruled out Rolando as a suspect way before the big reveal, and while funny on a meta level it made every scene that Mason was convinced of his guilt slow and frustrating to read.
There is a lot of filler in this book as well. Several pages dedicated to two separate jam sessions with two different bands. I feel like Mason has been well established as a musician so spending pages describing him going to work seems like a waste. Nothing important actually happens in those scenes. Also the whole ifrit subplot is not explain very well, and it frustrates me that Mason, who is well established as being ignorant to magical theory, happened to work out the origins of ifrits during an evening stroll. This is something people have supposedly been trying to figure out for centuries.
Also, though this is minor, this is the second book that mentions Mason's very important, very magical tattoo yet never even hints at its purpose/history. As of right now I believe it is a deus ex machina spell because that's what it was used for in this book. It is only mentioned two or three times, and I feel like the author doesn't even know what it is.
I thought the first book in the series had some interesting world building and I hoped this one would expand on that, but I was wrong. 2/5
First off, you should know the author uses "faster" and "quicker" as if they do not mean the same thing. As in Person A is faster but Person B is quicker. Which is annoying the both times he does it. I'm just saying..
Moving on, it was clear to me Jo was the mystery baddie back in chapter seventeen, a full two chapters before Mason acknowledge it. I wouldn't be surprised if more people caught on even sooner, as there were only two real suspects to choose from. After Mason realized there was no evidence supporting Bryon's guilt, I was confused whenever he continued treating Byron as a suspect. Nothing the author did painted him suspicious.
Later Mason decides Rolando's guilty even though (like the siblings with Bryon) Mason has practically no evidence. The hypocrisy actually ruled out Rolando as a suspect way before the big reveal, and while funny on a meta level it made every scene that Mason was convinced of his guilt slow and frustrating to read.
There is a lot of filler in this book as well. Several pages dedicated to two separate jam sessions with two different bands. I feel like Mason has been well established as a musician so spending pages describing him going to work seems like a waste. Nothing important actually happens in those scenes. Also the whole ifrit subplot is not explain very well, and it frustrates me that Mason, who is well established as being ignorant to magical theory, happened to work out the origins of ifrits during an evening stroll. This is something people have supposedly been trying to figure out for centuries.
Also, though this is minor, this is the second book that mentions Mason's very important, very magical tattoo yet never even hints at its purpose/history. As of right now I believe it is a deus ex machina spell because that's what it was used for in this book. It is only mentioned two or three times, and I feel like the author doesn't even know what it is.
I thought the first book in the series had some interesting world building and I hoped this one would expand on that, but I was wrong. 2/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2010
I liked the Harry Dresden vibe of the first book in this series, enough that I was excited to read this sequel. I was very disappointed. The plot seems recycled from the last book, and all the interesting characters get killed off. Why introduce so many new characters just to kill them all? At least keep a few alive to explore further in later volumes. Also, the hero, Mason, doesn't seem to grow much in this book. I'll still probably read book 3 to see if this series improves, but if the first book hadn't been a whole lot better, I'd be finished with this series.
Practitioners are dying, and a black arts guy is suspected. An old friend and his sister come to town to help track down the culprit, and as the investigation continues, the attacks escalate. Mason fails at romance, again. Yawn....
Practitioners are dying, and a black arts guy is suspected. An old friend and his sister come to town to help track down the culprit, and as the investigation continues, the attacks escalate. Mason fails at romance, again. Yawn....
June 1, 2011
I'd like to give it 3.5 stars, but can't. Though I enjoyed spending time with these characters again, watching Mason be a musician and wander around San Francisco, and of course enjoying the company of Lou the Ifrit, it did get a little frustrating watching everyone keep their faces resolutely turned away from the blindingly obvious answer. The ending was still dramatic and interesting, and I was entertained all the way through. A good and quick read.
I noticed in reviews for the 4th that apparently that will be the last. Rats. I thought this setting had lots of promise, and really like the way magic works slightly differently for each practitioner based on their strengths & personalities.
I noticed in reviews for the 4th that apparently that will be the last. Rats. I thought this setting had lots of promise, and really like the way magic works slightly differently for each practitioner based on their strengths & personalities.
July 23, 2012
I have enjoyed all the books in this well written series so far. It could be compared to the Dresden books by Bucher in some respects, though it doesn't have the heavy-handed firepower of a super powerful paladin, but it does have the added 'Man and his Dog' element, along with the main character's desire to get serious with his music career, and a reluctance to get involved with his magic-user's group once again.
The character has a history that precedes the start of first novel, giving him some depth from the get-go. The novels have involved and detailed plots with interesting interpersonal interactions.
The character has a history that precedes the start of first novel, giving him some depth from the get-go. The novels have involved and detailed plots with interesting interpersonal interactions.
July 26, 2011
Unlike the other book I started recently. I felt like this book held on its own. I haven't read Book 1 yet, and for once I didn't feel like I had to read it to enjoy it. Oh, sure - I probably missed subtle clues and references to the last book - but it worked out just fine.
Hopefully this means that it is a well-written book and not that if you read them in order, you'd be annoyed by repetition.
Interesting premise, interesting characters, not too-predicable plot twisting. A fun read all around.
Hopefully this means that it is a well-written book and not that if you read them in order, you'd be annoyed by repetition.
Interesting premise, interesting characters, not too-predicable plot twisting. A fun read all around.
February 8, 2014
The first book in this series set up an interesting twist on the usual style of urban fantasy magic, and this sequel did a nice job of deepening that mythos without also falling prey to the mistake of ramping up the power levels. It's also refreshing to see a modern fantasy series that doesn't revolve around romance, although that did form an important aspect of this book.
All in all, I regret taking so long to get around to this book, but at least that means I've got two sequels waiting for me...
All in all, I regret taking so long to get around to this book, but at least that means I've got two sequels waiting for me...
August 14, 2012
I couldn't really tell you why I like these - they're straightforward formulaic urban fantasy without much in the way of bells and whistles - but I do. They're unpretentious, somehow and it doesn't hurt that the hero is likable without being smug or superhuman, the magic is well thought out, the characters are more or less believable and the whole is firmly rooted in a well evoked San Francisco and couched in straightforward prose with no bells or whistles. No, they're not great art, but they're not half bad for what they are.
January 15, 2009
The second book in the Dog Days series is darker than the first, but felt more assured in the author's hands. Levitt continues to use San Francisco to its best advantage as a setting, summoning the magic in Land's End, the city's small music clubs, Baker Beach in the fog, and the art installation at the dump. If only I hadn't been able to figure out the villain hundreds of pages before the protagonist... Still, I like the characters very, very much and look forward to the next in the series.
March 23, 2010
A decent follow-up on the first novel, though not as cohesive as his first effort. I still really enjoyed it and loved experiencing the lives and adventures of Mason and Lou. The stakes played a little higher in this one, and fans of Harry Dresden will find themselves getting frustrated with Mason for failing to notice what's right in front of his face, because we already watched Harry go through the same thing.
January 1, 2016
I didn't enjoy this quite as much as the first in the series, but it is an entertaining read nonetheless. The 'hero' is an underachieving practitioner/guitar player, but is a nice take on an 'everyman' so easy to identify with, the magic is nicely wirtten and this, overall, is a decent read.
On the downside the culprit is a bit too obvious to the reader (but no one in the book).
Still, I enjoyed the book and will definitely stick with the series.
On the downside the culprit is a bit too obvious to the reader (but no one in the book).
Still, I enjoyed the book and will definitely stick with the series.
June 12, 2016
This story is a little less like a Scooby-Doo episode than the first one. The lead character is still a mopey slacker with a magical dog, an old van, and detective friends meddling in others' business. However, the body count is rising, odd magical forces are revealed, and darker elements in the lead character's persona are hinted. The series may soon leave the Saturday morning cartoon universe.
February 14, 2009
The second in a series with an interesting twist and a group of compelling characters. Mason is a refreshing change from the usual main character in this type of book (I'm getting a bit tired of the whole "busty corset-wearing witch who saves the world with a spell, a snarky comment and her cleavage" thing). I makes me want more and it makes me want to make music again...
June 3, 2010
Mason is a likeable character, but his ifrit, Louie, is by far the best part of these books. I liked the first one better than this one, so I'm thinking I'll stop here if they're going downhill already. Someone is trying to possess Mason's friend, Sarah. Figured it out very early on. The writing is well-done, this series just seems like everything else out there.
February 28, 2009
After "Dog Days" I of course had to get the sequel and I'm happy to say I really liked this one even more. Lots of plot twists and unanswered questions (leading to yet another book). The ifrits seem to be very important creatures and hopefully as the series continues, we'll learn more about them.
April 19, 2010
Mason is a pick up jazz guitarist who is a magic practitioner, who occasionally has to solve mysteries of the woo woo type in San Francisco. In this book practitioners are being left comatose, they call in help from Portland. The best parts were when he was playing music, also fun is his relationship with his Ifrit/ familiar Lou, who looks like a little dog.
March 27, 2013
I really loved #1 - I don't know what took me so long to get around to book #2. I love Mason's character & all his quirks. The personality he gives Lou is great as well - they make quite the pair. Enough reference was made to book one & the returning characters to freshen up my memory. It's a great story - so sad to see the unhappy 1-star ratings. I will be diving into 3 shortly.
August 10, 2014
I enjoyed this better than the first one. It read better, people were more developed and there was a nice pace to it. Sadly the answer was blindingly obvious, but I for one did not mind so much that no one in the book worked it out, as things unravelled in their own time anyway. Not a deep and meaningful read but alright for a bit of fluff.
March 22, 2009
This one was slightly better than the first...it may be because the characters were developed and now a story could have more attention. Even so, there are others in the Urban Fantasy genre out there that are better...but if you're a fan of the genre overall, give them a try.
August 6, 2009
A good second novel in a series. Only issue is that the author really needs to start fleshing out the supporting characters a bit if he wants the series to endure. There was much more of that in the first novel than there was here, and really it should have been the opposite.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews