Sleeping Dogs

By: Thomas Perry

Narrated by: Michael Kramer

Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

He came to England to rest. He calls himself Michael Shaeffer, says he's a retired American businessman. He goes to the races, dates a kinky aristocrat, and sleeps with dozens of weapons. Ten years ago it was different. Then, he was the Butcher's Boy, the highly skilled mob hit man who pulled a slaughter job on some double-crossing clients and started a mob war. Ever since, there's been a price on his head. Now, after a decade, they've found him.

The Butcher's Boy escapes back to the States with more reasons to kill. Until the odds turn terrifyingly against him...until the Mafia, the cops, the FBI, and the damn Justice Department want his hide...until he's locked into a cross-country odyssey of fear and death that could tear his world to pieces.

©2008 Thomas Perry (P)2009 Tantor

Wonderful!

Talk about on the end of your seat, suspensful, do I really have to turn my mp3 player off entertaining. This was great. I was glad to see the return of one of the character Michael from a previous book, I wondered who survived him or the wife. You can not go wrong with this book.

Great series, even better story teller

It says everything that the author can create such an evil character and yet you find yourself rooting for him

Another great novel in The Burcher's Boy series

The Butcher's Boy, Thomas Perry's first novel, was released in 1992. Sleeping Dogs was released a short time later and was obviously written before The Butcher's Boy was released. The Informant, the third novel in the trilogy, was not released until 2011. Sleeping Dogs is an outstanding suspense thriller filled with action. It will probably become an American classic. Michael Kramer's narration is flawless.

Calm, cool and collected...

This book is even better than the first in the series (Butcher's Boy) and, while the story does stand alone, I'd suggest reading the first book before this one to fully appreciate the main character's situation. Without that "history" you won't like him nearly as much as you could... and if you don't like the main character of this book, you'll probably not like the book very much since he's really the only "feature".

If you liked any of Block's Keller books, you'll like this one just as much... they are so similar in tone and pacing that they could have been written by the same author. Sleeping Dogs is more modern than Butcher's Boy (but not as modern as Block's Hitman) so, while there are car phones, there still aren't any cells around, and that does affect the story a bit.

I wish there were more books like this out there: with calm, cool and collected protagonists getting "justice" the only way they know how and where the author doesn't try to stog morals down your throat. The narrator is perfect for this book - clear and concise and doesn't over-dramatize events.

A Must - Read 'em All!

Gripping doesn't even begin to describe this second installment of the Butcher's Boy trilogy.

If Michael Kramer's fantastic narration helps you connect the similarities between the BB and Richard Stark's mysterious, unflappable, single-minded protagonist Parker - then so be it. It's a worthy successor.
Can't recommend these books to thriller fans highly enough!

T Perry is a Master Storyteller

The sequel to the Butchers Boy is equally, if not better than the original. It takes a skilled author to have you rooting for a hit man, but Perry manages it - albeit not without cringing and a spike of adrenaline along the way. team I'll read the sequel to this one too. I'm hooked.

Enjoyable, though violent

Zipped through this one like I did its (necessary) predecessor. This is definitely a 2nd book, and it's also definitely from an earlier decade. Complicated, interesting, suspenseful.... Listen to The Butcher's Boy first, then keep going with Sleeping Dogs.

Great book!!!

I love the three Butcher Boy books. The characters, the plots, the intense moments as well as him quietly disposing of someone. Simply love these books.

Or... How I Fell in Love With a Hit Man

I do like this series, alot. There two story lines running parallel and occasionally intersecting. The Butcher's Boy, a stone cold killer who only believes in killing for profit or survival and despises the death of innocents. He is not a complete sociopath, his conscience is simply void when it comes to the mafia and those corrupted by the Mafia.

Perry does a wonderful job describing the complications and difficulties a retired hit man incurrs with his personal life. He is a great anti-hero.

The second story line involves Elizabeth Waring, a Justice Dept investigator, Mafia expert, widow, and single mother of two toddlers. She is smart, wise and clever, but she is not in charge and so must deal with other well meaning detectives, competing police agencies and meddling politicians. Nevertheless, she poses the biggest threat to the Butcher's Boy.

What happens when these two lives intersect is the real mystery, and one well worth your time.

a fun listen.

this was a fun story that went along the lines of most popular tv shows today that deal with detective work. point being, if you love csi then this is your book. plenty of twists and turns that are sure to keep your attention. i wasn't a big fan of the style this book was written in, however. the author seems to dwell on alot of irrelevant details, which made me feel like he was trying to lengthen up the story. however, it was an entertaining listen.