When Adam Langer and his wife returned to their rented Manahattan apartment one night after walking their dog they were surprised to find the door open and a real estate agent showing prospective buyers around the place. Langer has transformed this incident into Ellington Boulevard, a witty novel about life and love, growing up and moving on but most of all about New York real estate. New Yorkers could show even the most Realtor and Ratings Valuation website addicted New Zealander a thing or two about real estate obsession and Langer handles them with a deft touch.
Manhattan real estate may be a dog-eat-dog world but in the Los Angeles of Toby Barlow’s Sharp Teeth it’s the wolves you’ve got to look out for. In Barlow’s bizarre but enjoyable novel three packs of feral dogs are in fact werewolves who can change into canine form at will. They don’t even have to muck about waiting for a full moon to shift their shapes, but that’s not enough for this crew, they want to take over the whole world, or at least all of LA.
When a human dogcatcher falls in love with a she-wolf who has abandoned her pack the stage is set for some very strange goings-on. Written by the creative director of a large advertising agency it’s very high concept; the cover is great, there are touches of dark humour, it’s been called a graphic novel without the graphics and no doubt the movie rights have already been optioned.
