I always say my rescue’s rescued me (I have five now!), and clearly Cary Robinson’s life changed because of his beloved rescue, Dudley. This is a true feel-good book, and you will love all the wonderful stories about dear Dudley, but most important—it will make you appreciate the heart and soul of shelter animals…they are true FUR ANGELS….”
—Jill Rappaport, NBC’s award-winning animal advocate and correspondent
Will Rogers said, ‘“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.” People who understand that will find The Dudley Files totally delicious! There’s a laugh on every page, and a few good surprises, too. I’m frothing at the mouth to read Cary Robinson’s sequel!”
—Ruth Buzzi, actress, comedienne, artist
Robinson’s amateur sleuth and his trusty canine sidekick return (The Dudley Files: Sold Out Without the Holdout, 2012) to help a young couple assume their rightful claim to a grandfather’s estate.
On a trip back to Houston from Mexico City, gumshoe Careless meets Karly, and she has a case for him back in Houston. Karly’s husband, Carl, recently lost his grandfather Albert, but they have no details on the man’s wealth or possible will thanks to his controlling daughter, Nanette, who isn’t returning phone calls. Careless and his beloved pal, Dudley, a large Black Mouth Cur, along with a few of Careless’ cohorts, find that Albert left behind an antique World War II gun, part of the collection Albert promised to Carl. Any fans of Kinky Friedman’s books will see his influence right away: Both authors feature Texan-born detectives living in lofts with scene-stealing pet companions. There are also superficial references that get to be a bit excessive—minor characters with the Friedman surname; quotes from Friedman’s song lyrics. But Dudley is a character all his own, and the novel is at its best when he monopolizes the narrative. Careless takes Dudley with him almost everywhere, and the dog more than proves his worth with his sniffer (the Black Mouth Cur is a hunting dog), solving Careless’ second—and unrelated—case of a missing prized miniature donkey practically by himself. The story does sometimes grow repetitive, reiterating that it’s tradition for Careless’ family to have breakfast every weekday morning and that Careless is allergic to exercise. But few will mind repeated
references to Dudley’s “oversized jowls,” the “trail of goober” he leaves behind on the phone when he quite thoughtfully answers it, or the fact that his doggie grumbles remind Careless of someone mumbling under his breath.Often funny; sure to send readers to Careless and Dudley’s debut story.
– Kirkus Reviews
Robinson has a talent for natural-sounding dialogue in this humorous crime caper.
Careless isn’t exactly an ideal name for a private detective, but when the sleuth has
Dudley the hound as a sidekick, it’s certain that crime-solving awaits. With Burp Gun Bandit, his second Dudley Files comic crime caper, Cary Robinson proves his talent for natural sounding dialogue and keen observation of human foibles, which makes for great lighthearted entertainment for genre fans.Careless works in his family’s steel pipe business, a Houston, Texas, enterprise owned by his grandfather and now run by his father. Nevertheless, Careless would rather be a detective. Having made an ill-fated trip to Mexico in pursuit of a lovely lady who has stolen his heart, Careless meets Karly and Carl on his flight home. Though Carl is the primary heir, his blacksheep aunt has locked up his grandfather’s estate. Careless rides to the rescue, helped by friend and good ol’ boy Birk; the sometimes stoned, book-lover Sarge; and E.D., Careless’s beautiful blond neighbor at the Big Rock Lofts.
Robinson’s caper is built around a simple plot—finding a missing will—highlighted by page upon page of funny observations. Wordplay—pension for penchant and Buttox for Botox —and Careless’s unremitting love for his rescue hound, Dudley, are constants. Every character arrives in the narrative fully formed. The action motors from one end of Houston to another, with first-hand familiarity about good food and good neighborhoods. There is a brief side trip into Texas Hill Country so that Careless, Dudley, and E.D. can rescue a lost donkey for a rancher friend. This thread seems unrelated to the primary narrative and may be present to flesh out the novel.
Since the missing will belongs to a decorated veteran, Robinson opens with a prologue about the exploits of the 90th Infantry Division in WWII. History buffs will notice minor factual misstatements, but those errors detract neither from the soldier’s heroism nor the book itself.
The bad guys are entirely credible in means and motive. It’s all sneaky good fun, with only one potential violent conflict. The answer to whodunit is evident immediately. Conversely, how Careless foils the plot is intuitive rather than logical, but doesn’t spoil the excitement. While constant banter and sardonic observations can wear, the major problem is repetition. For example, Robinson repeatedly details the recipe for Careless Coffee—cold-brewed Katz brand ice coffee, ice cubes, and Jack Daniels.
In this first-person narrative, Careless is serious only about his love for Dudley and his quest to bed E.D. All else is sometimes puerile humorous observations about “Cowboy Cadillacs”—four-wheel-drive pickups—and repeated parenthetical “not that there’s anything wrong with that” observations after remarks about sexual preferences, gender references, and other politically correct matters. However juvenile that might be, Robinson has a talent for natural-sounding dialogue, making for easy reading.
With references to everything from Cozumel scuba diving to Texas songwriter Kinky Friedman, Robinson’s crime caper is perfect for lighthearted summer reading.
-Gary Presley, ForeWord Reviews, Clarion Review
I fell in love with Dudley when I found out he loves beautiful blondes, and that he’s an SPCA rescue makes it even better!”
—Julie Hayek, actress and proud, active volunteer for the ASPCA
Dudley loves our new song, “Shelter”, from our new album, Don’t Burn The Bridge. Especially since he’s from a shelter and because he has exquisite taste in music!”
– Joel Peskin AKA ireedman, recording artist and fine musician
Cary Robinson filled the novel with surprises, intrigue, drama, and humor to create a fast-paced page-turner. I enjoyed reading every page and did not want to put it down until the last one.”
—Readers’ Favorite
Burp Gun Bandit by Cary Robinson begins with a serious historical summary of the United States Texas Oklahoma 90th Infantry Division storming of Normandy, on D-Day, June 6, 1944. The prologue is detailed and impressive as it recounts the skirmishes faced by the 90th Infantry over the course of many months. I was somewhat taken aback, because the title and the description led me to believe this was a humorous book. In fact, it is a VERY humorous book, but the seriousness of the prologue was vital to setting up the rest of the story. Once I started reading Chapter One, I honestly can’t remember the last time I laughed so much. From start to finish, Burp Gun Bandit is precisely my idea of good humor. I laughed long, loud, and often as I read of the exploits of “Careless” and his dog, Dudley. Much to my surprise and delight, Burp Gun Bandit also turned out to be a pretty good mystery, too. Careless, whose real name is Carlos (which nobody ever calls him), works in his family’s steel yard, but has also enjoyed some success as a part-time private detective. Dudley, his golden-colored black-mouth cur, is his partner in life, as well as his partner in investigation. With help from a few friends, Careless and Dudley were able to solve a mystery involving the death of a beloved grandfather, a missing will, and a very wicked, greedy aunt.
Burp Gun Bandit is a brilliantly told story. Cary Robinson has captured the essence of a laid-back Texas redneck with a fondness for iced coffee and Jack Daniels. But he’s not hooked; he can quit coffee any time he wants! To truly appreciate the talent of Robinson, one has only to return to the prologue. It is almost unbelievable that the same person who wrote that laudable homage to the 90th Infantry Division also wrote such a funny story, in which he mastered the local color and idiom so well. Burp Gun Bandit gives ample evidence that things are not always as they seem, as in the case of Careless. Robinson has an extraordinarily broad-ranging imagination, which is on display throughout this story. If you have an appreciation for good, mostly wholesome humor, I heartily recommend Burp Gun Bandit as a must-read for your bookshelf.”
-Reviewed by Lee Ashford for Readers’ Favorite
You can sense the unbreakable bond between Dudley and Careless. Following in Dudley’s paw prints, Lucas and Max (my father and son Lucas terriers, who bark at everything that moves), are dog detectives themselves, so everything Dudley does is par for the course for a super sleuth canine. Looking forward to the next Dudley Files adventure!”
—Dr. Carolyn Farb, h.c., author, First Lady of Philanthropy in Texas
Kina Hora! Can this Dudley eat!!! I’ve never seen anything like it! I guess you can’t solve a mystery on an empty stomach, but two Reubens and a whole cheesecake???”
—Ziggy Gruber, delimaven of Kenny & Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen
I’ve known Cary since he was a little boy. I appreciate his support and now that he is writing, I can support him. His loyalty to us is just like Dudley’s relationship to him.”
—Marian Jue (“Mama”), owner of China Garden Restaurant
