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THOR by Wayne Smith

THOR

By

Pub Date: Nov. 23rd, 1992
Publisher: St. Martin's

Man bites dog repeatedly in a first novel about canine loyalties and supernatural terror in the suburbs. The harrowing adventures of Thor, a German shepherd rescued from animal-shelter extinction by a nuclear family somewhere on the West Coast, begin properly enough. Dog lovers--or, more properly, dog story lovers--will settle in for a nice saga of Great Loyalty and Great Love as told from the dog's point of view. For a while it's safe territory. Thor spots a con man and warns the family. Thor goes to the beach. Thor copes with a tiresome adolescent. Thor eats. Thor sniffs. And the spotting, surfing, coping, eating, and sniffing are all supported with interesting points of canine behavioral psychology. But then canine behavioral parapsychology takes over as Thor and his family go to the mountains to visit Mom's rich photographer brother Ted, who's been in seclusion since his return from spooky Nepal, where his girlfriend died under extremely mysterious circumstances. Thor, who used to be crazy about Uncle Ted, senses a Bad Thing hanging around Uncle Ted's A-frame and then confirms his suspicions when he finds a heartless female corpse, a discovery he keeps to himself. Thor's well-balanced world turns upside down when the ever-more hangdog Uncle Ted comes to live with Thor's family and Thor decides he has to protect the family from Uncle Ted no matter how crazy it seems. Only Little Brother believes the dog has a basis for his suspicions, even when the family kitten is found savaged. Drive-in movie fare with no escape to the snack bar.