​THE UNSCRATCHABLES

*STARRED REVIEW* Det. Max "Crusher" McNash, a fearless bull terrier in the slaughter unit of the San Bernardo police dog force, must overcome his distrust of special agent Cassius Lap, a very Zen Siamese of the FBI (Feline Bureau of Investigation), in their pursuit of a serial killer cat targeting dogs in this off-the-leash hard-boiled satire from the pseudonymous Kane. The fur begins flying when two rottweilers are torn apart. Later victims include a retriever attending a museum shindig, movie star Jack Russell Crowe and a newshound. Crusher and Cassius deal with gangsta hounds as well as visit Kathattan, an island where dogs are unwelcome, and Cattica Correctional Facility, where convicted murderer Quentin Riossiti, a debonair psycho cat, offers his help for a price. Billed as "a well-known Australian author," Kane offers plenty of tongue-in-muzzle insights into bestial behavior, political chicanery and assorted foxy topics. (July)
-PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

The Unscratchables is a perfect mix of wit, classic hard-boiled style, and perceptive commentary on modern society, all coming together to create one of the best mysteries of 2009. What makes this novel stand out is the fully fleshed and utterly believable world created by Kane. Every detail of his fantastical setting is clearly thought out, from locales to the noirish slang of the cops; yet the reader is never subjected to an info dump: all the details are neatly parceled out along with the compelling and fast-paced plot.
-BOOKLIST

Kane inventively revisits every feature of the hardboiled genre: tone, diction, slang, back stories, detective routines and wisecracking puns .... unquestionably a tour de force.
-KIRKUS REVIEWS

The inventiveness is unrelenting and, in the end, totally beguiling. Especially since there is a serious political point to be made.
-SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

Pulp Fiction meets George Orwell's Animal Farm ... fast-paced ... superbly weaves a violent cat-and-dog crime novel that constantly throws the reader off the scent. Don't be fooled by its cuddly outer coat; this book has bite. BOOKTAGGER
(C)ombines talents for mystery and imagination and a furious narrative drive, as well as an unexpected metaphysical concern with the current human condition. The Unscratchables ... shares all these characteristics and sends up the classical hard-boiled crime novel into the bargain.
-ADELAIDE ADVERTISER

(C)an stand strong comparisons: like Fielding in Shamela, Twain in A Connecticut Yankee at the Court of King Arthur and Orwell in Animal Farm.The Unscratchables starts comic but grows increasingly uncomfortable ... the jokes range from splendidly silly to nigglingly thoughtful ... rich at the level of language and detail ... [the author] is Best in Show.
-THE AGE

GLI INGRATTABILI (Italian edition)
Cornelius Kane dà vita e credibilità a un irresistibile ed esilarante noir i cui protagonisti sono cani e gatti umanizzati in una immaginaria eppure realistica New York.
-Gigliola Reboani, E-CremonaWeb

Originale e divertente... Un noir insolito per appassionati del genere che bramano personaggi e situazioni meno scontati. Un crime novel che s'impone per la straordinaria capacità dello scrittore di traslare vizi e comportamenti umani nel mondo animale.
-Annalisa Stancanelli, La Sicilia

Dopo aver finito di leggere questo libro non riuscirete più a guardare allo stesso modo il vostro animale domestico. Gli Ingrattabili è un noir intrigante, a tratti esilarante [che] va ben oltre l'ironia che lo impregna: in più momenti, difatti, il lettore si troverà coinvolto in una vera e propria disamina critica della società contemporanea, degli intrighi di potere e della diversità sociale e razziale, un accorato inno al libero arbitrio contrapposto all'intorpidimento culturale e mentale perpetrato anche per mezzo dell'informazione controllata e manipolata.
-Sergio Palumbo, CulturaSpettacolo.it

Un poliziesco spiazzante e ironico. Bravo Kane, e anche l'ispiratissmo traduttore cui si devono le soluzioni brillanti che valorizzano mille giochi di parole della lingua originale.
-Puglia

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