The book is both funny and insightful.
This is a brilliant and hilarious take on the gumshoe novel. Fusing Philip K. Dick sci fi with Raymond Chandler's noir. The jokes keep coming, the action moves swiftly, and I found the whole thing thoroughly entertaining. Highly recommended. 5 out of 5 stars Great Characters I had the absolute pleasure of seeing a live dramatisation of excerpts from this fast paced whitty book at the launch in Sheffield. The characters really come to life when reading it and knowing Kathy Burke was the inspiration for Miss Loveheart was a gorgeous little nugget! Bring on book 2
5 out of 5 stars Better than a hot bowl of Bovril
DogWorld is a real treat. Packed with surprisingly deep characters, for what is mostly a cast of talking once domestic animals infected by a virus that has forced human sentience on them seemingly at random, the narrative is at its strongest when the world they have created is explored via the main character's canine level view. The culture and subcultures that they create as they begin to find their place within the human world, while also dealing with some very dangerous situations, is explored with surprising depth. The way that their minds can almost be seen to struggle with things that people in the book take for granted is especially well explored, and it is endearing to see the cast pushing forward through both human centric city design as well as a general fear of change to become better dogs (and the odd cat) overall. Of course all that characterisation would be wasted if the underlying plot failed to provide an engaging enough backdrop, but thankfully it has enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing until the last handful of pages. And while not every question is answered by the end, the promise of a sequel will leave the reader howling for more. Dry humour is injected throughout too, though this never becomes invasive enough to become distracting, and actually helps give the story a light, whimsical edge that makes the cast all the more endearing (especially Jacket). Structurally the chapters themselves are short and punchy, and the book is genuinely difficult to put down as a result of wanting to read just one more. All in all DogWorld presents a tight fantasy narrative set in the modern era that could have so easily gone off the rails due to its more science fiction elements, but instead remains a cohesive and engaging take on the stranger in a strange land concept that is definitely worth your time.
5 out of 5 stars Brilliant
Every part of this story has something we can relate to, something we feel, something that makes us laugh or makes us think. From the nuances of our own canine friends - the way they move, are motivated- to solving a mystery, choosing our path, friendship and identity. I spent many moments wondering what my dogs would say if they had a voicebox, and dreading what mischief they would rustle up with a manipulator. I'm going to try both dogs on Bovril. Hound swears by it. Fabulous.
5 out of 5 stars A gripping, funny and heart-warming crime adventure.
Highly recommended. Loved this book. David R Lee puts us in the shaggy-mind of Hound who after contracting the e-virus and getting a voicebox collar can now talk. Ex-police dog Hound is on the trial of a corrupt copper and his criminal associates. Working out of a Dog Cafe which serves bowls of Bovril and sausages to its canine clientele, Hound gathers a ragtag group around him. Jack Bracket the mouthy terrier, Miss Loveheart the dog-blogging Poodle, Maisie the dog-maiden in distress and a host of four-legged compatriots - including Stripy the shadowy e-cat - face down a criminal conspiracy. Don't be thinking that talking animals makes this a Disney adventure, though. There are doggy brothels, very dodgy dog-bars and doggy drugs. And - not to be too serious, because this *is* a rip-roaring adventure - the author manages to quietly reveal something quite profound about the connection language and consciousness. Hound's oh-so-faint memories of his life before the e-virus haunt him like a barely-grasped repressed memory from early childhood. I hope Hound returns for another adventure soon.
5 out of 5 stars Clever, Funny, and Delightfully Original
Set in a reimagined London, DogWorld by David R. Lee is an imaginative comedy unfolding within an otherwise recognisably human society. Following a mysterious e-plague that grants certain cats and dogs human-like intelligence, a new social layer emerges. These “e-dogs” begin to work, organise, and even run businesses alongside their human counterparts. As this new community takes shape, the e-dogs encounter suspicion and prejudice and must negotiate their place within existing social structures, with the Bermondsey Dogs’ Collective campaigning for recognition and equal rights, while the story weaves in clever humour and playful comic moments. At the centre of the novel is an e-dog detective, a protagonist who combines sharp analytical thinking with unmistakably canine instincts. Much of the book’s humour comes from this contrast: while he approaches his work with professional seriousness—enhanced by a dog’s powerful sense of smell—he remains endearingly prone to the distractions familiar to any dog owner. An existentialist e-cat drifts through the story with quiet self-assurance, offering a dry, philosophical counterpoint to the dogs’ more impulsive behaviour, and regarding them with mild superiority. DogWorld stands out as a truly original and engaging detective story, filled with wit and subtle philosophical charm that will have you chuckling as you read. Overall, this is a witty and inventive novel that will appeal to readers who enjoy light mystery, intelligent humour, and the enduring charm of dogs.
5.0 out of 5 stars Dogs that understand language and speak it too.
A novel with a novel idea! This is fun to read and explores the world of dogs "enhanced" through a virus to be able to speak, and more. We've all wished we could talk to our pets, well, I have, so this will be up any dog lover's street. It is also a crime novel. A great blend of fantasy, science fiction and crime writing. The world of enhanced dogs makes some good points about dogs' lower perspective on the world and at just how scary many human technologies, like loud C.D. players and underground railways, will be for dogs. Some of the canines' language is a bit sweary, but then they are a bit ruff.
5 out of 5 stars Paw-sitively brilliant
Scratch the dirty underbelly of London’s e-dog community in this fabulous, fast-paced slice of canine noir. Set in a near-future where a mysterious virus has granted sentience—and speech—to man’s best friend, DogWorld follows ex-police dog Inspector Hound as he sniffs his way through a tangled investigation into how it all began. What begins as a gritty crime caper gradually opens into a thoughtful exploration of consciousness and identity, without ever losing its playful, irreverent sense of humour. The exquisite characterisation of Hound and his ragtag band of chums brings both humour and heart to the story. Their canine perspective adds a unique charm, blending sharp wit with moments of genuine depth—all while leaving you with a lingering craving for a warm cup of Bovril. Like Hound and the gang with a plate of sausages, I devoured this book in a single sitting—and was left hungry for more.
"We come to consciousness burdened with that awwwwful awareness of our inevitable annihilation," remarks one of the characters in this surreal novel, reminiscent, to some extent, of Orwell's Animal Farm and Boulle's Planet of the Apes. Here, just as Homo heidelbergensis became Homo Sapiens, dogs (some, at least) have become e-dogs, able to communicate and to act in human-like ways. A story, ultimately, of the animal being in all of us coming to consciousness, and seeing itself as an individual "I" for the first time, DogWorld reminds us that such an expansion of consciousness does not necessarily equate to awakening or enlightenment but, rather, can result in more complex ways of getting what our animal instincts demand or what might otherwise be called "intrigue."