Lewis Robinson's critically acclaimed story collection Officer Friendly was described by the "San Francisco Chronicle" as "eleven letter-perfect st...
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reviews
Feb 05, 2009
Jeanne
rated it: 
A bleak, snowy, small town in Maine sets the stage for our story. Bennie is a gentle 27-year-old college dropout who lives with his older brother, Littlefield, in the family's once grand, but now deteriorating home. Neither have amounted to much and have accepted their status as townies (water dogs).
The guys engage in intense weekly paintball games with their friend Julian and three fishermen. No matter the season, paintball is played. It has become a release for Bennie and Lit More...
The guys engage in intense weekly paintball games with their friend Julian and three fishermen. No matter the season, paintball is played. It has become a release for Bennie and Lit More...
Apr 25, 2009
Lisa
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I enjoyed this book. Yes, it was a little spare, slow and dark, but I live on an island in Maine and thats what winters are like up here. I loved the way he weaved paintball into the story: they game, the implications, pros and cons. I found it to be a genuine book about Maine too. There is so much out there that is written about or set in Maine that just uses the rocks and trees as a backdrop and nothing else. Stereotypical "ayuh" characters too. Water Dogs really digs into the essenc
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Mar 14, 2009
Corny
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If you have a love for novels of rural Maine, this will be right up your alley. The author deals with a bunch of lost characters with unrealized dreams, living on an island near Portland during a typical Maine winter. Replete with flashbacks, the novel follows the lives of the three twenty something siblings who have never managed to find themselves since the premature death of their father, called "Coach." The novel cuts back and forth between the present and the better times of the p
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Feb 02, 2009
Beth
rated it: 
Excellent. Reading Water Dogs was like being in an encapsulated world. Very atmospheric, I could feel the cold coming right off the page and not just because I'm living in Maine and it's winter.
Characters are interesting, not at all predictable, they are at times among other things likeable, frustrating, tender, funny and very real.
Get a copy. Read it!
Characters are interesting, not at all predictable, they are at times among other things likeable, frustrating, tender, funny and very real.
Get a copy. Read it!
Mar 12, 2009
Sheela
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I really liked this book. It was moving along (but sometimes not fast enough. The details of the setting, characters, etc somewhat dragged the story). The novel was set in a beautiful landscape in Maine, and it was about a unique relationship between two brothers. I loved the Red Sox/Patriots/Bruins references!
Jan 23, 2009
Elise
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Robinson took a sharp knife and removed every unnecessary word from this novel. The spareness perfectly suits the setting, characters, and mystery at the heart of the novel. Not exactly a cheery read but a great one nonetheless.
Jul 11, 2009
Susan
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Just finished this. It is adreamy novel about a group of friends/family in small island town in Maine in the dark, snowy winter. Beautifully written; slow but steady as a snowstorm. Great characters, and a compelling story.
Mar 29, 2010
Larry
rated it:
Water Dogs is the latest book by author Lewis Robinson. I read Officer Friendly years ago and was thrilled to see something new by him at Posman Books. The story centers on the relationship between two brothers, Bennie and Littlefield whom are both tormented by their past and working through their issues while the women in the novel offer the voice of reason. I loved the characters and like Officer Friendly, perfectly depicts the various walks of life in Maine. As Bennie recovers from an acciden
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Nov 20, 2009
Jacket promises more suspense and mystery than the plot delivers. The author "tells" more than he "shows," if you know what I mean, especially in the last third of the book.
Mar 19, 2009
Alison
rated it: 
I read this less then a week ago and can hardley remember much about it. Set in Maine, lots of snow, a missing person. The writing was good but it was missing something that I can't put my finger on maybe cause I can barely remember.
Feb 01, 2009
laura
rated it:
Really more like 3 1/2. I enjoyed this book and could really relate to the endless wintry details right now. It wasn't spectacular but solid.
Jan 17, 2009
Tom
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I burned through Water Dogs in one sitting on a cold winter day. Robinson’s writing is straightforward and honest, and his descriptions of places and people in southern and midcoast Maine are true to life. The story is the thing, though. And this story pulled me along like bait at the end of a trawl line.
Nov 17, 2009
Liz
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I liked the Maine/New England setting and it was actually a pretty good story too.
Jun 12, 2009
Karen
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Completely entertaining--I read it in two nights. Some of the characters were a little unbelievable and not fleshed out but overall very fun read.
Nov 16, 2011
Linda
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Disharmony, distrust, unresolved family issues, and undeserved loyalty among grown siblings surface after two brothers run into trouble that may be deeper than they can dig their way out of after a tragedy in a not-so-playful paintball game in a blinding blizzard. An engrossing novel with compelling characters that stayed with me long after the end.
Apr 04, 2009
Jim
rated it:
A great Maine book. Wonderful atmosphere. Robinson does winter like nobody else, using it here for sinister effect. Good characters we all recognize.
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