Rating: 
Summary: Wonderfully Weird
Review: I picked this book up feeling unsure about how to approach the whole concept (a dinosaur detective?) but since it came to me highly recommended I brought it home and decided to give it a try. From the very first sentence I was immediately pulled in, and I ended up devouring it in 2 days. Garcia's writing is quirky, delightful, and strange; an odd mix of satire and seriousness. Here you will find all the elements reminicent of the 1940's film noir genre: the wise-cracking detective, disillusioned and down on his luck, the sultry singer who is both a suspect and a romantic interest, and an underground world of secrets and intrigue. Garcia pulls out all the old cliches and gives them a clever twist: this is LA cofidential meets the X-files.It is a joy to tag along with velociraptor Vincent Rubio, to feel both the suspense and humor in moments such as when he gets his tail hopelessly caught in his human disguise and fears discovery, or when he calmly attempts to talk his way out of death and danger. Garcia's language is never boring, never too frilly, and always keeps readers on their toes. Vincent talks to his invisible "audience" in the manner of a friend relaying a strange-but-true tale, and Garcia fills his writing with interesting metaphors that paint a vibrant and funny world. I especially enjoyed the way each dinosaur was able to recognize another of their (disguised) kind through their sense of smell. Every dino has a scent, some like "children's cough syrup" and others like "a pleasant mixture of carnations and old baseball gloves." This is an unusual and enjoyable book for mystery fans, sci-fi fans, or anyone who is willing to appoach it with an open mind. We may be seeing more of Vincent Rubio soon, and not just in a sequel. Eric Garcia's official website,... mentions that movie rights have been sold. I'm looking forward to seeing how they manage to portray a t-rex in a "human suit", especially with those little arms Garcia describes so well.
Rating: 
Summary: FANTASTIC !!
Review: I really enjoyed this novel. Yes, the concept is a bit "out of this world" -- but Garcia really puts it together well. You end up believing everything he says, and then looking around you to try to figure out who has a guise on! This is a MUST READ!
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining enough
Review: I thought the idea of disguised dinosaurs still living amongst us was quite different. Part of the reason I started reading the book was to see if the author could successfully sell this premise to me as I am a tough customer. For the longest time whilst reading the book, I couldn't understand how dinosaurs as I know them, being creatures that are 10x the size of a human, could wear a human disguise and fit in society. It's not until you're practically halfway through does the author explain that dinos have shrunk to human size through millions of years of evolution. I know it's a small point but it plagued me the whole time until I read that part. I wish he had explained it a little earlier, then it wouldn't have been such a hard buy for me. Basic storytelling - nothing I haven't seen or read before (except for the dinosaur thing). The summation at the end came a little too fast and furious for me - everything being spelled out all at once - something like a Perry Mason or a Murder she Wrote epsiode. Not a very sophisticated storyline. For the most part it was an entertaining read, not hilariously funny as some describe it, though. It had a humourous, engaging tone that kept you reading until the end but it certainly did not make me laugh out loud. Cute idea, just not as enthralling or as funny as I think it could have been.
Rating:
Summary: Exhilaratingly different!
Review: I'll never look at herbs the same way again. When I first picked up ANONYMOUS REX, it sounded a bit daffy to me - dinosaurs weren't extinct and lived among us. Granted, you have to get used to the idea that the main character in the book, Vincent Rubio, is a Velociraptor in disguise - a human "guise" as dinos call it. It seems that over decades, dinosaurs became smaller and decided to get along with humans, instead of wiping us out. How nice of them. Along the way, they figured out how to make guises so a human couldn't tell the difference. But dinosaurs can; each one has a distinct odor that identifies them - this is how dinos tell who's human and who's not. They even faked dinosaur fossils to fool humans into thinking they'd indeed become extinct a long time ago. Back to Vincent - he's a private detective who's dealing with his partner's "accidental" death. This happened while they were working on a big case involving the murder of a dino who'd committed a big no-no: sexual relations with a human. Because of Vincent's insistence it wasn't an accident, he blew it big-time, lost his contract with the PI firm he worked for, got kicked off the Council (the dinosaur consortium that keeps everyone in line) and lost himself in a daze of herbs, especially basil - herbs make dinosaurs high and each dino has their favorite "drug." Vincent suddenly gets a freelance job to investigate a Los Angeles nightclub fire. The job comes from the same PI firm that blacklisted him. He needs the dough, so he takes the job and soon finds there's a connection between the fire and the case he and his partner worked on. Vincent hops a plane to New York to continue the investigation, much to the chagrin of many dinos, including the wife of the murdered dino from his old case, the girlfriend, the coroner and an encounter with a particularly nasty dino sans a human guise. If I say anymore, it'll give the plot away. Eric Garcia is a master at getting the reader involved to the point of distraction. I know - my spouse was about ready to leave me because I couldn't put the book down. You get used to the contraptions that hold the human guise in place and you wonder how a Brontosaur could get so small to look like a human. ANONYMOUS REX is rollicking good fun and a fantastic detective story. I can't wait for the next book, CASUAL REX. But I have just one question for the author: Why is it called ANONYMOUS REX when the main character is a raptor?
Rating:
Summary: Only those with a sense of humor need apply
Review: I'm not really into mysteries and I'm not usually into science fiction either, but I am into laughing my tail off and that's what happened with Anonymous Rex. I can't believe there's someone out there who didn't love this book. But then again, I run into these people all the time. Humorless drones. Don't know how to have fun. This book rocked, and I'll read whatever else this weird guy writes.
Rating:
Summary: A delightfully wacky genre-blender!
Review: I've rarely had more fun reading a story! Garcia takes an absolutely out-the-window bizarre premise (1 out of every 20 humans is actually a dinosaur in disguise - yeah, RIGHT!), and writes it so well that it works! This is only made possible by his total faithfulness in one plane to the private dick genre, while doing alternate reality s.f. on another plane, AND messing wildly with science-run-amok horror on yet another. This is an amazing feat of writing!
Wryly humorous, thought-provoking, and steamy by turns, this tale (tail?) gets you right under this guy's (guise?) fake skin. Oh, so very well done, Mr. Garcia!
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Bother
Review: If you're going to read Anonymous Rex then be prepared to not only suspend your disbelief, but to tie it to a chair,carry it to the basement. gag it and stab it to death with some kind of garden tool. Dinosaurs disguised as people? Give me a break. This isn't genre bending. It's absurd. The characters are not believeable and the plot routine at best. Save your money.
Rating:
Summary: Fun light read
Review: In a way, Anonymous Rex was a let down. I enjoyed it, but based on the reviews I was expecting to enjoy it even more. Even given the completely impossible premise, parts of it don't hold together that well. But the book by and large overcomes that. It manages to be both funny and exicting. I do plan to read the next volume in the series -- but I'll wait for the paperback.
Rating:
Summary: Rex Triumphant
Review: Not your typical private dick. The story is not new, but the characters are like nothing seen before. The writing is excellent and the humor sly and enjoyable. The perfect antidote for the tired and overused plots and heroes of a lot of the new detective novels. Bring on the next chapter.
Rating:
Summary: Dinosaur: The Other White Meat
Review: Ok, not only is Anonymous Rex a really good, witty, and entertaining book, but the author is a really nice guy too. After reading the book, I visited his website and decided to write an e-mail, lauding his book and giving him a link to my website. Not only did he take the time to visit my dinky and dorky website, but he also answered my questions and comments, such as "Where's the Beef?" and "Are you sure it's NOT butter?" I found him to be very personable and just as witty as Anonymous Rex's protagonist. In case I lost you... GOOD BOOK. GOOD GUY. BUY BOOK. <End Transmission>
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