Beta readers are weighing in:

Below is a real Manila Dingo from Malate, Manila, Philippines

Reviews:

Here’s what people are saying:

“It’s edgy, the dialogue crackles, the characters are well-drawn, and the “product” talk is intriguing… I really enjoy being led down the road as a reader – one way – knowing that you’re going to turn it all around somehow – and then I’m going to have to question my own biases and expectations. Great stuff!” – Karen Lehmann, professional editor. http://www.phrasesincorporated.com/

“The ending really got me.” – M.J. Calderone, avid mystery reader.

“A beautiful story.” – Ophelia Abiva, Filipina, mystery reader.

Manila Dingo, is a Covid-era mystery about family, culture, love, murder, gangsters and drugs. It leads the reader through a daily timeline from three points of view. Gonzo hijinks twist and turn like a restless typhoon. Larger-than-life characters entertain with heart and wit; absurd events disrupt. It’s a sea of red herring with colorblind narrators, and it takes a week for them to sort the catch.

THE INSPIRATION: 

When young mothers sleeping on the sidewalk with diaperless babies became an obstacle to my McDonalds breakfast in Manila, my world-view changed instantly. Instead of just giving away money, I offered an eight-year-old homeless beggar ten bucks for his photo (above). I couldn’t stop imagining a better life for him, and I wondered what it could be like if a rich American adopted him. Within months he became Alonzo, a POV character in this 81,000-word mystery inspired by that boy, and the peculiar significance of chocolate to Filipino culture. In Manila Dingo, Frank investigates Alonzo for his brother’s murder, Alonzo wants Frank’s money, and Angelica shelters their family from a typhoon of bias.

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