Casual Rex by Eric Garcia (a review)

Garcia’s prequel to Anonymous Rex (which, if we can believe the author’s promotional package, is being developed as a TV series) once again unites under one cover the triple genres of noir detective yarn, humor, and frivolous sci-fi/fantasy. 

Although his premise – that the dinosaurs never died out and are living amongst us, disguised in homo sapiens suits – has potential as the kind of outrageously impossible suggestion that Douglas Adams or Dave Barry might have worked to the point of  hysteria, Garcia’s humor quotient never achieves critical mass; at best, this book barely elicits mild chuckles.  This is unfortunate; since Casual Rex is a long way from being a definitive example of either a detective novel or a full-on fantasy, it must rely on humor to dominate and integrate the disparate genre elements into a successful read, and Garcia’s funny bone is just not up to the task. 

Equally as importantly, I found it impossible to generate the kind of willing suspension of disbelief that would have made it possible to identify with main character Vincent Rubio, P.I., and to care one way or the other what happened to him.  While it’s fairly easy to squint one’s eyes and imagine that some of us are fairies, vampires or aliens, my imagination gives up at the point of trying to believe that a Brontosaur tail could be strapped into the confines of a plastic human hiney (besides which, Garcia should know that the word Brontosaurus  was retired a few years ago; there is no such species). 

Written in a smooth, professional style, Casual Rex is nevertheless a slog to finish.

 

by Mark Ungar