Anonymus Rex

The Barnes & Noble ReviewPrivate investigator Vincent Rubio is a busy guy. He spends his days shopping for his designer wardrobe, hanging out in the latest herb bar, and chasing cases with his inveterate sidekick, Ernie. He's dedicated, he's debonair -- and he's a dinosaur.In Anonymous Rex Garcia created an innovative and almost believable world where dinosaurs still live among us, cleverly disguised in human costumes. Casual Rex continues the escapades of Rubio, a Velociraptor with a penchant for basil and beautiful women, in an adventure that will take him from the decadence of Hollywood to the primordial landscape of Hawaii.It all starts out as a simple missing-persons case. Ernie, a Carnotaur whose human guise is that of a hopelessly unfashionable middle-aged man, is contacted by his ex-wife, who is concerned for the welfare of her brother, Rupert. He's involved in a cult called the Progressives, whose goal is to enlighten the dinos of the world by putting them in touch with their ancestral selves. Posing as potential members, Vincent and Ernie infiltrate a posh Progressive party in the Hollywood Hills in an attempt to locate Rupert and hopefully deprogram him. Unfortunately, their mission fails, and Vincent and Ernie find themselves pitted against an ancient force that is beyond anything they've ever encountered before.Caught in a web of intrigue, Vincent falls under the spell of the nubile leader of the Progressives, a fellow Velociraptor named Circe. Urging him to shed his human guise, she warns him of the dangers of becoming too human and regales him with tales of the magnificence of their ancestors. One thing leads to another, and Vincent and Ernie find themselves signed up for a "Back to Nature" convention on a private Hawaiian island.Once in Hawaii, Vincent and Ernie spend their days dining on food that appeals to true dinosaurs -- namely live chickens and raw pork -- and learning to run properly au naturale. Their nights, however, are spent investigating the inner sanctum of the Progressives. As they begin to uncover one secret after another, the duo discovers that the cult has a lot more in mind than returning modern-day dinos to their natural state.In a truly hilarious climax that involves fire, fake fossils, and a cadre of perfectly coiffed cross-dressing dinosaurs, Vincent and Ernie battle the nefarious leaders of the Progressives and -- with a little help -- save the day. Eric Garcia has once again crafted an awesomely funny dinosaur yarn that will have readers eagerly awaiting further adventures of Vincent Rubio, private investigator and dinosaur extraordinaire. (Karen Lovell)