- Recommended Age Range: 12 and up
- Formats: E-Book
- Approx. Length: 5,349 Words
Would the tormented pet of a psycho, after witnessing countless abominations, begin to exhibit disturbing behavior? Find out in Unleashed what happens when a cat is driven over the edge and beyond the brink.
Told from the viewpoints of a cop, a dog, and a villainous homicidal feline, Unleashed is a humorous tale of revenge and terror in which an abused cat lets loose her pent-up rage. The kitty has seen too much and suffered at the hands of a maniac’. Now it’s her turn. She’s pursued by a dogged detective and a canine sleuth on this rollicking payback crime spree.
Samples
“But whatever did this damage couldn’t have been a cat. I’ve never experienced anything so intense!”
“We see her wandering, napping on the Miller porch, peeking from windows,” Mistress Sara divulged. “But whatever did this damage couldn’t have been a cat. I’ve never experienced anything so intense! I was afraid the door would burst!”
~ from Unleashed: Tail One
SOMETHING DREADFUL KNOCKED late at night. It howled and thumped and quaked the door. My family in trepidation phoned Nine-One-One. Squad cars arrived blaring, casting wavery lights across windows.
Our bell chimed. Two uniforms slouched grimly on the porch, working Graveyard. One of them clutched a cat. “Belong to you?” the officer queried.
“That’s the neighbor’s pet,” my mistress responded.
Pest, you mean! I disdained.
“Oh. Sorry. It was sitting on your mat when we pulled up,” apologized the towering policeman. His skimpy partner nodded like a bobblehead monkey that squatted on a shelf in my youngest owner’s room.
Spotting me hunkered next to my adult master, hackles rising, a menacing snarl deep in my gullet, the miserable wildcat split with a squeal. Just doing my job.
I was backup, the family hound. Their bodyguard. Don’t ask what breed. I’m mixed, a mongrel. Floppy antennas, colorful coat, broad snout.
They dubbed me Rags, hardly befitting a canine of my aptitude, my obedience-schooled intellect. On this block I was regarded by peers as The Scope — no detail eluded my attention.
Praise
“IT MADE ME CRY WITH JOY: Fun. Entertaining. Visual.”
“IT MADE ME CRY WITH JOY: Fun. Entertaining. Visual. These are just some of the words that come to my mind, after reading Unleashed: Tail One. Lori Lopez concocted such an amazing (and incredible) tale it should be a blockbuster. Not reading this is like going to Paris and neglecting Eiffel Tower; you’re missing something on your life trip. Really.
I had to read several books these days. Some were of my liking, others were awful. It’s my personal policy to just review those I enjoyed and deserving at least 4 stars. This went beyond. I’d give it 8 stars if I could, because Lori Lopez’s style is truly innovative and her multitasking creativity clearly shows in her writing. In this tale you get three points of view: a dog, a detective, and a cat. Each one acts perfectly in character, with a lot of humor (dark and otherwise), and pleasant details.
The main persona — Midnight the cat — had me laugh and shiver at the same time, and some of her lines (her thoughts) brought me back at Showtime’s Dexter … with a touch of Ray Bradbury.
I think that Lori Lopez is one of the most gifted writers in the genre and should get more attention by the general public. She gets the instinct of a natural storyteller, yet she doesn’t disdain prose, playing with words in a funny way, Lopez never bogs you down into the intricacies of English language. I’m very glad having read this.”
Jeffrey Kosh
Smashwords and Amazon Reviews
♥
“(From a review of Chocolate-Covered Eyes): Cats, love them or hate them, they all have personalities. Some have more than any of us realized.
*****
Did you know that domestic cats are the only animal, besides man that is, who kill for pleasure? Only in the imagination of Lori Lopez could a cat learn the true pleasure of revenge from its psychopathic owner. Told from the perspective of a disturbed cat, a desperate-to-please puppy next door, and a prototypical cop, this story will make you look at cats in a whole new light!
*****
Humor and Horror in equal measure: I’ve long suspected cats know more than we think. This story confirms my worst suspicions. It’s funny, scary, ironic, and a great read. Follow this kitty’s antics as it goes about avenging itself for [its owner’s] misdeeds. I highly recommend it as an intriguing and funny look into the mind of a very vengeful cat.”
Geri Graham
Smashwords, Barnes & Noble Reviews
♥
“I must start off by saying that I do not normally read short stories. I like to really get “into” the books I read, and shorts usually don’t give me enough time to do that. This was an exception for me. I read the blurb and was intrigued, and I was hooked by the second page.
Unleashed: Tail One is a short story told from three points of view: a detective investigating a death, the neighbor’s dog, and a kitty that has slipped over the edge into post-traumatic stress-induced psychosis. The detective is a bit of a bumbler, the dog does his job as protector, but the cat is the star. She tells her story with dark humor, and lets us know in no uncertain terms that she believes in payback!
I greatly enjoyed this author’s writing style. It’s different from anything I’ve read lately, and a very refreshing change. I look forward to reading more books by Ms. Lopez!”
Sara Smolarek
Smashwords, Barnes & Noble Reviews
♥
“Loved this tail…I mean tale. A brilliant story told by the dog, the cat and a cop about the serial killer next door. Humor and vivid prose make this an enjoyable story to read. And yes that is how cats think.”
Malina Roos
Smashwords and Goodreads Reviews
♥
“Unleashed by Lori R. Lopez is an unconventional short story written from three different perspectives. The first one is a cat, profoundly scarred by her former owner, a maniac. The second one is a dog owned by the maniac's neighbors, who is very loyal to them. The third one is a cop, alerted by the maniac's death, who is trying to determine whether the death was accidental, as it seems, or if it is a murder. The cop finds the circumstances around his death suspicious but no matter how much effort is put in, all the evidence points to the cat. Is it the answer? And if it is, will anyone believe her?
Unleashed by Lori R. Lopez manages to engage you within a few pages. The story itself is intriguing and captivating, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. The main highlights of this thrilling short story are the characters themselves. Lopez has designed each character carefully with a unique and strong personality. Each point of view changes the description of the surroundings. Each character has a different personality and, thus, a different tone. The things the characters pay attention to are different, which allows the reader to perceive all the details. Think of those times when you get told a piece of gossip by many different friends. Through all the details, you end up knowing even more than the people involved. That is what Unleashed does, and I have to say it does so successfully. I would strongly encourage you to read it since each page is worth the time.”
Reviewed by Paula García Lasa for Readers’ Favorite
♥
“In UNLEASHED: TAIL ONE, Lori blends the normal with the fantastic by use of perspectives. The reader switches from the point of view of a detective, a dog, and a cat. Our world is askew — but only because we can perceive of other ways of seeing things, “real” things, depending on your point of view. We have seen some combination of these narratives in others works, such as James Herbert’s FLUKE, but without the magic realism. The use of such a narrative style comments on a cold government, one-sided in its decisions, versus the empathetic view that incorporates even opposing visions.”
(From a review for CHOCOLATE-COVERED EYES)
Anthony Servante
THE BLACK GLOVE; SERVANTE OF DARKNESS
♥
“Unleashed: Tail One is downright funny. From the beginning to the end it elicits giggles and grins.
A serial murderer is stalking the neighborhood and the police detective is sure he knows who it is. Now only if he could prove it. Of course, if he does prove it, how is he going to catch the perpetrator? This criminal is slick, [wily] and doesn’t stand still long enough to be interrogated.
A cat with PTSD, [a] dog with a nose for mystery, a bumbling detective and a neighbour family under suspicion simply because they aren’t suspicious come together in this rollicking story of death and mayhem. Short at only 18 pages this is a fun little adventure you will enjoy and recommend to your friends.”
Karen Bryant Doering
PARENTS’ LITTLE BLACK BOOK; Smashwords and Amazon Reviews
♥
“Unleashed: Tail One — hands down my favorite of the bunch. There is a lot more going on here than first glance leads you to believe. Having the POV switch from a dog to a cat to a detective was done with spectacular results. I actually bookmarked this for my daughter because she loves quirky stories. By story’s end, I was fairly certain the detective was up to no good, but Lopez makes no attempt to answer all the reader’s questions, which lets the mind stew on this piece long after you read it.”
(From a review for CHOCOLATE-COVERED EYES)
TW Brown
MAY-DECEMBER PUBLICATIONS; Smashwords and Amazon Reviews
♥
“Unleashed: Tail One: Absolutely my favorite and worth the read. The point of view switches between the family dog, a devilish cat and a detective, with wondrous results. I’d love to see more of this!”
(From a review for CHOCOLATE-COVERED EYES)
Gabryyl Pierce
PARAYOURNORMAL “PYN” (Another dimension…or next door.)
♥
“[A] meooowingly good tail! [Lori’s] writing style is exceptionally flavour filled, reminiscent of poetry! She is expansive in her using of describing words… often had to stop and look up the words!! how exciting!
3 differing perspectives on the same crime… was [at] first a little confusing as no heading to differentiate…. but soon [got] the hang of it!
I was not sure if I felt sorry or horrified by the poor pusscat!! [A]s a cat owner I will never leave my stinky socks in their bed (my laundry basket!) again, just in case!
[A] brilliant book to introduce me to a clever, funny and articulate author!
*****
(From a review of Chocolate-Covered Eyes): Tail One — I love cats and have now amended my behavior towards them…. they are the masters I am the slave!! . . . such a unique perspective!!”
Vix Kirkpatrick
THE FLUFFY RED FOX REVIEWS; Barnes & Noble, Goodreads Reviews
♥
“Okay, I’ll admit, I was fully prepared to hate this one. After all, mystery stories involving a cat… well, that’s not really my bag, baby. Luckily, this is a great story! Sure, there’s a cat involved, but not in the way you’d expect. There are POV sections for both the cat and its neighbouring dog, both of which are great characters. The narrative has a noir-ish, hardboiled detective feel, peppered here and there with some deranged rantings from the psychotic killer. While a little off-putting at first, the way Lopez jumps from head to head in the narrative, it soon begins to flow naturally. It’s not a tale to be taken seriously, and that’s just fine. This is a fun, fast read and one I can definitely recommend.”
Douglas Prince
Goodreads Review
♥
“Good Kitty Story
I love cats. I fully believe they are capable of revenge if wronged. I really like the way this author wrote of this particular cat’s quest for vengeance. The only thing I didn’t like, was the choppy way the author switched between characters. It was mildly confusing. While I did figure it out, I had to read at least a couple sentences before I knew which character was talking. I will, however, read more by this author. The imagination that went into this story was unique and worth reading, at least for me.”
Barnes & Noble Reviewer
♥
“Loved it! Hope for a sequel[.]”
Goldylox
Barnes & Noble Review
♥
“This is the story of a cat, a dog, a family and a detective hell bent on getting to the bottom of a ‘suspicious’ death. The old man next door has been found dead and the Smiths reported a commotion at their door on the same night. Detective MacKowski is determined to find out what happened whatever the cost….this was a humorously dark little tale. Told in different points of view from the cat, dog and the detective. [i]t was an interesting read, and certainly made me look at my cats in a whole new light, wondering what they get up to when we are all asleep! I giggled to myself as the cat plotted and ingratiated herself into the Smith family, leaving the devoted dog out in the cold. The detective was brilliant as a bumbling fool, dedicated to his cause no matter the cost. I recommend this for animal lovers and dark tale lovers alike.”
Kim Tomsett-Fowler
WISTFULSKIMMIES BOOK REVIEWS; Amazon and Goodreads Reviews
♥
“. . . I’ve enjoyed most of Lopez’ work that I’ve read thus far, but this one just didn’t gel with me, and I know the reason why. The story is fine — if a little far-fetched — in which an abused cat ends up killing its owner, and then going on a murderous spree, pursued by a dog and a policeman. Yeah, it sounds weird, but [in] Lopez’ hands, it works . . . There are three main characters, as detailed above, and all three get equal page time in the story, which is fair enough. Unfortunately, each character’s exploits are told in the first person which instantly makes for confusion. Indeed, on first reading I was constantly flipping back a few pages to make sure which character was currently in control of the narrative. It’s a frustrating experience, which is a shame, as the plot is well structured, laced with dark humour, and otherwise enjoyable.”
Kevin G. Bufton
THE BLOODY BLOODY BOOK REVIEW; Amazon U.K. Review
♥
“Witty Kitty (Ewww, I know that was bad). An enjoyable tale. Lori Lopez uses different POVs to weave this tale of dastardly deeds. One could almost see the cat stealthily strolling through the bushes in this remarkably detailed excursion. The author uses a refreshing wit as the story unfolds and the reader is treated to a summation of the evil feline’s indiscretions. It will make you keep an eye on the neighbor’s cat and give your dog a good scratch behind the ears. Yeah, Good Dog!”
Jerry W. McKinney
Smashwords and Goodreads Reviews
♥
“Clever and funny: This was a quick, creative and funny short story that I enjoyed thoroughly. Anyone know if Ms. Lopez is planning to write Unleashed: Tail Two or more?”
