Spot and Smudge Series by Robert Udulutch

The speculative fiction thriller that masterfully kicks off the series! This darkly humorous, wonderfully twisted, 'boy and his dogs' tale has been bitten, kicked in the crotch, attacked by a pack of wild dogs, and genetically modified into a superbly crafted story. The Spot and Smudge series explores the love of a unique family, the loyalty of their very special dogs, and the perils of underestimating them... moreThe speculative fiction thriller that masterfully kicks off the series! This darkly humorous, wonderfully twisted, 'boy and his dogs' tale has been bitten, kicked in the crotch, attacked by a pack of wild dogs, and genetically modified into a superbly crafted story. The Spot and Smudge series explores the love of a unique family, the loyalty of their very special dogs, and the perils of underestimating them. These smart, imaginative stories weave together elements of horror, thriller, mystery, espionage, crime, medical drama, and genetic engineering. Note: This series contains some colorful language and mature themes. "Shove over brother, let me show you the proper bloody way to strangle someone." The Hogans weren’t looking to start a war. They just wanted to leave their troubles behind, move closer to grandma, and let their kids adopt some damn puppies. But their quaint new town is harboring some gruesome secrets… …and their strange new pups are not what they appear to be. There’s a dark connection between these mysterious orphaned canines and the town’s twisted criminals…and that connection is dragging the Hogans into a ruthless fight they aren’t prepared to win. But the grit of a devoted family, like the loyalty of a faithful pair of dogs, shouldn't be underestimated… …Especially when those cunning dogs are the most significant leap forward in the forty million years of canine evolution. less

This riveting second installment of the Spot and Smudge novels doesn't disappoint. It’s an amazing story with more of the rich characters, dark humor, and smart plot twists that are a signature of this unique speculative fiction thriller series. “I call her Glasgow ‘casue she’s a bloody tough bitch you can’t help loving.” Ben Hogan has been hearing rollicking tales of the winter wilds of Canada since before he could walk... moreThis riveting second installment of the Spot and Smudge novels doesn't disappoint. It’s an amazing story with more of the rich characters, dark humor, and smart plot twists that are a signature of this unique speculative fiction thriller series. “I call her Glasgow ‘casue she’s a bloody tough bitch you can’t help loving.” Ben Hogan has been hearing rollicking tales of the winter wilds of Canada since before he could walk. They're his favorite family stories, and always filled with deep snow, clever beasts...and Hamish. Sometimes hero, sometimes idiot, always larger than life and twice as loud, his great uncle’s reputation is almost as big a mountain as the brawny Scot himself. Ben’s finally convinced his parents to let him go for a visit, with Spot and Smudge of course. The dogs love the Hamish stories as well, and are looking forward to checking a few animals off their bucket list…including Canis lupus, the gray wolf. But Hamish’s isolated mountain town has gotten a lot less quaint and a lot more deadly lately. Deception is piling up deeper than the snow and Ben and his dogs are getting a familiar, sinking feeling as not every predator stalking the dark forest is walking on four legs. To survive they’ll need brains, balls, and a few new skills. They’ll also have to choose who they can trust. A few new allies may come in handy, provided they aren’t killed…or eaten…by them. less

The exciting conclusion of the Spot and Smudge trilogy! This fast paced, inventive, black-witted tale uncovers the riddle of the pups' secrets and exposes the terrifying forces behind the accelerator compound. It also brings together the richly drawn characters from the earlier books and a host of intriguing new players, hurling them into a hunt that spans the globe and poses the ultimate test for this cunning family and their amazing pups... moreThe exciting conclusion of the Spot and Smudge trilogy! This fast paced, inventive, black-witted tale uncovers the riddle of the pups' secrets and exposes the terrifying forces behind the accelerator compound. It also brings together the richly drawn characters from the earlier books and a host of intriguing new players, hurling them into a hunt that spans the globe and poses the ultimate test for this cunning family and their amazing pups. “You two pups would barely be a wee snack for the killers around here.” Fisho Mwale is a noble, simple farmer. A little shake-shake beer and a few of his daughter-in-law’s corn biscuits are enough to put a smile on his lined, dark face. He and his son Fulfort toil over a patch of rocky dirt in northern Zambia that until recently had provided well for them. It’s been full drought for going on three years and now they’re struggling to keep his young son’s wife and children fed. The father and son are forced to travel far south to find paying work. In the slums of Lusaka they sign on with a pair of animal parts traffickers and are sent to the most prominent, most lucrative, and most dangerous animal preserve in South Africa, as poachers. In his youth Fisho had been on hunts, and been hunted. He’s also seen security men and their dogs up close in the mines, but he’s never seen police dogs like the ones at this preserve. They aren’t like other dogs. They don’t hunt like other dogs, they don’t move like other dogs, and they don’t look away when they lock onto you with their too-smart stare. Fisho soon realizes he and his son are trapped between men they can’t trust and these insanely effective hunters…and he wonders which will be the end of them first... Tian and Harley Tzeng are inseparable cousins who have had each other’s backs since primary school. They are also members of a lethal family who run the underbelly of Hong Kong and are bent on avenging their fallen. Something has gone horribly wrong in the states. Both of their mothers and Tian’s brother Liko have been taken out by an unknown clan from a small town in Massachusetts. Grandfather is sending the boys and the rest of their equally deadly cousins to hunt down the perpetrators and to exact the appropriate payback. Backed by unlimited funds and weapons most armies can’t get their hands on it appears nothing can stop them…nothing but this underestimated little family…or perhaps the traitor in the cousins’ own midst… FBI director Douglas Barton doesn’t like what he sees. Some of his sensitive internal files have gone missing and his own organization is giving his most heinous corporate scumbags a free pass. He’s been trying to nail the criminal organization behind Orthus but the slick psychopath Semion Mogevich and his deranged daughter Katia are always one step ahead of him. Barton hasn’t played all of his cards yet, however, and with the Mogevichs’ turning their attention to Pembury that little family and their special dogs might just be the bait he needs to get the upper hand this time…and flush out a rat in the process... less

“Man has had their run, maybe it's time to give someone else a go.”Ben, Spot, and Smudge are stuck between a horde and a hard place.Their enemies' horrific end game is looming, and underestimating the depths of Olga Mogevich's viciousness is a mistake they can't afford to make.To save all they hold dear the team will need to recruit a few new friends, but there's no going back once those dogs are out of the bag.In fact, they may trigger a new epoch.The Dawn of the Canicine.