Clean Run Magazine - November 2006 - 77

Review: Silent Witness A Book by Lydia C. Filzen By Brenna Fender If you're
like me, most of your limited adds tension to the agility trial scenes,
making the environment seem less than reading time is spent with
agility-related upbeat not a great representation of material, like Clean
Run. When I heard our sport. The play-by-play of Dani's about Silent
Witness, a suspense novel Border Collie's experience with the that
involved agility, I thought it would zoomies might have created enough be
fun to blend my love of agility with tension without having a disapproving
my love of reading. rival in the background. But Dani Unfortunately,
agility is not the focus suffers the embarrassments of her of this book.
The sport is awkwardly young dog's erratic behavior and the integrated
into the story, which is successes of her experienced dog with loosely
focused on a potential attack on equally good humor. a pharmaceutical
company by a couple of radicals who use animal rights as an Filzen
includes references to real clubs and agility trainers, which is a nice
excuse to be violent. The book is also touch. Her representation of kennel
ownership is also realistic, as is another side-story a bit of a love
story, as main character involving rehabilitating and rehoming a rescued
Golden Retriever. Dani Sayre is reintroduced to her ex- boyfriend. Also,
Dani develops a talent Meanwhile, Dani's ex-boyfriend, Mark BC, Crash, and
to help solve a mystery for reading dogs' minds. These separate Hughes, who
broke up with her to involving Rebel and Jill. aspects of the story might
be better marry and then divorce a manipu- served in a longer novel, since
188 pages Wh a t 's good about this book? The lative animal activist,
reenters her life doesn't allow for full development of any agility is
very real, with the exception of and hopes to get help with training his
one of them. the doggy mind-reader aspect, which Smooth Collie, Rebel.
Dani is barely doesn't affect the agility portion until The story begins
with Dani dreaming cordial to him at first, but it doesn't take near the
end. Filzen includes references to about an explosion at Crohn, a long for
her to remember why she liked real clubs and agility trainers, which is a
pharmaceutical company and her former him in the first place. nice touch.
Her representation of kennel employer. She wakes and learns that Mark's
ex-wife, Jill, is involved with two ownership is also realistic, as is
another a similar company has been attacked. men who are plotting to
destroy Mark's side-story involving rehabilitating and Was Dani's dream a
coincidence, or a employer, Crohn Pharmaceuticals. rehoming a rescued
Golden Retriever. predictor of future violence? Although there is a link
between the Parts of the suspense portion of the story After the prologue,
agility enters the men and an activist group, it is never are absorbing. I
definitely wanted to see story. Dani is a dog trainer in north thoroughly
explained. In fact, the how it would turn out. Florida and the novel
contains several two men seem to be more interested Despite its faults,
Silent Witness is a vivid descriptions of agility runs. Author in enjoying
the idea of violence fun read. It provides a pleasant, agility- Lydia C.
Filzen, an agility competitor than in making a statement against re l a t
e d escape from the real world. herself, sets up a rivalry between Dani
animal research. Tension builds as the Author Filzen has also written two
and a fictional dog trainer, Trish Smart, relationship grows between Dani
and award-winning Civil War novels under who uses harsh training methods
and Mark, Jill becomes interested in restoring the name Lydia Hawke, as
well as dog- sends disapproving remarks Dani's way. her former marriage,
and the two men themed short stories. D I'm not sure what Filzen is trying
to plot death and destruction. Meanwhile, Dani uses her newfound psychic
abilities accomplish with this relationship, which Silent Witness is
available from www.cleanrun. to improve her agility runs with her seems
unnecessary to the storyline. It com for $14.95. Brenna Fender is a
freelance writer and teacher with a masters degree in education. She is
owned by a Vizsla, a Doberman Pinscher, and a Whippet. Her dogs are
collectively titled in agility, obedience, conformation, hunting, rally,
lure coursing, and Canine Good Citizen. She currently teaches agility
classes at the Dog Training Club of Tampa and Bonjon Shepherd Ranch.
Brenna can be reached at AgileWhippet@aol.com. | November 06 Clean Run 77
http://www.cleanrun.com http://www.cleanrun.com
Clean Run Magazine - November 2006

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - November 2006
