Rob Harasymchuk

"An accomplished thief and a skilled con man, Dingo Radish is a good man who does bad things. The eldest of three children born to an alcoholic father and an emotionally unstable mother, Dingo and his family are social outcasts in the town of Bennington Falls, Saskatchewan. After the deaths of his parents, Dingo becomes responsible for his mentally handicapped brother and promiscuous sister.
But going straight turns out to be harder than he'd hoped. In a desperate attempt to provide for his family, Dingo pulls one last heist: he steals a semi-trailer loaded with a genetically modified herbicide and sells it to his crooked boss. But the herbicide manufacturer is out to kill more than weeds, and Dingo stumbles into a web of greed and genetic engineering that leads to the kidnapping of his mentally challenged brother.
Set in the heart of rural Saskatchewan, The Joining of Dingo Radish is the story of one man willing to do whatever it takes to provide for those he loves." - jacket notes
This is a strange story, sort of "noir" crime fiction, sort of suspense adventure, a little bit science fiction with the super-herbicide that adapts to its surroundings and works for many different crops. Supposedly the bio-technology might lead to medical cures for people, but it all begins to go wrong for the scientists, for some political protesters, and for Dingo and his family.
I didn't entirely enjoy this book: it's surprisingly dark and violent, and I didn't like the central character enough. There is some good black humour, and the locale and characters are quite original. I'll give it 3 stars, and will watch for more from this new author.… (més)