I laughed and cried in equal measures - 5 star

From his very moving Man and Boy to the brilliant Max Wolfe series I have always been a great admirer of the writing of Tony Parsons. The Max Wolfe books in particular with a very human cop Max, a single dad responsible for his daughter Scout, and their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Stan residing in a loft apartment overlooking the historic Smithfield meat market. So I was delighted to be given early access to Man & Dog to read and review, and what a pleasure this has been. Man & Dog shows the importance and love that dogs can bring to our lives enriching us on every level…..”Dogs teach us so much. How to love without condition. How to squeeze the last drop of joy out of every day you are alive”......

We follow the author as he makes the big decision to purchase a puppy for his daughter Jasmine but more importantly as the story unfolds we see the unbreakable connection that forms between the new dog Stan (now where have I heard that name before :) and his master Tony. This is a delightful self- affirming read filled with moments of unbelievable joy as Tony and Stan become inseparable, having many and varied adventures walking Hampstead Heath. Stan is a lifelong and loyal companion and helped rescue the author from writing doldrums as he completed his first Max Wolfe novel which immediately went to No 1 on the Sunday Times bestseller list and was heavily praised for its character development. There comes a time at the end of the book that the family have to say goodbye to their beloved Stan, and what a heartbreaking occasion that was. I, as a dog owner, know only too well the bond that develops very quickly between dogs and their human guardians. We owe them so much they enhance our lives and….”show us how to live and they teach us how to die. You have your time and then your time is done”.....

Wonderful writing, an absolute joy to read, I cried and laughed and savoured every moment I spent with Tony, his family, and their beautiful Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Stan.