Even the Dogs

On a desolate, frigid day between Christmas and New Year's, the lifeless body of Robert is discovered in an abandoned apartment. What makes this scene uniquely poignant is that his friends, spectral figures who are themselves dead from heroin overdoses, gather around him, a silent chorus of forgotten souls. These ghosts, victims of society's margins, bear witness to the investigation, examination, and eventual cremation of their friend, offering a somber homage. Through a series of fragmented narratives, the book meticulously reconstructs Robert's life as the sole alcoholic among a sprawling group of addicts, and introduces characters like Danny, who finds the body; Laura, Robert's estranged daughter who briefly enters his world; Heather, experiencing the fleeting comfort of her own home; and Mike, a Falklands War veteran. McGregor unflinchingly portrays lives fallen through the cracks, where hope flickers briefly before being extinguished by immediate needs. 'Even the Dogs' illuminates the invisible, parallel reality of those living out of reach of basic necessities, revealing a haunting truth: in their deaths, these individuals are often afforded more dignity than they ever received in their short, brutal lives.