The title of the novel “The Butcher's Apprentice” is nothing more than the nickname of a professional killer. The next task of the mafia did not present any particular difficulty, and his “career” could have lasted a very long time, if not for an accidental skirmish on the street of night Denver, after which a noticeable scar remained on his face - now everyone will pay attention to it, and the first commandment of a professional is not stand out from the crowd... In Las Vegas, instead of the promised money, he discovers that he himself has become the target of a hunt by gangsters. But real professionals do not forgive deception, especially since the price is 200 thousand dollars... Before starting literary work, the American writer Thomas Perry changed many different professions: from a worker to a television producer. His first book, The Butcher's Apprentice, not only became a bestseller, but also brought the author the prestigious Poe Award in 1982 for the best detective novel of the year. “Metzger’s Dog” is the writer’s second novel. The novels are published in Russian for the first time.