Killing the Rabbit
Author: Alison Goodman
Publication Date: 7/31/07
Publisher: Bantam
Blurb (GR): Murder is the main attraction in this dark and wickedly comic new thriller that follows a young indie filmmaker on her way to fame, fortune, and a shoot-out to the death.
Hannie Reynard landed every aspiring filmmaker’s dream: a hefty grant to make her documentary Freaks or Frauds. But the groundbreaking film that was supposed to launch Hannie’s career may kill her first. Blowing the grant money on a lost weekend in Paris was bad enough, but now the “stars” of her film–women who share a unique genetic trait–have stopped talking…and started disappearing.
Coupled with a burned-out ex-classmate hitching his own hopes for a comeback to her project, Hannie finds herself the unlikely co-star of a movie that will never be made if a very powerful someone has anything to say about it. For Hannie is already in the crosshairs of his chief “cameraman”–a ruthlessly unconventional hit man who never misses a lethal shot.
Review:
Whoever wrote Killing the Rabbit's description, has done it a great disservice. "A wickedly comic" thriller? Really? When was it funny exactly? When pregnant women were shot? Or when a man was cut into ribbons by some gang members? I am still waiting for those LOLs.
Anyway, the book is actually a quite gruesome and occasionally gross crime drama.
A forecaster for a huge Japanese pharmaceutical company specializing in contraceptive drugs in his zeal came up with a 200-year development plan. According to the plan, the only thing that will stand in the company's path to success in future is a peculiar genetic mutation that will eventually affect all women. Within a few generations, according to the forecaster's research, they will have an ability to resorb fetuses at will (some small mammals - rabbits and mice - have this ability already! I've never even heard of that). What is there to do? Of course, hire a hitman to eliminate all women displaying this trait.
On the other side of the world Hannie, an aspiring film maker, is working on a project called "Freaks or Frauds." One of her subjects is a woman who can resorb her unwanted fetuses. As Hannie continues working on her project, she comes across more and more deaths connected to it. Will this corporate conspiracy be brought to light?
Although this thriller is not particularly mysterious, you know all players and perpetrators practically from the opening pages, still I found this novel hard to put down. So many thing attracted me to it: the vivid world of hired killers, Japanese corporate culture, the freaky main characters, film making, the unique way the book raises the question of reproductive rights, the romance, violence and sex. And RESORBING! That thing is crazy!
Killing the Rabbit is a hard sell though. It had my innards churning on multiple occasions. Not only because of gore and blood, but whenever resorbing was brought up or the main characters mentioned their physical ailments.
Killing the Rabbit is not a book I would recommend to everyone. But if you are not squeamish and ready for some sick stuff, give it a try.
4/5 stars
Author: Alison Goodman
Publication Date: 7/31/07
Publisher: Bantam
Blurb (GR): Murder is the main attraction in this dark and wickedly comic new thriller that follows a young indie filmmaker on her way to fame, fortune, and a shoot-out to the death.
Hannie Reynard landed every aspiring filmmaker’s dream: a hefty grant to make her documentary Freaks or Frauds. But the groundbreaking film that was supposed to launch Hannie’s career may kill her first. Blowing the grant money on a lost weekend in Paris was bad enough, but now the “stars” of her film–women who share a unique genetic trait–have stopped talking…and started disappearing.
Coupled with a burned-out ex-classmate hitching his own hopes for a comeback to her project, Hannie finds herself the unlikely co-star of a movie that will never be made if a very powerful someone has anything to say about it. For Hannie is already in the crosshairs of his chief “cameraman”–a ruthlessly unconventional hit man who never misses a lethal shot.
Review:
Whoever wrote Killing the Rabbit's description, has done it a great disservice. "A wickedly comic" thriller? Really? When was it funny exactly? When pregnant women were shot? Or when a man was cut into ribbons by some gang members? I am still waiting for those LOLs.
Anyway, the book is actually a quite gruesome and occasionally gross crime drama.
A forecaster for a huge Japanese pharmaceutical company specializing in contraceptive drugs in his zeal came up with a 200-year development plan. According to the plan, the only thing that will stand in the company's path to success in future is a peculiar genetic mutation that will eventually affect all women. Within a few generations, according to the forecaster's research, they will have an ability to resorb fetuses at will (some small mammals - rabbits and mice - have this ability already! I've never even heard of that). What is there to do? Of course, hire a hitman to eliminate all women displaying this trait.
On the other side of the world Hannie, an aspiring film maker, is working on a project called "Freaks or Frauds." One of her subjects is a woman who can resorb her unwanted fetuses. As Hannie continues working on her project, she comes across more and more deaths connected to it. Will this corporate conspiracy be brought to light?
Although this thriller is not particularly mysterious, you know all players and perpetrators practically from the opening pages, still I found this novel hard to put down. So many thing attracted me to it: the vivid world of hired killers, Japanese corporate culture, the freaky main characters, film making, the unique way the book raises the question of reproductive rights, the romance, violence and sex. And RESORBING! That thing is crazy!
Killing the Rabbit is a hard sell though. It had my innards churning on multiple occasions. Not only because of gore and blood, but whenever resorbing was brought up or the main characters mentioned their physical ailments.
Killing the Rabbit is not a book I would recommend to everyone. But if you are not squeamish and ready for some sick stuff, give it a try.
4/5 stars
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