Customer Reviews

The Rabbit Factory: A Lomax & Biggs Mystery

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Marshall Karp's first novel The Rabbit Factory is a mega-winner that gives a whole new meaning to the police procedural. This novel is a must-read for those looking for something new and original in fiction, especially fans of mystery thrillers.

Set in Hollywood's Lamaar Studios "Family Land," (a theme park similar to Disneyland...but NOT), the gruesome murder of Rambunctious Rabbit kick-starts the storyline. Rambunctious is a huge, big-footed hare dressed in signature red, white and blue, (translate the long-eared, burrowing mammal version of Mickey Mouse). Eddie Elkins, a sex offender, child molester and convicted pedophile plays the part of this particular rabbit...but not for long. Elkins, who had paid the proverbial "pretty penny" for a new identity, was only on the job for six weeks before being brutally strangled during a cigarette break. And this is only the first of many murders to come which will effect Lamaar's bottom line, not to mention the victims' families lives.

Mike Lomax and Terry Biggs are the duo from LAPD heading the investigation - and these two guys are the BEST!!! Mike is a recent widower whose wife sends him love letters from beyond the grave. And Terry thinks he is a comedian - "Terry the Fun Homicide Cop!" Hah!! The chemistry and humor between the two detectives is fantastic! Minor characters, especially Big Jim, Lomax's hulking teamster father, are well drawn and extremely appealing.

The Rabbit Factory is one of the most entertaining books I have read in many a moon. The murder mystery is gripping, filled with suspense, and the characters are compelling as are the subplots. What's not to like??

I predict this one will skyrocket to the top of the bestseller lists...and it deserves too!
JANA

I hope Marshall Karp is sitting at the computer right now, clicking away at the next adventures of Lomax and Biggs. If he's not-somebody get the shackles and bind the man to the chair. We need a sequel already. "The Rabbit Factory" is a refreshing change from moody noir or snippy satiric LA novels. It is a nice, big book, suspenseful, sharp, funny, and pleasantly different from most examples of LA detective fic.

Detectives Mike Lomax and Terry Biggs are the men on the job. Mike is a widower, bearing the loss of his wife with the help of his dad and stepmother. Terry is a transplanted New Yorker, happily married to plump, no-nonsense EMT. They are called to the Lamaar Studios' Familyland amusement park to investigate the murder of the castmember wearing the outfit of Familyland's signature character, Rambunctious Rabbit. The fact that this guy is a convicted pedophile who somehow managed to get a job at a park for little kids is only an indication of what's rotten at Familyland. Employees, visitors, and performers are picked off in very ugly ways, until the detectives are met with a final, outrageous demand. What could Lamaar Studios-a small animation company grown into a huge but beloved conglomerate-have done to piss someone off so badly that they would threaten to kill anyone who had anything to do with Lamaar or its products?

Karp is not afraid to allow "The Rabbit Factory's" the length necessary for us to get to know the characters. Fear boredom? Forget it. The plot clips along briskly and is a pleasure to read. You'll be sorry when the books are closed on this case, and hope to open a new book starring Lomax and Biggs soon.

Detectives Mike Lomax and Terry Biggs have a dead rabbit on their hands. The man who dresses as Rambunction Rabbit at Lamaar Studios Familyland has been murdered. Their first theory is that the killer was targeting the employee, who was a convicted pedophile. But as more murders occur it becomes clear that someone is out to destroy Lamaar Studios. It's not easy for the detectives to investigate the case, try and prevent more murders while trying to keep the incidents out of the public eye.

In the Acknowledgement, Marshall Karp gives "Special thanks to Sandi Gelles-Cole who helped take the fear and the mystery out of how to fill 600 blank pages." He should have listened to the fear. This was a good book that could have been a great book had it been 300 pages shorter. For an author who created whole stories in 30-to-60 second ads, he suffered from word explosion. I wish every aspiring author, particularly of police procedurals, were required to read the early books of Ed McBain and then write one of their own of a similar length. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the book, I did. There were good characters and good suspense. There was certainly character development. It was a fast and enjoyable read. I shall read Mr. Karp's next book but I shall also hope, over time, he provides us with crisp, exciting, tightly plotted stories.

The Rabbit Factory is a great and very entertaining read and I can't wait to read the next of Karp's books Bloodthirsty.

On the cover of the version I have, a James Patterson quote promotes this novel as Carl Hiaasen of Los Angeles. I don't think Patterson has actually read this book (or maybe he hasn't read a Hiaasen novel) as although this is very funny in parts it certainly not written in the eccentric character surreal style that Hiaasen, Fitzhugh, Barry etc use. In fact this book is closer in style to most of Patterson's own books and to steal from his quote - only I think Karp's even better. With The Rabbit Factory at over 600 pages Karp also thankfully has not emulated the ridiculously low word count (average 180 pages large sized print) and short chapters of his friend (Karp tells us they're friends in his acknowledgements at the end) but to be honest I am surprised the editors didn't edit this book a bit. I mean there are whole sub plots that could been culled and left out for future books such as the gambling brother one which do interrupt the pace and flow of the main plot but their inclusion does make the book even better value for money for the purchaser.

The basic plot of this loyal partners LA homicide cop adventure starts off with the murder of a Warner Brothers/Disney type corporation's best known character Rambunctious Rabbit, at their Californian theme park Familyland. Immediately the PR machine of Lamaar and Familyland want to put solving the crime second and letting anyone including staff know that there has even been a murder a secret. This is not the usual procedure for a homicide as colleagues and the public may know vital information but Lamaar's CEO has friends in high places so detectives Lomax and Biggs are told to keep it quiet and if they had any doubt to the importance of Lamaar, to solve the murder yesterday! Unfortunately for Lamaar the actor in the rabbit suit is only the first in a series of victims associated with the company and Lomax and Biggs are going to be under more pressure then they've ever been before to solve and stop this campaign of terror. Fortunately for the readers though, this pressure does nothing to stop the wisecracks and hilarious one liners from these two great new characters in the detective thriller genre.

If you like the wise cracking while solving murder read also check out Killer Material and other mysteries starring Biff Kincaid by author Dan Barton. But do yourself a favour and order The Rabbit Factory today!

620+ pages of this? This book starts off trenchantly funny with an intriguing premise that screams for nasty satire. But the first third of this book takes a sharp detour away from the main story (multiple killings of people associated with a movie/theme park corporation obviously modeled on the Disney machine) and settles into extremely tired, movie-of-the-week schmaltz about a cop dealing with his grief over his dead wife who has written him a series of letters meant to be read on the monthly anniversary of her death. Then the cop's father makes an appearance and starts matchmaking plans for his son with a nurse who is also a widow. And we get TV sit-com style, oh-so-familiar scenes with meddling Dad and embarrassed son and understanding but interested date. Help! Then the cop's brother shows up on the lam from a woman he ripped off in a stock scheme. Oh and need I mention the cop's hospital visit to the boy dying of cancer who always wanted to meet a real cop? The part where he hands his gun to the boy who fondles it dearly (unloaded, of course) is so darn sweet! AARGH! Do we need all this padding? Where's the real story? Buried. After nearly 200 pages of these pointless tangents, the book finally returns to the main plot when a third assassin shows up in the guise of an Israeli mother of two pre-teens (!) and we return to the real story of an elaborate revenge scheme on the Lamaar Corporation. The writing is LITE (spelling is intentional), the satire is absent, the action is limited. The book is designed with very large font and spacing to make the book a thick tome aimed at "beach readers." The characters are all wiseacres who are constantly making ironic comments that are supposed to pass for wit. Everyone sounds the same, frankly. And I really get tired of books where I'm continually being given wardrobe updates on the characters. I don't care about the clothes they wear, I care about what they do and how they think. But in this book the characters talk, feel and think like the cast of any lowest common denominator movie being churned out by Hollywood. One final note: The author mentions in the obligatory "Acknowledgment" section that he is a good friend of James Patterson who gave him many suggestions for the plot. Enough said.

This was not my first Lomax and Biggs adventure as I ran onto Mr. Karp's newest book in the new section of our library and was not familiar with him but picked it up and was entertained for several hours. I then realized it was the 3rd in a series so went back and found "The Rabbit Factory". I looked at it and thought "632 pages-will I make it through this one?" I can tell you I did and with no chore at all. Many times when the book gets too long I find myself skimming but Mr. Karp keeps the action moving as well as the personal lives of Lomax and his Dad, brother and new love interest after his wife has died 6 months earlier. Add into that a young boy with cancer and a cast of characters involving many murders. OF course there are the great humorous lines that lighten the violence and mystery. Biggs family is not so much a part of this one as they are in the next 2 books but he makes such an important part of this duo with his stand up comic relief. (Of course a great cop also).

I think one of the things I liked so much about the characters in this book is for once they aren't damaged guys from past history of drugs, war, or bad parents who failed them miserably. They are guys who know who they are and don't whine around about things that have happened in the past. So many mysteries where cops are the heroes, they have all this baggage and I have really tired of that so this is just refreshing. Lomax and his Dad have a special relationship and even though they argue and Dad interferes, Lomax knows his Dad loves him and would do anything for his boys without question. There is respect there and the whole relationship-step mom and even the loss of his wife, is handled so well and you get so caught up in these characters you want more of them.

Oh right! This is a murder mystery and there are twists and turns and Mr. Karp does a great job of bringing the storyline together. He is very detailed so doesn't leave questions in your mind of the secondary characters (who they are and why they are doing the dastardly deeds). I will have to admit I'm a little apprehensive about my next trip to Disney World-the scenarios were so close in comparison. (smile)

If you haven't tried a Marshall Karp book yet, give The Rabbit Factory a try. I think you will be delighted and entertained for several hours. I'm looking forward to the next installment of Lomax and Biggs.

I'm a "Buddy" story fan. Tv, movie, whatever, I like to see guys who have a good working relationship, and can kick some serious ass to get stuff done. Lomax and Biggs are a great pair. They balance each other out well, keep each other in line, and neither is the 'side kick'. Verbally, each can take as well as give. They're fun to read about, and I like them both.

And what's even better, it's a good Buddy Story with a good plot. Action, adventure, thriller, detection... A good blend that kept me turning page after page. I was glad I had the second book, ready to go, because I just wanted to jump right in.

I like detective novels. Usually I don't think such books should run much over 400 pages. If they do, they have to be very well-written and amusing. This book fulfills that requirement rather nicely.

Mike Lomax and his partner, Terry Biggs, have been assigned to solve a murder at the local theme park. The author, Marshall Karp, has obviously worked in Hollywood for years, and has created a fictional movie studio with an attached theme park and a series of cartoon characters, the best known of which is Rambunctious Rabbit. As a result, the studio is known as the Rabbit Factory by studio insiders. For those who don't know, in reality people in Hollywood sometimes say they "work for the Mouse" when they're employed by Disney. Disney Studios is sometimes known as "the Mouse House". If you read carefully, you can see elements of Disney, Universal Studios, and perhaps Paramount or Warner Brothers in the composite studio that Karp has created.

The killing Lomax and Biggs are working on is that of one of the guys hired to play Rambunctious Rabbit around the studio's theme park, Familyland. It soon develops that the guy was a child molester who had managed to buy a new identity. When another person gets killed, and then yet another, it becomes apparent that someone has it in for the studio itself, and Lomax and Biggs have to race to solve the crime quickly, for fear the whole studio could be destroyed.

Karp has created two interesting characters in Lomax and Biggs. Biggs is a happy guy with a bad sense of humor, and his counterpart, the story's narrator Lomax, is a more morose, quiet guy, following the death of his wife. The two characters play well off of one another, and the resulting story is intelligent and well-told. I enjoyed this book a great deal, and would recommend it.

Marshall Karp's The Rabbit Factory is addictively readable! It is a terrific comic thriller that delivers laughs and surprises in equal abundance. (You'll never look at theme parks the same way again.) It starts with one dead guy in a rabbit suit, two wise-cracking LAPD detectives, and a premise that hooks you and keeps you in suspense until the very end. Fast-paced witty dialogue, deliciously memorable characters, devilishly clever plot twists, laugh-out-loud funny lines, heartfelt romance, financial finagling, international intrigue, non-stop action, murder and mayhem. Who could ask for anything more? Absolutely the quintessential summer read! You'll love it.

Wow! I always read but never actually write any book reviews but this is not just any book. I could not put it down! Admittedly it is a daunting book to pick up if you base your selections on size alone but once you start reading you wish it were longer! Mr. Karp not only creates a great mystery (enough red herrings to make you think) but his characters are so well drawn I would recognize them on the street. Just when you think he is going to peak and then end with a thud instead of a bang, he throws new stuff into the works. While one of the subplots was a little weak I still did not want to put it down! When I had to, I was thinking about when I could get back to it! I was quite happy to hear Lomax and Biggs will return for more adventures!