Rabbit in the Moon [Hardcover]

Deborah Shlian (Author), Joel Shlian (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2008

San Francisco, 1989: Forty years after Mao and his People's Liberation Army set poised to change China forever, Dr. Lili Quan prepares for a journey that will change her life forever. To honor her mother's dying wish that Lili "return home," Lili reluctantly sets out for China.For Lili, a passionate idealist, this will be an extraordinary trip filled with remarkable discoveries - from meeting and falling in love with Chi-Wen Zhou, a victim of the Cutural Revolution and zealous Taoist, to finding Dr. Ni-Fu Cheng, the grandfather Lili believed had died years ago. But Dr. Cheng has made the most remarkable discovery of all: he's discovered the secret to long life.As Dr. Cheng's only relative, Lili's life is in jeopardy. As greedy and unscrupulous men vie for control of the most earth-shattering discovery of the century, Lili Quan could become a pawn in a deadly and dangerous international game.Before Lili can hold the key to the future, she must unlock the deadly secrets of the past.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In this fast-paced thriller, a young Chinese American doctor, Lili Quan, is summoned by her dying mother to China. Soon Lili becomes embroiled in the search for her deceased grandfather, who may not be dead after all and who may possess the secret of immortality. Lili finds the man, and he passes on the secret to her, which is a mixed blessing. Lili is now in the crosshairs of a shadowy group of ruthless killers, and she must use all her wits to stay alive. The Shlians know how to build suspense, but the plot is by the numbers, and we’ve seen the plucky young hero/heroine many times before under different names. Still, while the story never breaks free of formula, it has an engaging premise, and the unrelenting pace will hook thriller fans who care most about forward momentum. --David Pitt

Review

The newest release from acclaimed authors Deborah and Joel Shlian, Rabbit in the Moon is a rich tapestry of suspense and intrigue

"A sweeping, ambitious book,"-George Anders, NY Times best-selling author of Perfect Enough & co-recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting, 1997

"An international thriller made for a Hollywood blockbuster,"-Paul Ottosson, Emmy Award winner, Academy Award and British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards (BAFTA) nominee

A substantial promotional budget will allow extensive national advertising, including targeted print media ads and mainstream print outlets.

A multi-tiered publicity campaign to include wide distribution of Advanced Reading Copies, a national author tour and Book Sense Programs. --This text refers to the Unknown Binding edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Oceanview Publishing (June 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933515147
• ISBN-13: 978-1933515144
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,442,132 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Deborah Shlian, MD, MBA practiced medicine in California where she also taught at UCLA. She has published nonfiction articles and books as well as medical mystery/thrillers. Her first two novels, Double Illusion and Wednesday's Child were paperback originals and were optioned by Hollywood producers for film. Since moving to Florida, she has had a third novel published. Rabbit in the Moon is an international thriller and has won the Gold Medal for Genre Fiction from the Florida Book Award, the Mystery Book of the Year Silver Medal from ForeWord Magazine, an Indie Excellence Award, a National Best Books Award Finalist from USA Book News and won first place in the Royal Palm Literary Award from the Florida Writers Association. Dead Air, the first in a series starring radio talk show host Sammy Greene, won the 2010 Royal Palm Literary Award for best thriller. Devil Wind, the second in the series was released in April, 2011 and is a Finalist in the Indie Next Awards. All Shlian's books are available in print, eBooks and Audiobook format

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Olympic winner!, April 7, 2008

By 

Yolanda S. Reid "mystery maven" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rabbit in the Moon (Hardcover)

I wanted to read this book because I wanted to get a flavor of China with the upcoming Beijing Olympics. My budget won't allow me to fly there, but Rabbit in the Moon transported me there in my mind, as I was able to explore China through Lili's eyes. The main character, Lili, is an appealing young woman struggling with her identity--her quest for her roots leads her to gripping excitement and danger. I had so much fun reading this book: Lili's adventures, especially after uncovering a remarkable secret, kept me reading all night, and I finished the book in one sitting. A must-read for fans of thrillers and suspense, as well as everyone who wants to "visit" China in their hearts.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great year for the Chinese, September 16, 2008

By 

A. C. Jacobs (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rabbit in the Moon (Hardcover)

In a year of the Chinese Olympics, one couldn't ask for a better thriller than Rabbit on the Moon by Deboral and Joel Shlianj to focus on the generational differences in China. What a great read! Anyone looking for a mixture of mystery, science and Asian culture can't go wrong by picking up this "unputdownable" novel. From the first pages, one is drawn into the conflict faced by Dr. Lili Quan to either turn her back on her Chinese origins or be drawn back into a world she knows little about in order to fulfill a promise made to her mother. No one could predict how terrifying this experience will turn out to be.

With China very much in our memories because of the Olympics, this novel could not have come out at a better time. I loved every page turning twist and found Lili's predicament one with universal implications.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A most fascinating read, June 18, 2008

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rabbit in the Moon (Hardcover)

An ancient Chinese folk tale claims that there is a rabbit in the moon pounding out medicinal elixirs. In 1989 in China the old guard of Maoists were trying to hang onto the old order in the face of student uprisings and demands for more freedom. This uprising led to the now-famous march and massacre in Tiananmen Square in Beijing.

The Shlians have used this as the backdrop for this exciting novel. The main character, Dr. Lili Quan, is a Chinese-American working on her residency in geriatric medicine. When her mother dies, she begins to have several interpersonal problems. Just before her death, Lili's mother expressed the wish that Lili would someday visit China. An opportunity arose, sending Lili into a maelstrom of intrigue and espionage. She finds that her grandfather, Dr. Cheng, long believed dead, is alive and working on a secret method to extend human life by 30-40 years or longer. One of his experimental patients is over 120 years old.

However, several unscrupulous individuals within the Chinese government, as well as within the international pharmaceutical and business world, have found out about Dr. Cheng's work. Lili unwittingly becomes a pawn in their illicit plots to learn the secret.

This book has wonderful details and well-developed characters, for the most part. While initially there are quite a few characters and locations to keep straight, by the final fourth of the book they fall into place. The pace of the book starts at a walk and picks up speed at every turn. By the last few chapters it is a page-turner that is difficult to set down.

I also enjoyed the way the authors touched on political, cultural, business and medicinal differences between East and West.

Armchair Interviews says: Most interesting story set in China.