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Lomax & Biggs #1
The Rabbit Factory
A wealthy social misfit, his much-younger wife, a runaway, and a big-hearted prostitute find their lives intersecting in the wake of quirky gangster activities, strait-laced professors, and fast-and-loose police officers. 75,000 first printing.
352 pages, Hardback
First published January 1, 2006
About the author
Larry Brown
77 books677 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Larry Brown was an American writer who was born and lived in Oxford, Mississippi. Brown wrote fiction and nonfiction. He graduated from high school in Oxford but did not go to college. Many years later, he took a creative writing class from the Mississippi novelist Ellen Douglas. Brown served in the United States Marine Corps from 1970 to 1972. On his return to Oxford, he worked at a small stove company before joining the city fire department. An avid reader, Brown began writing in his spare time while he worked as a firefighter in Oxford in 1980.
Brown was awarded the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters award for fiction. Brown was the first two-time winner of the Southern Book Award for Fiction, which he won in 1992 for his novel, Joe and again in 1997 for his novel Father and Son. In 1998, he received a Lila Wallace-Readers Digest Award, which granted him $35,000 per year for three years to write. In 2000, the State of Mississippi granted him a Governor's Award For Excellence in the Arts. For one semester, Brown taught as a writer-in-residence in the creative writing program at the University of Mississippi, temporarily taking over the position held by his friend Barry Hannah. He later served as visiting writer at the University of Montana in Missoula. He taught briefly at other colleges throughout the United States.
Brown died of an apparent heart attack at his home in the Yocona community, near Oxford, in November 2004.
Larry Brown was an American writer who was born and lived in Oxford, Mississippi. Brown wrote fiction and nonfiction. He graduated from high school in Oxford but did not go to college. Many years later, he took a creative writing class from the Mississippi novelist Ellen Douglas. Brown served in the United States Marine Corps from 1970 to 1972. On his return to Oxford, he worked at a small stove company before joining the city fire department. An avid reader, Brown began writing in his spare time while he worked as a firefighter in Oxford in 1980.
Brown was awarded the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters award for fiction. Brown was the first two-time winner of the Southern Book Award for Fiction, which he won in 1992 for his novel, Joe and again in 1997 for his novel Father and Son. In 1998, he received a Lila Wallace-Readers Digest Award, which granted him $35,000 per year for three years to write. In 2000, the State of Mississippi granted him a Governor's Award For Excellence in the Arts. For one semester, Brown taught as a writer-in-residence in the creative writing program at the University of Mississippi, temporarily taking over the position held by his friend Barry Hannah. He later served as visiting writer at the University of Montana in Missoula. He taught briefly at other colleges throughout the United States.
Brown died of an apparent heart attack at his home in the Yocona community, near Oxford, in November 2004.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 419 reviews
February 15, 2009
I wrote it, so ignore my review. What did I learn? Hey, I can write a book.
May 1, 2018
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
The Rabbit Factory got added to my TBR due to David Joy’s recommendation. I don’t know if you’ve had the privilege of experiencing Mr. Joy’s stuff, but if you like it dark and gritty his books top the charts. I’m a charter member in the Church of Joy and after reading not only his own works, but now also his recommendations, I know if he’s passing out the Kool-Aid my response will definitely be . . . .
The library only had the audio version, but that was alright because I listened to this while sitting at this . . . .
To say The Rabbit Factory is a one-of-a-kind type of story is an understatement. I’ve been racking my brain trying to come up with something to compare it to and the closest thing I can think of is Pulp Fiction, but in the most generic manner possible. There’s 100 chapters and about eleventy-three characters that you follow - some who know some others, some who will interact with some others, some who are just thrown in there to keep you guessing maybe because they don’t have anything to do with the others. None of them are real pillars of society – and some are downright criminals and lowlifes, but when you mix them all together into a story without either a real beginning or ending, somehow it’s magic.
This one gets all the Stars and I’d give it a bonus 5 if I could for Tom Stechschulte’s narration. Simply brilliant. Dick lit at its finest and proof that cyberstalking pays off! Now someone approve me over at NetGalley for David Joy’s new book before I go apeshit on yo ass . . . .
The Rabbit Factory got added to my TBR due to David Joy’s recommendation. I don’t know if you’ve had the privilege of experiencing Mr. Joy’s stuff, but if you like it dark and gritty his books top the charts. I’m a charter member in the Church of Joy and after reading not only his own works, but now also his recommendations, I know if he’s passing out the Kool-Aid my response will definitely be . . . .
The library only had the audio version, but that was alright because I listened to this while sitting at this . . . .
To say The Rabbit Factory is a one-of-a-kind type of story is an understatement. I’ve been racking my brain trying to come up with something to compare it to and the closest thing I can think of is Pulp Fiction, but in the most generic manner possible. There’s 100 chapters and about eleventy-three characters that you follow - some who know some others, some who will interact with some others, some who are just thrown in there to keep you guessing maybe because they don’t have anything to do with the others. None of them are real pillars of society – and some are downright criminals and lowlifes, but when you mix them all together into a story without either a real beginning or ending, somehow it’s magic.
This one gets all the Stars and I’d give it a bonus 5 if I could for Tom Stechschulte’s narration. Simply brilliant. Dick lit at its finest and proof that cyberstalking pays off! Now someone approve me over at NetGalley for David Joy’s new book before I go apeshit on yo ass . . . .
May 2, 2018
"...life was sometimes measured in small but critical increments."Author Larry Brown has created a full cast of characters and drawn an intersecting storyline for each...and yes, each of their critical moments are showcased in funny, violent, and sometimes jaw-dropping ways. I was so entertained by this book. Sometimes when reading a story with multiple POV's, it becomes a chore keeping up with everybody but not with The Rabbit Factory. The ways these characters happened to intersect with each other was the carrot I was chasing and I could not wait for each moment. This was my first Larry Brown book but absolutely will not be my last. Check it out!
November 4, 2010
_________________________________
More fun than a ferret full of bunnies.
A Disneyesque entertainment company is under attack. The guy playing their iconic character, Rambunctious Rabbit, at the Familyland California theme park is murdered. The squeaky-clean actor who starred in the company’s recent hit movie is likewise dispatched. Then a random mother visiting the theme park is butchered in a manner most bloody. After that, things begin to escalate.
Rabbit Factory is wonderful meld of murder, mania, misery, and marvelous wit. The detectives manage to be hilarious while remaining believable, 3-D characters. The villain(s) is/are evil without being ludicrously Dr. No-ish. There is violence—it's not hyper-descriptive, let’s gross out the reader mayhem, but it's not Tom and Jerry either. This ain’t no cozy—it's a good way to increase your pulse rate. There’s even pathos, real pathos; you can truly empathize with the main character—a rarity in a comic novel of any genre.
🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars. I don’t know how Karp managed to stuff a hilarious novel; a truly interesting mystery; an actually thrilling thriller into one book, but he did it, but you should grab your shotgun and bag yourself wabbit. (Yes, I know; a mixed corporate metaphor, but don’t let that stop you—read this book.)
More fun than a ferret full of bunnies.
A Disneyesque entertainment company is under attack. The guy playing their iconic character, Rambunctious Rabbit, at the Familyland California theme park is murdered. The squeaky-clean actor who starred in the company’s recent hit movie is likewise dispatched. Then a random mother visiting the theme park is butchered in a manner most bloody. After that, things begin to escalate.
Rabbit Factory is wonderful meld of murder, mania, misery, and marvelous wit. The detectives manage to be hilarious while remaining believable, 3-D characters. The villain(s) is/are evil without being ludicrously Dr. No-ish. There is violence—it's not hyper-descriptive, let’s gross out the reader mayhem, but it's not Tom and Jerry either. This ain’t no cozy—it's a good way to increase your pulse rate. There’s even pathos, real pathos; you can truly empathize with the main character—a rarity in a comic novel of any genre.
🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars. I don’t know how Karp managed to stuff a hilarious novel; a truly interesting mystery; an actually thrilling thriller into one book, but he did it, but you should grab your shotgun and bag yourself wabbit. (Yes, I know; a mixed corporate metaphor, but don’t let that stop you—read this book.)
March 7, 2023
Having read a number of novels in which Marshall Karp is a collaborator, I thought I would take someone’s recommendation and try my hand at reading some of his solo work. A great police procedural series, full of strong detective work, dry wit, and wonderful pacing, Karp proves that he can easily stand on his own and entertain readers effectively. I am eager to continue my journey through the series, hoping that the rest of the books are as entertaining as this debut.
Familyland is the modern amusement park for all ages, part of Lamaar Studios. Growing from a small animation house, Lamaar Studios is now a massive entertainment collective, including movies, television, and especially a massive theme park. After one of the actors who portrayed the cornerstone character of the Studio is found murdered on park grounds, it’s time to call in the LAPD. While Detectives Mike Lomax and Terry Biggs are expecting something unique, nothing could prepare them when they found a massive Rambunctious Rabbit sprawled on the ground. While Lamaar Studios wants the case solved quickly, they are also keen to have the crime kept quiet, especially when it is discovered that the victim was a paedophile who fudged his records.
As Lomax and Biggs dig a little deeper, they learn that there is more to Lamaar Studios than meets the eye. This is solidified when a second employee is killed. It seems as though there has been a long-standing feud between some of the early members of the animation house, which could have everything come tumbling down if not handled properly. The killer gets bolder and soon kills again, with a demand that could put everyone in danger.
With a case like no other, Mike Lomax must also struggle to get his life in order. A recent widow with some unfinished business, Lomax tries to keep it together and prevent his slapstick partner from learning too much about life away from detective work. It will be a challenge, but Lomax has long been good at deflecting and keeping a work-home balance. A great series debut, showing that Marshall Karp has laid a wonderful foundation for a collection that is sure to garner many fans.
The key to a great detective story is to pull the reader in quickly and repeatedly throughout. Marshall Karp does this effectively in this debut, offering up a great set of crimes, strong characters, and a bit of dry humour to cut through some of the tension. Karp’s use of a strong narrative provides the reader with great guidance as they make their way through the novel’s many twists. Introducing the two protagonists early and often offers the reader a connection with those who are most important to the story. Mike Lomax is front and centre in this novel, which is a wonderful way to connect with the reader. I can only wonder if Terry Biggs will have added time in the limelight in subsequent books, but the personal side of the character offers a stronger connection and allows the reader to see the softer side, which may not be present in police procedurals. A handful of strong secondary characters also propel the story forward, offering the reader some lighter banter at times. Plot twists emerge throughout the book and help shape the larger story. This appears to be the longest and most intense of the series novels, perhaps Karp’s way of adding depth to his characters before offering up faster and more succinct crimes. Whatever it is, Karp proves not only that he has an handle solo writing, but that he is one author to keep on my radar, as I was fully committed from the opening pages.
Kudos, Mr. Karp, for this gritty police procedural that has me reaching for the next book.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Familyland is the modern amusement park for all ages, part of Lamaar Studios. Growing from a small animation house, Lamaar Studios is now a massive entertainment collective, including movies, television, and especially a massive theme park. After one of the actors who portrayed the cornerstone character of the Studio is found murdered on park grounds, it’s time to call in the LAPD. While Detectives Mike Lomax and Terry Biggs are expecting something unique, nothing could prepare them when they found a massive Rambunctious Rabbit sprawled on the ground. While Lamaar Studios wants the case solved quickly, they are also keen to have the crime kept quiet, especially when it is discovered that the victim was a paedophile who fudged his records.
As Lomax and Biggs dig a little deeper, they learn that there is more to Lamaar Studios than meets the eye. This is solidified when a second employee is killed. It seems as though there has been a long-standing feud between some of the early members of the animation house, which could have everything come tumbling down if not handled properly. The killer gets bolder and soon kills again, with a demand that could put everyone in danger.
With a case like no other, Mike Lomax must also struggle to get his life in order. A recent widow with some unfinished business, Lomax tries to keep it together and prevent his slapstick partner from learning too much about life away from detective work. It will be a challenge, but Lomax has long been good at deflecting and keeping a work-home balance. A great series debut, showing that Marshall Karp has laid a wonderful foundation for a collection that is sure to garner many fans.
The key to a great detective story is to pull the reader in quickly and repeatedly throughout. Marshall Karp does this effectively in this debut, offering up a great set of crimes, strong characters, and a bit of dry humour to cut through some of the tension. Karp’s use of a strong narrative provides the reader with great guidance as they make their way through the novel’s many twists. Introducing the two protagonists early and often offers the reader a connection with those who are most important to the story. Mike Lomax is front and centre in this novel, which is a wonderful way to connect with the reader. I can only wonder if Terry Biggs will have added time in the limelight in subsequent books, but the personal side of the character offers a stronger connection and allows the reader to see the softer side, which may not be present in police procedurals. A handful of strong secondary characters also propel the story forward, offering the reader some lighter banter at times. Plot twists emerge throughout the book and help shape the larger story. This appears to be the longest and most intense of the series novels, perhaps Karp’s way of adding depth to his characters before offering up faster and more succinct crimes. Whatever it is, Karp proves not only that he has an handle solo writing, but that he is one author to keep on my radar, as I was fully committed from the opening pages.
Kudos, Mr. Karp, for this gritty police procedural that has me reaching for the next book.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
July 22, 2014
When you ask yourself "Should I read this Larry Brown-"
Yes.
It doesn't matter which of his novels it is, the answer is always yes, you should read it. "The Rabbit Factory" is no different, but in terms of Larry Brown books it is a bit different. In this there is a score of different characters each getting there own POV short chapter that weaves in an out of the others. Some of them don't have anything to do with each other, whilst most interact in some creative way or another.
One of complaints I read in another review was "there is no ending!" I can't imagine they had been reading Larry Brown books prior to typing their criticism. There is just about as much of an ending to this book as there is to "Fay," or "Joe" for that matter. Larry Brown doesn't write a book and deliver it to you with a bow on it. He doesn't sit you down and spoon feed you his view points either. He is very much the author who allows you to feel and decide. I argue his style to be "life" in the truest sense. For the most part life goes on. People die, yes, but others live. I was quite satisfied by how each story ended. There is room for more to be written for some of the characters, but in any story where a person doesn't die that will always be true.
I give this book 4 stars on the Larry Brown scale (closer to 5 on all other scales), unfortunately they do not offer that scale. I can't say its as good as "Fay," so to give it 5 stars would feel disingenuous. It is, however, a fantastic read.
Yes.
It doesn't matter which of his novels it is, the answer is always yes, you should read it. "The Rabbit Factory" is no different, but in terms of Larry Brown books it is a bit different. In this there is a score of different characters each getting there own POV short chapter that weaves in an out of the others. Some of them don't have anything to do with each other, whilst most interact in some creative way or another.
One of complaints I read in another review was "there is no ending!" I can't imagine they had been reading Larry Brown books prior to typing their criticism. There is just about as much of an ending to this book as there is to "Fay," or "Joe" for that matter. Larry Brown doesn't write a book and deliver it to you with a bow on it. He doesn't sit you down and spoon feed you his view points either. He is very much the author who allows you to feel and decide. I argue his style to be "life" in the truest sense. For the most part life goes on. People die, yes, but others live. I was quite satisfied by how each story ended. There is room for more to be written for some of the characters, but in any story where a person doesn't die that will always be true.
I give this book 4 stars on the Larry Brown scale (closer to 5 on all other scales), unfortunately they do not offer that scale. I can't say its as good as "Fay," so to give it 5 stars would feel disingenuous. It is, however, a fantastic read.
October 6, 2009
This book was over 600 pages long. Even Crime & Punishment wasn’t that long, and, believe me I am not comparing The Rabbit Factory with Crime & Punishment. There were too many side stories; Detective Lomax’s letters from his deceased wife; his father fixing him up with a nurse, and the subsequent romance; his brother’s illegal activities; and others. The story could have been more interesting if it were told in a more cohesive way - Maybe in 250 pages
September 11, 2017
Onvan : The Rabbit Factory (Lomax & Biggs, #1) - Nevisande : Marshall Karp - ISBN : 1596921749 - ISBN13 : 9781596921740 - Dar 420 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 2006
December 29, 2011
Wow what a first novel. Marshall Karp is a very gifted writer(not better than Hiaasen),sorry Mr. Patterson. That aside,wonderfully done book. Character developement gets an extra shout out,including backround characters. They were very fleshed out and believible. I could not put the book down. The two main characters Lomax and Biggs work very well with each other. It is like if this book was real life,I'd like to know these guys. I am currently in the process of reading book number 2 in this series Blood Thirsty so let the fun continue.
February 24, 2009
I picked up The Rabbit Factory after it got good reviews from my online book group. It sounded like a good mystery. Imagine my surprise when about 80 pages into the book, I realized this was not the book I expected. In fact, it was the wrong The Rabbit Factory. Go figure. How many authors title their book The Rabbit Factory?
After getting over my initial surprise of reading the wrong book, I realized I was actually enjoying this one. Brown's Southern tale, set in Memphis, is full of quirky, flawed characters. This book is all about character development. The usually short chapters are each centered on one of several eccentrics. There's Helen, an alcoholic, looking for love and sex, since her much older husband is having an issue with erectile dysfunction. Anjalee, a loveable prostitute, finds herself in one jam after the next. Arthur, Helen's husband, befriends Eric who desperately needs a father figure. One-legged Ms. Muffett tends house and dog sits for Mr. Hamburger, a shady mobster. There are also ex-cons, cops, a college professor, sailor and mob figures that add plenty of grit to the story. Brown masterfully blends all their stories together for a satisfying read.
The book tackles issues of the choices we make in life, and how one seemingly innocuous action can set forth a whole chain of events. It also deals with issues of loneliness and the search for love and acceptance. The story includes lots of animals: lions, dogs, cats and rabbits. We see how people deal with life issues in the way they relate to animals.
This is not normally a book I would pick up, but found it to be a satisfying diversion. I don't know how I would relate to these characters if I met them on the street, but I found them highly entertaining on the page.
After getting over my initial surprise of reading the wrong book, I realized I was actually enjoying this one. Brown's Southern tale, set in Memphis, is full of quirky, flawed characters. This book is all about character development. The usually short chapters are each centered on one of several eccentrics. There's Helen, an alcoholic, looking for love and sex, since her much older husband is having an issue with erectile dysfunction. Anjalee, a loveable prostitute, finds herself in one jam after the next. Arthur, Helen's husband, befriends Eric who desperately needs a father figure. One-legged Ms. Muffett tends house and dog sits for Mr. Hamburger, a shady mobster. There are also ex-cons, cops, a college professor, sailor and mob figures that add plenty of grit to the story. Brown masterfully blends all their stories together for a satisfying read.
The book tackles issues of the choices we make in life, and how one seemingly innocuous action can set forth a whole chain of events. It also deals with issues of loneliness and the search for love and acceptance. The story includes lots of animals: lions, dogs, cats and rabbits. We see how people deal with life issues in the way they relate to animals.
This is not normally a book I would pick up, but found it to be a satisfying diversion. I don't know how I would relate to these characters if I met them on the street, but I found them highly entertaining on the page.
February 17, 2010
I'm a huge Larry Brown fan. He was one of the few "Southern" writers that I've run across that could believably capture the self destructive and desperate people of the deep south. Having grown up in the south, his characters were like friends from back home or shady relatives that I had lost touch with. His work was authentic, vividly and truly authentic. That's why this one was such a mild disappointment. It is an episodic sprawling mess of a book about an unfaithful wife, her husband who can't get it up, the pet store clerk / surrogate son he befriends, a guy in the Navy that weeps as he gets sucked off by a hooker with a heart of gold, an ex-con cook who hits a deer, a college professor who loves weed, his cop girlfriend, a little white dog who jumps out a window and a lonely house sitter with one leg. You get the idea. There is a lot of humor and it's entertaining, but it just didn't pack the punch of some of his other earlier books. If you want to check him out, start with Father and Son, Joe, or Big Bad Love and enjoy one of the best writers the South has to offer.
March 13, 2012
This was suggested as a can't-put-it-down read and after reading the first chapter (who wants to read about a 70 year old guy contemplating his need for Viagra?) and putting it down a few times I finally read past the slow start and really enjoyed it. This is not the type of book I normally read---there's not much in the way of literary merit here. And yes maybe the characters are a bit cliche, but they are funny and the plot sweeps you up, and about a third of the the way in I didn't really care that this book probably falls more in the category of beach read. I was into it. So put your snobbery aside and pick this up, take it to the beach, and try telling someone about the intertwined plot lines---they'll look at you like you're nuts. If you want to get all high faultin think about the symbolism of all the dogs and various animals, English major.
August 5, 2015
Marshall Karp is definitely my favorite author after this book. No one does it with a better sense of humor, period. It's like James Patterson, just with better comic kicks. That is obviously expected of Marshall Karp considering he's already written 4 books with James Patterson: Kill Me If You Can, NYPD Red, NYPD Red 2, NYPD Red 3. All of which were beautifully written. This one, The Rabbit Factory was the first book of the Lomax and Biggs series, both of whom you're likely to fall in love with through the book. The story-line is deep and the kills are gruesome. I highly recommend this one.
June 1, 2017
How in the world did I forget to add this quirky Brown book to my stack of read-a-million-years-ago stack? Quirky, funny, and not what you'd expect from the king of grit lit. He had me in the pet shop! Just a fun thing to read but dosed with splats of his trademark darkness, this isn't going to be for everybody's taste, but if you are a Larry Brown fan and are up for actually grinning while reading his work, these oddball interconnected characters deliver.
February 17, 2026
Tired, old jokes. Constant racist undertones in describing any non-white character. You can tell the author is some boring, old white guy. The female characters are ranked by level of fuck-ability. Reading this book was like listening to maga grandpa rambling on aimlessly with side stories. I was practically begging the author to get the point and return to main plot. So long and so disappointing.
March 1, 2016
Good, but a little longer than it had to be. It's the first book in the series, so maybe the next book will be shorter and more focused. I liked the humorous writing style and the characters. I'll be reading more by this author in the future.
July 18, 2025
I wasn’t sure what to expect as I never read this author before, and I loved it! It was a great mystery, fast paced, and had well developed characters. There were also many laugh out loud moments and the narration was good. Looking forward to book 2!
March 13, 2011
What a great read! MK is a new author to me, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It was a straight forward mystery, with no magic or anything else not of this world. It was just Mike Lomax and Terry Biggs just trying to solve one of the biggest mystery of their professional lives. Someone just killed one of the most beloved characters in Familyland. A big white rabbit, named Rambunctious Rabbit. Though once Biggs and Lomax start digging, they discover that RR wasn't quite the good little rabbit he was suppossed to be. But once someone else dies at the park, Biggs and Lomax discover that they have a bigger issue on their hands than a dead rabbit with blood on his hands.
I so loved Biggs and Lomax, especially Mike Lomax he was a guy that loved his wife and was struggling to get over her death. The story had heart and I had tears in my eyes more than once, as Mike struggled through the letters that his wife had left him. I also loved Mike's dad, Big Jim...what a huge character. He almost took the story over more than once. If mystery isn't your thing, give this book a chance. There wasn't a lot of gore, it was really all about the mystery and how Biggs and Lomax put it together. If you like Carl Hiaasen then you might like MK, except without the really wacky characters that CH employees...sorry no Skink here, but still worth the read.
I so loved Biggs and Lomax, especially Mike Lomax he was a guy that loved his wife and was struggling to get over her death. The story had heart and I had tears in my eyes more than once, as Mike struggled through the letters that his wife had left him. I also loved Mike's dad, Big Jim...what a huge character. He almost took the story over more than once. If mystery isn't your thing, give this book a chance. There wasn't a lot of gore, it was really all about the mystery and how Biggs and Lomax put it together. If you like Carl Hiaasen then you might like MK, except without the really wacky characters that CH employees...sorry no Skink here, but still worth the read.
February 18, 2016
It's sort of like walking in on six or so various stories - all of a sudden you're there and watching these characters begin to develop for you through all the little things they do in the course of their regular days. Once you get a handle on each of them they start to grow on you and you're beginning to feel and live their little dilemmas and the weirdness of their personalities - then it becomes hard to put the book down as you want to see what's going to happen next. At times gritty, things are infused with much subtle humor. The author's storytelling offers the reader a chance to glimpse inside the souls of these characters; their real selves and real lives and how it affects each of them deeply. It's life, you know.
January 20, 2016
This book had me totally hooked. I had a hard time putting it down, and as soon as I could, I'd pick it back up again and continue reading! It had it all - emotion, humour, wise-cracks (Terry, you are my hero), mystery, cops, family & friends. A great 'whodunnit'! So glad I stumbled on this series.
May 8, 2024
3.85/5
Audiobook best at increased speeds.
What a wild time.
Don't read if you are bothered by animal death, sex work, general criminal activity, animal neglect and cruelty, drug use, human death, and basically anything else you'd see in a G.o.T. episode but make it white trash.
Loosely involves rabbits.
Audiobook best at increased speeds.
What a wild time.
Don't read if you are bothered by animal death, sex work, general criminal activity, animal neglect and cruelty, drug use, human death, and basically anything else you'd see in a G.o.T. episode but make it white trash.
Loosely involves rabbits.
May 1, 2021
audio Jenner & Schul. narration was enjoyable which allowed be to finish this long, long meandering story. I enjoyed the NYPD collab. until I didn't. Karp goes on my "I'll pass" list. If is what high rated books have become I blame the readers not the writers.
July 15, 2026
I went into this blind due to the audiobook being free on audible. It grabbed my attention right from the start and kept it. Thoroughly enjoyed it and will be checking out more in the series.
December 10, 2025
Larry Brown never met a bad decision he couldn’t make sing. And I love him for it. The Rabbit Factory is him widening the lens, less the tight, bruised focus of Joe or Dirty Work and more a big, messy human pinball machine where lust, loneliness, money, and dumb luck keep ricocheting people into one another in Memphis and North Mississippi. It’s built with that “everybody’s connected, whether they like it or not” sprawl; reviewers have compared the structure to Altman’s Nashville, and it fits Brown surprisingly well. 
What I love most is how Brown can turn a scene from ridiculous to violent to oddly tender without warning. It’s tragic-absurd, raunchy, and dead-on about the way folks will call it love when it’s really just hunger with a pulse. The cast is a parade of the broken and the bold: an older rich man who can’t relax inside his own life, a younger wife clawing at satisfaction, a runaway kid, a big-hearted prostitute who storms through the book like bad weather, plus gangsters, academics, and cops who all feel like they’ve been marinating in the same humid air and bad bourbon. 
And yes, this one is funny. Not sitcom funny. More like “I just laughed and immediately looked around to make sure nobody saw me laugh at that” funny. Brown’s humor comes from pure human malfunction: the self-serious lies people tell, the small-town macho posturing, the bedroom calculus, the accidental humiliations. Even the title has bite: one review points out it comes from a literal rabbit-breeding setup, but it also winks at how compulsively these characters mate when what they actually need is to learn how to love. 
So why four stars, not five? Because for all its energy, the sprawl can occasionally feel like it’s daring you to keep up, like Brown is juggling one more storyline than the ceiling fan can tolerate. And while the book’s range is part of the point, the sheer busyness sometimes mutes the clean, devastating punch he lands in a tighter novel.
If I’m comparing it to another Brown, I keep coming back to Fay. Fay is leaner, sharper, and (to my taste) more emotionally inevitable, Kirkus even flat-out says it remains his best, while The Rabbit Factory is Brown cutting loose, extending his range, letting the neighborhood in. I’m glad he did. It’s a rowdy book with a warm engine underneath it, full of missed chances and the thin, weird threads that still manage to tie people together.
In short: Larry Brown doing what he does best; showing how ordinary folks turn their lives into a demolition derby, except this time he lets us laugh on the way to the wreck. Now on to therapy.
What I love most is how Brown can turn a scene from ridiculous to violent to oddly tender without warning. It’s tragic-absurd, raunchy, and dead-on about the way folks will call it love when it’s really just hunger with a pulse. The cast is a parade of the broken and the bold: an older rich man who can’t relax inside his own life, a younger wife clawing at satisfaction, a runaway kid, a big-hearted prostitute who storms through the book like bad weather, plus gangsters, academics, and cops who all feel like they’ve been marinating in the same humid air and bad bourbon. 
And yes, this one is funny. Not sitcom funny. More like “I just laughed and immediately looked around to make sure nobody saw me laugh at that” funny. Brown’s humor comes from pure human malfunction: the self-serious lies people tell, the small-town macho posturing, the bedroom calculus, the accidental humiliations. Even the title has bite: one review points out it comes from a literal rabbit-breeding setup, but it also winks at how compulsively these characters mate when what they actually need is to learn how to love. 
So why four stars, not five? Because for all its energy, the sprawl can occasionally feel like it’s daring you to keep up, like Brown is juggling one more storyline than the ceiling fan can tolerate. And while the book’s range is part of the point, the sheer busyness sometimes mutes the clean, devastating punch he lands in a tighter novel.
If I’m comparing it to another Brown, I keep coming back to Fay. Fay is leaner, sharper, and (to my taste) more emotionally inevitable, Kirkus even flat-out says it remains his best, while The Rabbit Factory is Brown cutting loose, extending his range, letting the neighborhood in. I’m glad he did. It’s a rowdy book with a warm engine underneath it, full of missed chances and the thin, weird threads that still manage to tie people together.
In short: Larry Brown doing what he does best; showing how ordinary folks turn their lives into a demolition derby, except this time he lets us laugh on the way to the wreck. Now on to therapy.
March 6, 2015
Marshall Karp may indeed be the Carl Hiassan of the West Coast. His work is funny and enjoyable (if you don't mind wading through all of the F bombs, that I did my best to tolerate and wade through)--- His two main characters Lomax and Biggs are encountering some of the strangest characters imaginable and everyone seems to have a secret.
It all begins when a beloved character is murdered in an underground tunnel in theme park of one of Disneylands biggest competitors (a fictional Disneyish group)-- The actor portraying the character is quickly revealed to be a registered sex offender\child molestor. But is the murder a revenge or is the park and the company itself the target?
This is a funny book and has a page turner of a mystery. I have to admit, though I have some minor issues with the book it was well-written, had an interesting, growing plot, and finally was chocked full of some of the funniest cop jokes, etc. I've ever read. Lomax and Biggs play well off of each other and those they meet. A fine read.
However, I have some minor quibbles with it. First, it is just too long. The author adds an unrelated subplot about Lomax's brother having trouble of his own. I didn't like that subplot and did not feel it added a whole lot to the story. In fact, it simply added distraction and I was glad it never tied into the main plotline.
Characterization is something I think is very important and often poorly done. Karp does a good job in presenting Lomax as a character who is dealing with the loss of his wife through cancer. She wrote him letters and asked that he opened one letter per month. When he read the first letter and the author gave us the text so we knew what it said, that created the subtext we needed. Later, when he read another-- the author provided another lengthy text, much of which added nothing to the story... He just went a little overboard with it.
The author also increased the length by letting us into the heart of the conspiracy.. Don't tell us what the bad guys are thinking.. let the heroes uncover than information. It spoiled the plot slightly-- but was highly unnecessary to hear these guys speaking and find out sort of what they had planned.
As he filled in the details, the author just provided way too much insight into his dead wife's mindset, the bad guys mindset.. which made the novel go on too long.. especially the final chapter wrap up.
I'll read more by this author to see if he gets better. He is funny and interesting.
It all begins when a beloved character is murdered in an underground tunnel in theme park of one of Disneylands biggest competitors (a fictional Disneyish group)-- The actor portraying the character is quickly revealed to be a registered sex offender\child molestor. But is the murder a revenge or is the park and the company itself the target?
This is a funny book and has a page turner of a mystery. I have to admit, though I have some minor issues with the book it was well-written, had an interesting, growing plot, and finally was chocked full of some of the funniest cop jokes, etc. I've ever read. Lomax and Biggs play well off of each other and those they meet. A fine read.
However, I have some minor quibbles with it. First, it is just too long. The author adds an unrelated subplot about Lomax's brother having trouble of his own. I didn't like that subplot and did not feel it added a whole lot to the story. In fact, it simply added distraction and I was glad it never tied into the main plotline.
Characterization is something I think is very important and often poorly done. Karp does a good job in presenting Lomax as a character who is dealing with the loss of his wife through cancer. She wrote him letters and asked that he opened one letter per month. When he read the first letter and the author gave us the text so we knew what it said, that created the subtext we needed. Later, when he read another-- the author provided another lengthy text, much of which added nothing to the story... He just went a little overboard with it.
The author also increased the length by letting us into the heart of the conspiracy.. Don't tell us what the bad guys are thinking.. let the heroes uncover than information. It spoiled the plot slightly-- but was highly unnecessary to hear these guys speaking and find out sort of what they had planned.
As he filled in the details, the author just provided way too much insight into his dead wife's mindset, the bad guys mindset.. which made the novel go on too long.. especially the final chapter wrap up.
I'll read more by this author to see if he gets better. He is funny and interesting.
August 12, 2008
First in a series featuring LA homicide detectives Mike Lomax and Terry Biggs. When Eddie Elkins, the man inside the Rambunctions Rabbit costume at Familyland (a Disney wannabe) is found with his throat slit in the employees-only underbelly of the family-centered theme park, Lomax and Biggs are assigned to the case. When they discover that Eddie isn’t who he appears to be—that, indeed, he’s a convicted pedophile from back east—their obvious trail leads to who might have known this juicy tidbit of information and who had reason to whack him.
However, the little cartoon flip-book that is left with the body screams “serial killer,” and sure enough, when another person with ties to the owners of Familyland, Lamaar Stuidos, is murdered with a similar flipbook left on the body, the boys know they’re going to be spending many sleepless nights trying to track down the killer. It seems to be someone with a grudge against Lamaar, but who? Their corporate people are less than cooperatve with our erstwhile detectives, as they’re busy trying to keep the whole thing shushed up so their stock doesn’t end take a nose dive into the basement. But Lomax and Biggs persevere, and there is a bit of a surprise twist at the end.
I like Mike Lomax a lot—the book is told primarily from his POV, though that does change periodically. Karp handles the changing points of view well, though. Lomax is a recent widower, his wife Joanie having died of cancer about six months before. This book is almost like two stories, one detailing Lomax’s personal life and letting us get to know him and his family, and the other the murder case. I realize that a bit more detail is needed in introducing the main characters in the first book, but some judicious editing was definitely needed—the book was 632 pages in the hardcover edition! Granted, the author seems to write in the James Patterson style—very short chapters and lots of blank space—but still! Snip, snip, snip! LOL
It took me a good 50 pages before I warmed to the mystery and the characters, but I am glad I stuck with it, because it ended up being a great debut novel. I have the next one here and it seems to be a bit shorter, so someone must’ve hit Karp with a cluestick. LOL And I have to honestly say that I’m really looking forward to it, too! A-.
However, the little cartoon flip-book that is left with the body screams “serial killer,” and sure enough, when another person with ties to the owners of Familyland, Lamaar Stuidos, is murdered with a similar flipbook left on the body, the boys know they’re going to be spending many sleepless nights trying to track down the killer. It seems to be someone with a grudge against Lamaar, but who? Their corporate people are less than cooperatve with our erstwhile detectives, as they’re busy trying to keep the whole thing shushed up so their stock doesn’t end take a nose dive into the basement. But Lomax and Biggs persevere, and there is a bit of a surprise twist at the end.
I like Mike Lomax a lot—the book is told primarily from his POV, though that does change periodically. Karp handles the changing points of view well, though. Lomax is a recent widower, his wife Joanie having died of cancer about six months before. This book is almost like two stories, one detailing Lomax’s personal life and letting us get to know him and his family, and the other the murder case. I realize that a bit more detail is needed in introducing the main characters in the first book, but some judicious editing was definitely needed—the book was 632 pages in the hardcover edition! Granted, the author seems to write in the James Patterson style—very short chapters and lots of blank space—but still! Snip, snip, snip! LOL
It took me a good 50 pages before I warmed to the mystery and the characters, but I am glad I stuck with it, because it ended up being a great debut novel. I have the next one here and it seems to be a bit shorter, so someone must’ve hit Karp with a cluestick. LOL And I have to honestly say that I’m really looking forward to it, too! A-.
November 30, 2011
First Line: Eddie Elkins ambled down Fantasy Avenue.
Rambunctious Rabbit, known as Rambo to his millions of fans, is an American icon and a theme park's biggest draw. When Eddie Elkins (the actor inside the rabbit suit) and two other theme park employees are murdered, Los Angeles Police Department detectives Mike Lomax and Terry Biggs must catch the killer before he can ruin an entertainment giant.
Karp's writing is hilarious as he introduces Lomax and Biggs. Lomax is the narrator, which is fitting since he claims that generations of his family suffer from diarrhea of the mouth. Karp gives him a conversational style that made Lomax feel as though he were my new best friend. See how he describes his mother:
"She was one of the top stuntwomen of her day and worked in over two hundred movies, five of them with John Wayne. Every now and then, Joanie and I would be watching an old video, and some woman would fall down a flight of stairs, jump off a bridge, or get hit by a truck, and I'd smile and proudly say, 'That's my Mom.'"
At first-- courtesy of Lomax's snappy wisecracks-- it would be easy to assume the two detectives are a modern-day version of the Keystone Cops, but you know what happens when you assume, don't you? Lomax's sense of humor hides a lot of pain. His wife died six months ago, and each month he reads one of the letters she left for him. His father is trying to get him dating again, and Lomax's brother is in deep trouble.
Once the first murder victim's background is revealed, the police waste precious time believing that it was a revenge crime, and it certainly doesn't help that Lamaar Studios' public relations people are trying to lock down all information about what's going on so the company shares won't take a hit on Wall Street. Events are fast-moving, however, and it doesn't take Lomax and Biggs long before they realize there's much more to this murder than first met the eye.
The satiric humor continues throughout the book, but Karp never lets it overshadow the investigation, which has plenty of twists, turns, and surprises. Well before I was finished, I stopped to see how many books there are in this series. I love Karp's humor, his cast of characters, and his devious plots. I want Lomax and Biggs to continue investigating crime for a good long time.
Rambunctious Rabbit, known as Rambo to his millions of fans, is an American icon and a theme park's biggest draw. When Eddie Elkins (the actor inside the rabbit suit) and two other theme park employees are murdered, Los Angeles Police Department detectives Mike Lomax and Terry Biggs must catch the killer before he can ruin an entertainment giant.
Karp's writing is hilarious as he introduces Lomax and Biggs. Lomax is the narrator, which is fitting since he claims that generations of his family suffer from diarrhea of the mouth. Karp gives him a conversational style that made Lomax feel as though he were my new best friend. See how he describes his mother:
"She was one of the top stuntwomen of her day and worked in over two hundred movies, five of them with John Wayne. Every now and then, Joanie and I would be watching an old video, and some woman would fall down a flight of stairs, jump off a bridge, or get hit by a truck, and I'd smile and proudly say, 'That's my Mom.'"
At first-- courtesy of Lomax's snappy wisecracks-- it would be easy to assume the two detectives are a modern-day version of the Keystone Cops, but you know what happens when you assume, don't you? Lomax's sense of humor hides a lot of pain. His wife died six months ago, and each month he reads one of the letters she left for him. His father is trying to get him dating again, and Lomax's brother is in deep trouble.
Once the first murder victim's background is revealed, the police waste precious time believing that it was a revenge crime, and it certainly doesn't help that Lamaar Studios' public relations people are trying to lock down all information about what's going on so the company shares won't take a hit on Wall Street. Events are fast-moving, however, and it doesn't take Lomax and Biggs long before they realize there's much more to this murder than first met the eye.
The satiric humor continues throughout the book, but Karp never lets it overshadow the investigation, which has plenty of twists, turns, and surprises. Well before I was finished, I stopped to see how many books there are in this series. I love Karp's humor, his cast of characters, and his devious plots. I want Lomax and Biggs to continue investigating crime for a good long time.
September 10, 2015
The Rabbit Factory by Marshall Karp is the first in the Lomax and Biggs series of novels.
Rambunctious Rabbit is the Bugs Bunny of Familyland, a Walt Disney World like theme park created by Lamaar Studios.
When the rabbit, or rather the actor inside the oversized bunny suite, is found strangled in the theme park grounds, the delicate investigation into the killing begins.
Lomax and Biggs must tread carefully as they are asked to keep the investigation quiet, so as not to destroy the family friendly reputation of the Lamaar Studio empire.
Unfortunately, keeping the investigation confidential becomes difficult when they discover that Eddie Elkins, the actor portraying Familyland’s famous mascot, is actually a convicted paedophile.
The reason seems obvious to why Elkins was killed.
However, when a second brutally murdered victim turns up who’s also linked to Lamaar Studios, it becomes less obvious, and even more difficult to protect the reputation of the Studio.
I first encountered Marshall Karp’s work a few weeks ago, when I read NYPD Red, which he co-authored with James Patterson. I thoroughly enjoyed that novel, and was eager to see if his own books were as good.
Considering this is Karp’s first novel, I’d have to say yes, they are very good!
Here’s why...
Firstly, there are some great main characters, each accompanied with plenty of background information to make them feel more real.
There's a great plot, and some very clever sub-plots, that keep your attention, from the very first page until the very last.
The book is packed full of humour, and raises at least one smile in nearly every chapter, of which there are many.
The chapters are short, giving the impression that something is happening all of the time, which is something I liked. The short chapters also encourage you to keep reading - just one more chapter before bedtime syndrome is definitely in evidence here!
The lead investigators are both likeable characters, which may not be important for some, but it definitely makes me want to keep reading about them.
Finally, and probably most importantly, it’s a very entertaining crime novel, that has a clever twist in the tail. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Rambunctious Rabbit is the Bugs Bunny of Familyland, a Walt Disney World like theme park created by Lamaar Studios.
When the rabbit, or rather the actor inside the oversized bunny suite, is found strangled in the theme park grounds, the delicate investigation into the killing begins.
Lomax and Biggs must tread carefully as they are asked to keep the investigation quiet, so as not to destroy the family friendly reputation of the Lamaar Studio empire.
Unfortunately, keeping the investigation confidential becomes difficult when they discover that Eddie Elkins, the actor portraying Familyland’s famous mascot, is actually a convicted paedophile.
The reason seems obvious to why Elkins was killed.
However, when a second brutally murdered victim turns up who’s also linked to Lamaar Studios, it becomes less obvious, and even more difficult to protect the reputation of the Studio.
I first encountered Marshall Karp’s work a few weeks ago, when I read NYPD Red, which he co-authored with James Patterson. I thoroughly enjoyed that novel, and was eager to see if his own books were as good.
Considering this is Karp’s first novel, I’d have to say yes, they are very good!
Here’s why...
Firstly, there are some great main characters, each accompanied with plenty of background information to make them feel more real.
There's a great plot, and some very clever sub-plots, that keep your attention, from the very first page until the very last.
The book is packed full of humour, and raises at least one smile in nearly every chapter, of which there are many.
The chapters are short, giving the impression that something is happening all of the time, which is something I liked. The short chapters also encourage you to keep reading - just one more chapter before bedtime syndrome is definitely in evidence here!
The lead investigators are both likeable characters, which may not be important for some, but it definitely makes me want to keep reading about them.
Finally, and probably most importantly, it’s a very entertaining crime novel, that has a clever twist in the tail. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
July 9, 2014
The first few chapters of The Rabbit Factory introduce us to characters who are on the verge: on the verge of something very bad happening, on the verge of finding or losing love, on the verge of losing something very valuable. The tension between the sets of characters starts early: Helen's (maybe) dalliances press hard on Arthur to fix just that. Anjalee casts a spell on Wayne Stubbuck after, in a fit of do-what's-right, she risks what little she has.
And so it goes as the cast of characters grows, each with their own problems, or perhaps each being their own problem. But the interconnections between characters bind this together as a novel rather than a collection of vignettes: Arthur sees Frankie, Frankie knows Anjalee, Frankie gets on the bad side of Mr. Hamburger, Mr. Hamburger employs Domino, Domino runs amok while seeking his venison steaks, and so it goes.
Brown is a master of putting the reader smack-dab in the middle of the characters' thought processes. It is eerie how well he does this. We find ourselves mulling over choices and looking for a shred of hope through the eyes of one of the characters, even while part of us stays enough within ourselves and views the scene from afar.
The violence in this book sprouts up suddenly and surprised me with its swiftness and fierceness; for instance, didn't see the the scene in Merlot's house coming.
This is the work of a talented writer, and talented listener. I've read some reviews of this book by people from the Memphis/Mississippi region, and Brown's works seem to resonate especially loud with them. I am a native of Upstate New York, and for years I thought that one day I would write the story of the large characters in washed-up small towns in that region. I then stumbled onto the works of Richard Russo and discovered that not only had it already been done, but it had been done better than I could have ever imagined. And so it seems to be for Brown and his beloved Mississippi. He knows the people, knows how they act, knows how they think. A wonderful read!
And so it goes as the cast of characters grows, each with their own problems, or perhaps each being their own problem. But the interconnections between characters bind this together as a novel rather than a collection of vignettes: Arthur sees Frankie, Frankie knows Anjalee, Frankie gets on the bad side of Mr. Hamburger, Mr. Hamburger employs Domino, Domino runs amok while seeking his venison steaks, and so it goes.
Brown is a master of putting the reader smack-dab in the middle of the characters' thought processes. It is eerie how well he does this. We find ourselves mulling over choices and looking for a shred of hope through the eyes of one of the characters, even while part of us stays enough within ourselves and views the scene from afar.
The violence in this book sprouts up suddenly and surprised me with its swiftness and fierceness; for instance, didn't see the the scene in Merlot's house coming.
This is the work of a talented writer, and talented listener. I've read some reviews of this book by people from the Memphis/Mississippi region, and Brown's works seem to resonate especially loud with them. I am a native of Upstate New York, and for years I thought that one day I would write the story of the large characters in washed-up small towns in that region. I then stumbled onto the works of Richard Russo and discovered that not only had it already been done, but it had been done better than I could have ever imagined. And so it seems to be for Brown and his beloved Mississippi. He knows the people, knows how they act, knows how they think. A wonderful read!
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