Winter is hard in Beauville, where the melting snow can reveal much more than last season’s dead leaves. So when a wealthy, obnoxious tourist and his ski bunny girlfriend surface in Pru Marlowe’s little Berkshire town, she knows she should stay out of their way.
The bad-girl animal psychic has to focus on more immediate concerns, including a wild rabbit named Henry, supposedly tamed and illegally living with an eighty-four-year-old lady in her home. Henry, who seems to be acting out and hiding, avoids responding to Pru.
Yet when Pru discovers the tourist murdered and his girlfriend’s high-maintenance spaniel falls to her care, she gets dragged into a complicated case of crime and punishment that involves some new friends, an old nemesis, and her own shadowed past.
A recent museum art heist draws the feds into the investigation along with a courtly gentleman radiating menace, who represents secretive business interests in New York and shows a surprising awareness of Pru. Her on-again, off-again romance with police Detective Creighton doesn’t stop him from warning her to steer clear of the inquiry. The spaniel, however, lures her in.
Pru lives in a world where only her crotchety tabby Wallis knows the whole truth about her past, her flight from Manhattan, and her unique gift that surfaced abruptly one day. Fearing the worst, Pru now comes dangerously close to being exposed. With everything in motion, Pru, Wallis, and everyone they hold dear will be lucky to escape…by a hare.
When Bunnies Go Bad by Clea Simon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was so cute. I think those looking for an uplifting, light-hearted mystery book with animal feature and a little out of the ordinary type of storyline and perspective will enjoy this one.
The Story
Funny, clever. Definitely the best aspect of the book.
It’s a unique storyline and perspective, was one of a kind to me, and I don’t want to give it away.
The Writing
Was really a bit wordy for my taste. Sometimes to the point where I got lost, especially with the expanded cast of characters and the constant chatter in dialogue, which was often push and go, sometimes overly animated and overly exciting emoting when I wasn’t sure where the enthusiasm was always coming from, and so I did not have as much time to ponder between thoughts like I would have wanted to reflect upon in the unveiling of mystery as I read along or tried to gauge the mood of the characters or the scene.
Pacing
Pacing was somewhat uneven in that every detail and dialogue was told, where maybe some more zooming out and time gaps could have propelled it forward in a more engaging type of way.
Characters
I enjoyed the embodiment, the fun, and personality. Though it did become difficult to tell some apart, especially as more were introduced to me that I wasn’t expecting.
Though this is my entry point into the series, so it’s hard to gauge otherwise.
I have next in series and look forward to checking it out, the animal aspect is so brilliant.
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