Dean Lamar is the architect of an entertainment empire and the creator of iconic characters like Rambunctious Rabbit and McGreedy the Moose. When his company falls on hard times, the only hope to get it back in the black is Familyland - an amusement park in Las Vegas. Mere days before the grand opening, an actor playing Rambunctious Rabbit is found dead on the park grounds and everyone senses foul play. Someone's out to get Lamaar, and if Lomax and Biggs can stop bickering long enough, they just might find out who it is before more people get knocked off. ( )

Funny, and much more...
http://www.madnessabides.com/2009/01/... ( )

I thought this was a brilliant detective novel, about the murder of one a fictitious cartoon characters, Rambunctious Rabbit, and his creater Dean Lamaar. The plot develops into a serial killer on the loose, targetting any and all involved with the Lamaars Studios, its enterprises and their themepark, Familyland.

I really enjoyed the book - I found it funny and engaging and I loved the main character, Mike Lomax, the detective, who eventually goes on to solve the case with his partner. Along the way he has problems with his family, he starts his first romance after the death of his wife some six months ago. He was extremely warm and funny, without too much effort and him and his partner, Terry, played off well against each other.

I will certainly read any more Marshall Karp books that are around - and hope that he keeps writing for a long time to come! ( )

Could use a bit of trimming, but a good book, with many different sub-stories to keep you interested. Off the beaten path of your typical crime novel. Lovable main characters and intriguing plot keep you reading. ( )

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! ( )

I picked this book up to pass the time, and was quite surprised how much I really enjoyed this book. Karp's writing style came across to me as the perfect pitch - funny, smart, edgy & he kept the mystery going right up to the end. For a debut novel, it's an impressive work. There are some seriously laugh out loud scenes to go with memorable characters & a plot that's well detailed and has enough twists and turns to keep you wondering until the last page has passed what exactly is going on. One of the best crime thrillers I've ever picked up. ( )

Started so well, and then just petered off, till I couldn't even be bothered finishing. Very disappointing. Had great lines but very soggy middle. Not half as crisp (or crazy) as Hiaasen, to whom he is compared. ( )

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. The publisher's blurb on playwright and screenplay writer Karp's first novel, "The hilarious and suspenseful introduction of Detectives Mike Lomax and Terry Biggs," makes the two LAPD detectives sound as if they're the reincarnation of the Keystone Kops. They are amusing, but the comedy never overshadows this smart, many-layered thriller. Lomax's beloved wife has died, his doting father is trying to get him to go on dates and his wayward, gambling-addicted brother is in deep trouble. Meanwhile, Lomax is trying to solve a string of high-profile murders aimed at destroying a Disneyesque theme park, Lamaar's Familyland. First, the employee playing Rambunctious Rabbit, Familyland's signature cartoon character, is strangled in his rabbit suit, then a series of other employees and visitors to the park are killed, bringing the company to its knees. Lomax, Biggs and the FBI have their work cut out for them in a clever plot that will keep readers guessing to the very end. Enthusiastic readers will anxiously await the return of detectives Lomax and Biggs. ( )