Animal Rites

by Michael Panno

Frank Noble is a Viet Nam vet and a retired Secret Service agent, living in a stone cabin in the Angeles National Forest, above Los Angeles. A family of bears live close by and Frank takes joy in observing and interacting with them. This all changes when two poachers kill two of the bears and cut out their bladders and remove their paws to sell on the black market. Little did the poachers know, they picked the wrong bears. Frank enlists the help of Marcell, a dwarf and former Circus Performer with his own dark past, who now lives in a cabin close to Frank, and the two of them set out for revenge. It is a journey that leads them into the seedy underworld of Animal parts, child pornography and prostitution.

316 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Temple Williams]

An extraordinary thriller

The depth of the characters, the twists and turns you can do nothing but follow, the storyline that keeps stretching tighter with each chapter ... it's easy to see why Animal Rites was one of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards top picks in the Thriller category. Michael Panno is a master of dialog and humor, sometimes dark, often just flat-out funny. He shows us the underbelly of life, the strength of loyalty, the quest for solitude. This is five-star writing at its best. Thanks for the ride. -- Temple Emmet Williams, former editor at the Reader's Digest

[Jim McCulloch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Animal Rites is a fun read with terrific characters you can really bond with. It's a little off beat, rather like listening to syncopated music written in a minor key. The story hits on a lot of jarring social issues that are brought alive through an interesting mix of values and perspective possessed by the good guys and those who walk on the darker side of life. If you're into realistic physiology of violence and weapons use, you might be a little disappointed but neither are the focus of the story, so it works. Outside-the-law social justice and traditional morality trumps political correctness in a satisfying way. Well done, Mr. Panno.

[Ann Littlewood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dust off your "willing suspension of disbelief" and fasten your seat belt. Michael Panno has a wild ride for you. The protagonist is a burnt-out ex-Special Services agent hiding out in a California forest trying to heal himself. He falls for a family of bears, which he gets to know by feeding them and providing classical music with a boombox. Then poachers shoot the bears and he goes after them.

The introductory chapters are a thoughtful introduction to a damaged, potentially violent man bent on restoring his soul. After the killings, the POV rotates among his antagonists and their associates, a varied and sordid lot. Panno makes a solid connection between poaching for gall-bladders (used in Asian medicine, here as an aphrodisiac)and prostitution, including child pornography. I easily hung with him when he added a dwarf with circus associations (no small feat to make this work!). Complicated relationships and bodies pile up as justice is served.

Panno has a crisp, fun style and a wild imagination. He eschews vivid gore and brutality, thank goodness, while offing bad guys in a multitude of ways. Expect some typos and some credibility reaches (bear skins stink!!), but you'll be well repaid with a fast-paced, engrossing tale.

[Putting on my stern Ex-Zoo Keeper Editor hat for just a moment, I have to add that the hero unwittingly set those bears up to be shot by teaching them that people aren't dangerous. Listen up: Do Not Feed Wild Animals! Especially don't feed ones that might be hunted! Throwing rocks at wild animals that approach you is actually much kinder. Think about it. Sad, sad, but true.]

[Peacegal]

Animal Rites
by Michael Panno