Book Review: Killer Killer
Killer Killer. Frank May, Lost Ridge Press, June 27, 2021, Paperback and eBook, 258 pages.
Review by Kelly Fumiko Weiss.
Killer Killer is a novel written by Frank May that tells the story of killer whales in captivity through the lens of the people around them. Some of those people have nefarious, money-focused intent. Some genuinely care about the animals and want to do what’s best for them given the circumstances. Others don’t really think of the animals at all and just want to ooh and aah over what the whales can do.
The book’s main character is Lee, a quiet young man who is respectful and appropriately fearful of the massive animals. He has been put in a position of power at an early age. He tries to follow in his predecessor’s footsteps to do the best he can to care for the killer whales, but his bosses have other ideas and care more about PR and profit margins than anything else. The novel comes to a head when, after a PR stunt to release the largest of the male whales back into the wild, it becomes clear that his decades of captivity make it impossible and dangerous to do so.
What I like most about this book is that it has a point of view, but it’s not preachy. May clearly believes that killer whales should not be in captivity but makes his point through the people’s actions and the book’s plot, rather than on a bully pulpit. Even the characters themselves never take the time for a big speech or a proclamation that captivity is wrong. Their points become clear through the stories they tell and what happens to the whales.
The first chapter elucidated that killer whales are powerful and the ones in control as the apex predators. I was worried this book would make the whales seem inappropriately dangerous and veer into Jaws territory of creating a myth around killer whales, but it doesn’t do that and is careful not to do that. The actions of the whales are understandable and in line with their life stories and personalities, all of which are outlined in an appendix to the book.
The high stakes of the storylines and the hope that the world will figure out what the antagonist, Tom, is doing will keep you turning the pages. But the story at large will have you picking up your phone afterward to google the real current state of killer whales and what’s being done to care for them. One of the signs of a good book is when it sparks further curiosity or interest in the topic at hand, and Killer Killer definitely does that.
May also creates a vision of a possible future state for whales that cannot be released into the wild that gives the reader hope that one day we might be able to create such an environment for the whales we have captured to date. May’s passion for killer whales is obvious, but Killer Killer is not just for animal lovers. Its quick-paced and well-developed characters make it an accessible read on what could be a niche topic.