Chamblee54

A few weeks ago, PG found a book by T. C. Boyle, When the Killing’s Done: A Novel. Mr. Boyle tells stories, which is what PG wants in a book. If PG becomes wiser, kinder, or wealthier as a result, this is fine. The first objective is entertainment. If the book does not tell a story, it is not worth your time. WTKD is a story. The commentary on serious issues is a bonus. Mr. Boyle is good at this sort of thing.
A handful of islands off the California coast have problems. They are mostly uninhabited. A few species managed to get aboard, and upset the balance. The government wants to eradicate the invaders, and restore the original inhabitants. A crew of noisy animal lovers stands in the way.
The primary bad guy is a millionaire animal lover. He is a bit of a cartoon character. In one scene, he has a date. The lady becomes his nemesis, in the environmental wars. They go to a restaurant, he orders the most expensive wine available, and declares it rotgut. The lady decides he is a jerk, and leaves. Later they are on opposite sides of a picket line.
The government lady has her own issues. She gets pregnant, and the daddy runs away. The lady goes looking for the abortion clinic, and gets lost. The baby appears in the last scene of the book.
WTVD is a page turner. Mr. Boyle is the master manipulator of the language. The story ends before you want it to. The contradictions of the millionaire animal lover show up several times. At one point, racoons are tearing up his carefully sodded, extravagantly watered yard. What to do with the eye shadow wearing rats? Dave (the animal lover) puts traps in his yard, and transports the critters to the embattled islands. This might not be in the best interests of the overall environment, but animals have a right to live. Later, government peeeps wonder how they got on the island.
Mr. Boyle drops in a reference for his fans. A Japanese merchant vessel is moving through the foggy channel waters, en route to a smashing WTKD finale. The vessel had a man go overboard off the Georgia coast once. Pictures today are from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”. These images have nothing to do with WTKD.