Jackrabbit Skin
Swan is a new tattoo artist in the California desert who agrees to ink a memorial piece for a grieving man named Kurt. Despite warnings from the locals to avoid indulging his tragic past, Kurt keeps coming back for more sessions. With every new tattoo, the dark truth about his wife's death slowly begins to surface.
- Swan - Tattoo artist
- Kurt - Swan’s neighbor
- Melanie - Kurt’s wife, deceased
- Swan moves out to the desert when she gets divorced.
- Melanie died in an electrical fire at their home.
- Swan sees a sign for Miracle Manor, a luxury resort project in the desert that never materialized.
- Swan tattoos a portrait of Kurt and Melanie on Kurt’s shoulder.
- Kurt returns to have Swan add more to his tattoo.
- Melanie was the one behind the idea to build Miracle Manor.
- Kurt tells Swan that the townspeople killed Melanie, and that he let it happen, he didn’t protect her.
- The townspeople come and burn down Swan’s house while she and Kurt are inside. Swan escapes out a back window, but Kurt stays.
Jackrabbit Skin by Ivy Pochoda is a novella that leans heavily into mystery and intrigue rather than delivering any real thriller vibes. The premise itself felt a bit boring and the story struggled to hold my attention. There is an awful lot of groundwork and lead-up just to get to the core of the plot.
The biggest letdown is that all of this setup culminates in a boring reveal. After spending so much time wading through the buildup, the ending just was not very exciting or interesting. It is one of those reads where the final payoff simply does not match the effort it takes to get there.
- Death of a spouse
- Murder
- Fire
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
ASIN: B0CHCWLWS6
Publication Date: March 19, 2024
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
