The Rabbit Factor by Antti Tuomainen

Happy Friday! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for Antti Tuomainen's latest, The Rabbit Factor!

Henri is an actuary with an insurance company. He finds order through math and numbers. What he doesn't have time for, though, is idle chit chat and gossip. Which apparently means that he no longer fits into his company's culture. 

And so he finds himself very unexpectedly unemployed. 

And then finds himself, also very unexpectedly, the new owner of YouMeFun, the adventure park his brother owned. Because, as it turns out, his brother has passed away and left everything to Henri. 

The park is fully staffed and, mostly, functional. But it's also not exactly doing well financially. And apparently Henri's brother had gotten tied in with some quite unsavory types! 

But amidst dealing with the park's troubles, a new staff of people he barely knows and has to manage, and the chaos that goes along with all of that, Henri also finds himself surprisingly drawn to the park's manager. Suddenly, his carefully ordered world has been turned upside down. And Henri doesn't know if he's equipped to deal with it all. 

Antti Tuomainen is an author whose reputation truly does precede him! His quirky Finnish thrillers have been on my must read list for some time now. Which is why I jumped at the opportunity to be part of this tour! And I have to say I am very happy that The Rabbit Factor turned out to be everything—and more—than I expected it to be!

First, the premise is pretty funny in an of itself. And once we really meet Henri, it becomes even more oddball and fun! 

The book begins just over three weeks into inheriting the park with Henri being chased around and forced to defend himself with a rabbit ear. I mean, I don't know how else we could better be set up for what's to come.

But the Henri prior to YouMeFun is stuck. Stuck in his ways. Stuck by himself. Stuck in a rut. Stuck without friends, a job, or even his own brother. And imagining that Henri becoming the Henri from the opening chapter seems like a pretty impossibly leap. Joining him on that journey is pure entertainment! 

Tuomainen clearly enjoys what he does and that enjoyment comes through in his prose. Albeit via translator David Hackston. 

And in a surprise twist, this is actually being adapted for film with Steve Carrell set to star. Which is quite possibly the most perfect casting I can imagine for Henri!

And I just want to take a quick minute to give some serious props to the cover designer here. That is, quite possibly, the most perfectly eye-catching and fantastic cover design I've seen in a while!

The Rabbit Factor is an excellent read, perfect for anyone who enjoys dark comedy and caper-style thrillers! I sincerely hope that it's also the book that makes Tuomainen the household name he should be worldwide!