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When the Killing's Done
From the bestselling author of The Women comes an action- packed adventure about endangered animals and those who protect them.
Principally set on the wild and sparsely inhabited Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara, T.C. Boyle's powerful new novel combines pulse-pounding adventure with a socially conscious, richly humane tale regarding the dominion we attempt to exert, for better or worse, over the natural world. Alma Boyd Takesue is a National Park Service biologist who is spearheading the efforts to save the island's endangered native creatures from invasive species like rats and feral pigs, which, in her view, must be eliminated. Her antagonist, Dave LaJoy, is a dreadlocked local businessman who, along with his lover, the folksinger Anise Reed, is fiercely opposed to the killing of any species whatsoever and will go to any lengths to subvert the plans of Alma and her colleagues.
Their confrontation plays out in a series of escalating scenes in which these characters violently confront one another, and tempt the awesome destructive power of nature itself. Boyle deepens his story by going back in time to relate the harrowing tale of Alma's grandmother Beverly, who was the sole survivor of a 1946 shipwreck in the channel, as well as the tragic story of Anise's mother, Rita, who in the late 1970s lived and worked on a sheep ranch on Santa Cruz Island. In dramatizing this collision between protectors of the environment and animal rights' activists, Boyle is, in his characteristic fashion, examining one of the essential questions of our Who has the right of possession of the land, the waters, the very lives of all the creatures who share this planet with us? When the Killing's Done will offer no transparent answers, but like The Tortilla Curtain , Boyle's classic take on illegal immigration, it will touch you deeply and put you in a position to decide.
Principally set on the wild and sparsely inhabited Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara, T.C. Boyle's powerful new novel combines pulse-pounding adventure with a socially conscious, richly humane tale regarding the dominion we attempt to exert, for better or worse, over the natural world. Alma Boyd Takesue is a National Park Service biologist who is spearheading the efforts to save the island's endangered native creatures from invasive species like rats and feral pigs, which, in her view, must be eliminated. Her antagonist, Dave LaJoy, is a dreadlocked local businessman who, along with his lover, the folksinger Anise Reed, is fiercely opposed to the killing of any species whatsoever and will go to any lengths to subvert the plans of Alma and her colleagues.
Their confrontation plays out in a series of escalating scenes in which these characters violently confront one another, and tempt the awesome destructive power of nature itself. Boyle deepens his story by going back in time to relate the harrowing tale of Alma's grandmother Beverly, who was the sole survivor of a 1946 shipwreck in the channel, as well as the tragic story of Anise's mother, Rita, who in the late 1970s lived and worked on a sheep ranch on Santa Cruz Island. In dramatizing this collision between protectors of the environment and animal rights' activists, Boyle is, in his characteristic fashion, examining one of the essential questions of our Who has the right of possession of the land, the waters, the very lives of all the creatures who share this planet with us? When the Killing's Done will offer no transparent answers, but like The Tortilla Curtain , Boyle's classic take on illegal immigration, it will touch you deeply and put you in a position to decide.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published February 22, 2011
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118 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 5, 2025
It’s a never-ending cycle about an issue beyond human control.
It’s an environmental story; David LaJoy follows the ‘pro-animal’ side where it’s about ‘saving them’ while Alma Boyd Takesue’s side is ‘pro-death’ though it’s to help the ecosystem from invasive species. It’s a mix between flashbacks of past and to present—showcasing how the lands affect the people.
We get alternate perspectives from David LaJoy, and Alma Boyd Takesue as well as those connected to them; like Alma’s mother, her grandmother, and David’s girlfriend’s mother during her time on Scorpion Ranch.
It’s a complex issue, though the writing favors Alma’s side as more rational with their scientific findings and research, while David’s side is seen as more emotional with ‘good intentions’.
The writing irritates me, even if it has its moments of describing the ocean and nature as something beyond man’s control; the style just irks me. David’s just a headache to deal with, he’s mad when he’s not in control, and madder when things don’t go his whole way when he IS in control.
Alma sections were bearable though it feels as she needs therapy, not just for dealing with David but dealing with the weight of responsibility she’s given herself for the ‘animals’.
We get snippets of their lives and I still don’t find myself caring about them. Maybe I’m just callus or it could be issues from Boyle’s end of representing these characters.
I don’t think I can recommend this book to others, aside from Boyle fans.
It’s an environmental story; David LaJoy follows the ‘pro-animal’ side where it’s about ‘saving them’ while Alma Boyd Takesue’s side is ‘pro-death’ though it’s to help the ecosystem from invasive species. It’s a mix between flashbacks of past and to present—showcasing how the lands affect the people.
We get alternate perspectives from David LaJoy, and Alma Boyd Takesue as well as those connected to them; like Alma’s mother, her grandmother, and David’s girlfriend’s mother during her time on Scorpion Ranch.
It’s a complex issue, though the writing favors Alma’s side as more rational with their scientific findings and research, while David’s side is seen as more emotional with ‘good intentions’.
The writing irritates me, even if it has its moments of describing the ocean and nature as something beyond man’s control; the style just irks me. David’s just a headache to deal with, he’s mad when he’s not in control, and madder when things don’t go his whole way when he IS in control.
Alma sections were bearable though it feels as she needs therapy, not just for dealing with David but dealing with the weight of responsibility she’s given herself for the ‘animals’.
We get snippets of their lives and I still don’t find myself caring about them. Maybe I’m just callus or it could be issues from Boyle’s end of representing these characters.
I don’t think I can recommend this book to others, aside from Boyle fans.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2024
I found this novel a very absorbing read, very thought-provoking. I am concerned about the environment, and the issue of restoring the California islands to their pristine state with native flora and fauna seems to me, prima facie, to be worth pursuing. Yet, in Boyle’s novel, there are animal rights advocates who feel that the eradication of non-native rats, feral pigs, and the removal of sheep, is cruel and morally wrong. The conflicts between the chief environmentalist who coordinates the conservation department’s efforts and her nemesis, a retired businessman with a hot temper, escalate to a fever pitch and a bizarre climax. All the characters are very human and believable. I have to say, I have never read a shipwreck tale as harrowing as the one at the beginning of the novel.
February 5, 2025
Sometimes an author makes you feels like you’re not the only one out there that feels a certain way. Boyle did that for me
Well written and thought provoking. Do we do more harm than good trying to protect nature from our actions?
Well written and thought provoking. Do we do more harm than good trying to protect nature from our actions?
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February 16, 2024I just couldn't get in to this one. Hung in for about 30%...
June 30, 2025
TC is one of my favorite writers. He makes the characters so believable. All about the unintended consequences of managing the environment. It is great.
November 7, 2023
If you love the Channel Islands...
December 19, 2024
My first of many T.C. Boyle books.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews