Rabbit Hole - by Kate Brody (Paperback)

About the Book

"Ten years ago, Theodora "Teddy" Angstrom's older sister, Angie, disappeared. Her case remains unsolved. Now--on the anniversary of Angie's disappearance--Teddy's father, Mark, has killed himself. Unbeknownst to Mark's family, he had been actively investigating conspiracy theories sourced from a Reddit community of true crime fans fixated on Angie, and Teddy soon finds herself falling down that same rabbit hole. After all, if hope dies last, Angie could still be alive. Teddy's burgeoning investigation quickly gets her in hot water with everyone from her frustrated colleagues at the pretentious high school where she teaches English to her middle-aged gun nut boyfriend and her long-lost half-brother. Further complicating matters is Teddy's growing obsession with Mickey, a charming amateur sleuth from Reddit who is eerily keen on helping Teddy solve the case. Bewitched by Mickey, Teddy begins losing her grip on morality. As she struggles to reconcile new information with old memories, her erratic behavior reaches a fever pitch, but she won't stop until she finds Angie--or destroys herself in the process. In Rabbit Hole, debut author Kate Brody has crafted a biting critique of the Internet's voyeuristic boundary trampling, an equally outrageous and heart-wrenching character study of a mind twisted by grief, and a page-turning mystery that's as addictive as a late-night Reddit binge"--

Book Synopsis

A page-turning debut mystery that's as addictive as a late-night Reddit binge, about a grieving woman obsessed with solving her sister's cold-case disappearance via the true crime fandom

Perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, My Favorite Murder, and Fleabag

Ten years ago, Theodora "Teddy" Angstrom's older sister, Angie, went missing. Her case remains unsolved. Now Teddy's father, Mark, has killed himself. Unbeknownst to Mark's family, he had been active in a Reddit community fixated on Angie, and Teddy can't help but fall down the same rabbit hole.

Teddy's investigation quickly gets her in hot water with her gun-nut boyfriend, her long-lost half brother, and her colleagues at the prestigious high school where she teaches English. Further complicating matters is Teddy's growing obsession with Mickey, a charming amateur sleuth who is eerily keen on helping her solve the case.

Bewitched by Mickey, Teddy begins to lose her moral compass. As she struggles to reconcile new information with old memories, her erratic behavior reaches a fever pitch, but she won't stop until she finds Angie--or destroys herself in the process.

Rabbit Hole is an outrageous and heart-wrenching character study of a mind twisted by grief, a biting critique of the internet's voyeurism, and an intriguing exploration of the blurry lines of female friendship.

Review Quotes

Praise for Rabbit Hole

Finalist for the ITW Thriller Award for Best First Novel
An ELLE Best Mystery and Thriller Book of 2024
An Amazon Top 10 Best of the Month Pick
A Jennette McCurdy Book Club Pick
An ABA Indie Next Pick for January 2024
A Powell's Pick of the Month for January 2024
A CrimeReads Best Debut of the Month
An ABA Winter 2025 Indie Next Reading Group Guide Pick
A Paste Magazine Most Anticipated Mystery and Thriller Book of 2024
An Audible Most Anticipated Debut of 2024
Lit Hub's Most Anticipated Books of 2024
Deadly Pleasures' Most Anticipated Mysteries and Thrillers of 2024
Mysterious Bookshop First Mystery Crime Club Pick

"In this smart, chilling page-turner, a high school English teacher obsessed with her older sister's long-ago disappearance gets caught up in Reddit conspiracy theories."
--People Magazine

"An unorthodox tale for the true-crime obsessed, Rabbit Hole is less a conventional suspense and more a case study in mourning and obsession, refracted through the lens of a woman processing her father's suicide and her sister's disappearance. With a particular ire for (and understanding of) internet forums, Kate Brody takes readers through protagonist Teddy's descent into the Reddit community devoted to her sister's cold case--and one amateur detective whom Teddy can't seem to resist."
--ELLE

"Brody wisely builds the suspense around Teddy's dissolution and paranoia . . . creating an atmosphere so suffocating and panicky that readers will feel the effects of loss, grief, and confusion as surely as if they were inside Teddy's very smart and once better-adjusted mind."
--NPR.org

"A sensitive, psychological investigation into the long-term, traumatic impact of lingering, unresolved grief."
--Marie Claire

"Vivid, beautiful writing and disturbing in the best way, Rabbit Hole is absolutely unputdownable."
--Mila Kunis

"A compelling study of grief, betrayal, the slippery nature of memory and our complicated relationship with other people's tragedies."
--The Guardian

"For anyone who's ever indulged in a late-night Reddit binge or has found themselves in the amateur sleuthing vortex of true crime junkies, Rabbit Hole follows a woman who becomes obsessed with solving the cold-case disappearance of her older sister."
--Nylon

"Brody proves as sharp about small-town gossip, internet culture, and the nature of grief as she is capable of crafting a twisty, engrossing mystery narrative . . . a stunning debut."
--Toronto Star

"Tension escalates to a maddening frenzy until a bombshell revelation brings the plot full circle, making Rabbit Hole a dazzling read from start to finish."
--Portland Press Herald

"From the first line, Brody's novel had its hands around my throat. While Rabbit Hole has the pace and intrigue of a thriller, and brutal and evocative prose, what makes it stand out is its narrator, Brody's refusal to soften her edges or portray her as anything less than a young woman savaged by grief. I followed breathlessly along, both wishing I could stop Teddy's Internet-fueled descent into madness and eagerly awaiting the next dark, delicious corner she'd lead me."
--Jean Kyoung Frazier, author of Pizza Girl

"Kate Brody's Rabbit Hole is a smart and edgy mystery that kept me turning pages feverishly from start to finish. I found myself tumbling down the rabbit hole right alongside Teddy, the novel's flawed and fascinating protagonist, desperate to solve the mystery of her troubled sister Angie's disappearance. This is a story about girlhood, grief, the slippery nature of memory, and our society's true crime obsession, and Brody delivers insights on these themes in prose that is both raw and beautiful. As we follow Teddy on her downward spiral, we are forced to ask: How much is the truth worth?"
--Alexis Schaitkin, author of Saint X

"I absolutely loved this book. Rabbit Hole is an unflinching portrait of grief and obsession, as well as a genuinely gripping mystery. The characters feel raw and real, the story is dark and timely. I couldn't put it down."
--Ainslie Hogarth, author of Motherthing

"I fell down Rabbit Hole in an obsessive spiral. So many good twists! It's a pitch-black story about ambiguous loss, and a blazingly feminist take on the self-destructive pull of the internet. And it's poignant. And it's unflinching. And that ending! Kate Brody is a star."
--Kate Reed Petty, author of True Story

"A searing portrayal of loss, adolescence, and grief with all the twists and turns of a thriller. Teddy is a fantastically compelling narrator and her relationship with Mickey is twisted yet perfectly believable. I tore through this in a few days--a mindblowing debut."
--Heather Darwent, author of The Things We Do to Our Friends

"In Teddy Angstrom, Kate Brody has constructed a memorable narrator whose distinctive blend of self-awareness and self-destructiveness will keep you both cringing and rooting for her. A witty and moving exploration of grief, loneliness, and obsession as well as a page-turning mystery, Rabbit Hole sucked me in more than any Reddit conspiracy theory thread ever could."
--Isabel Kaplan, author of NSFW

"Blistering, sexy, concentric and dark, Rabbit Hole is the ultimate literary thriller for the digital age, a reddit whodunnit that is at once hyper modern, and grounded by the deep emotionality of Kate Brody's enduring questions about grief and girlhood, caretaking and identity and how, in the absence of truth, to live a meaningful life. An unputdownable debut from a writer I would follow anywhere."
--Allie Rowbottom, author of Jell-O Girls and Aesthetica

"A troubling mystery rustles its feathers beneath Brody's gritty, gorgeous prose. Brody shows how the internet bewitches us, how we seek it out looking for an escape but instead are confronted by our own shadow-selves. Tense and engrossing."
--Bea Setton, author of Berlin

"Kate Brody's multifaceted debut combines sensitive characterization, wry narration, and use of modern technology worthy of Jennifer Egan with the brilliantly evocative suspense of a Tana French novel. I was riveted!"
--Joanna Margaret, author of The Bequest

"Among Brody's strengths as a writer is her ability to create realistic, multifaceted characters whose needs and desires are at odds with what it is they actually want and need . . . A psychological thriller that also thoughtfully explores social media culture and the dangers of obsession, Rabbit Hole is a heart-wrenching reminder of the complex humanity behind every true crime story."
--Chicago Review of Books

"Teddy's world--and therefore the book--is dark and tinged with loss . . . It's a testament to Brody that her story can almost repulse in its gritty detail. There are images in Rabbit Hole that will not leave my mind."
--Alta Journal

"[A] promising debut... perfect for our internet sleuth-y, murder-fixated age."
--Lit Hub

"Kate Brody writes with urgency, forcing readers to face the ugly parts of themselves much the way grief does...Dream-like and shape-shifting, Rabbit Hole left me pleasantly disoriented at times, wondering until the last moment who was to be trusted."
--The Sunlight Press

"[A] stunning indictment of social media."
--Deadly Pleasures

"Pensive and grave."
--Criminal Element

"Invigorating . . . Brody infuses the character-driven Rabbit Hole with a precise look at social media addiction, the debilitating effects of grief, and the inaccuracy of memory as she keeps the pages turning in this solidly suspenseful plot."
--Oline H. Cogdill, Shelf Awareness

"A fascinating romp through the internet's true crime boards . . . Brody's novel continues the ongoing trend of psychological thrillers that become smart critiques of true crime culture."
--CrimeReads

"A taut story of family and letting secrets go."
--Indie Next

"Full of twists and surprises, genuine mystery and startling psychological portraits, Rabbit Hole is a profound exploration into the nature of grief and identity. It is also an unsettling investigation into the shadowy line that separates the real world from the digital."
--BookTrib

"Brody's debut is visceral and at times gut-wrenching, exploring the ways grief and a need for answers can be exacerbated and exploited by a culture obsessed with true-crime stories. Powerful and unforgettable."
--Booklist

"Rabbit Hole by Kate Brody will have you wading through a miasma of raw thoughts and feelings. A well crafted debut."
--Murder in Common

"Noirish, haunting and razor-sharp, as compulsive as a late-night Reddit binge, Rabbit Hole is an unforgettable debut about violence, family and grief."
--Jill's Book Cafe

"Brody's debut novel is both a suspenseful mystery and a provocative portrait of a broken family. Teddy is a sharply intelligent and rather cinematically flawed heroine . . . who readers will nonetheless find themselves rooting for."
--BookPage

"This is deliciously good fiction, both harrowing and heartfelt, propulsive and immersive."
--Book Reporter

"Brody's sure-footed debut paints a harrowing portrait of a life derailed by internet conspiracy theories . . . Narrating from Teddy's point of view, Brody explores in elegant prose potent themes both contemporary (internet addiction) and evergreen (grief)."
--Publishers Weekly

"A gritty, realistically ambivalent look at how insiders and outsiders experience crime, with a realistic main character to boot."
--First Clue Reviews

"A timely rumination on true crime, internet obsession, and paranoia."
--Kirkus Reviews

"[An] engrossing thriller . . . The dark corners of the internet feed a teacher's investigation into her sister's probable murder in the contemporary thriller Rabbit Hole."
--Foreword Reviews

About the Author

Kate Brody lives in Los Angeles, California. Her work has previously appeared in Lit Hub and The Literary Review, among other publications. She holds an MFA from NYU. Rabbit Hole is her debut novel.