Shark Bunny

Some secrets have sharp teeth. Beatrice, better known as Bunny, is a survivor. A former foster child, she is trying to make her way in the world as a gig worker, running errands and task-rabbiting for her rich client Claire. However, events take an unexpected turn after Claire asks her to check on her reclusive brother, Ben, and Bunny meets a strange man living in his house.

 Bunny will need to rely on her survival instincts, and a little help from unexpected allies, if she wants to make it out alive.

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Get ebook on Amazon (free on Kindle Unlimited) Now!

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Print release on January 19th 2026!

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Editorial Review:

*This Review may contain spoilers*

Reviewed by Paul Knobloch for Reader Views (12/2025)
5*- This Bunny Wants More Than Carrots

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​In the press releases for Shark Bunny, Melani Redmiles-Quinley's gripping new psychological thriller and fine neo-noir, the reader is posed a question: "What would you do for a chance at a better life?" Redmiles-Quinley gives us Bunny's answer, and yes, the title is apropos.  Bunny has had it hard: foster homes, dead-end jobs, running errands for other people. She is most definitely a hustler and survivor, and her only friend seems to be Fern.
Fern is an openly queer character. Flamboyant and hilarious, providing the bulk of the humor. The author's description is spot-on: Never one to waste a moment, Fern wriggles the sparkly top on over what he's already wearing, then flops into a dramatic mermaid pose on the bed, batting his fake eyelashes and blowing kisses. 'Call me, maybe,' he sings...
Bunny's main client is Claire, who is definitely wealthier than she is and obsessed with her looks. She wears a ton of makeup and is constantly obsessed with how she presents herself. As Bunny remarks, "... everything about her is deliberate." This is someone whom Bunny understands, and when she learns about Claire's brother, Ben, she's sure she has found a way to control and manipulate her boss. Of course, there's all sorts of drama going on, especially between Claire and her brother Ben, who's harboring some pretty dark secrets. The plot really thickens when Claire sends Bunny to Ben's house on an errand. Someone called Dylan opens the door, and Bunny learns that Ben isn't there. It's an interesting scene because we really get to see how crafty Bunny is when she removes the fuse from her car to stall it. It becomes her excuse to hang out and explore the house. The trouble is that she's met her match in Dylan. We'll come to learn that Dylan is a formidable foe and also able to play the game as well as Bunny does.
They're people who've learned how to gaslight and hustle as a means of surviving. And speaking of gaslighting, Bunny decides to make fake voicemails, impersonating Ben and leaving Claire an emotional wreck, and hence more easily controlled. While at Ben's house, she rummages through the rooms, looking for hidden valuables, and eventually she finds a system of hidden tunnels.
If that hasn't whetted your appetite, then come along for the great dialogue and the beautiful expository prose. Fern's one-liners alone are worth the price of admission:  Providing book by book publicity for Indie Authors since 2005. "Girl, you really put your actual phone number on this? For real? You may as well just ask a serial killer to pick you up."
What this book really is—intentionally or not - is a clever reworking of the Chandler noir. A sharp hustler looking to survive gets caught up in the intrigue of some rich and decadent people, exposing the rot that lies under the shimmering façade. That's essentially the architecture of The Big Sleep.  
And let me be clear: I am not accusing the author of pilfering. On the contrary. She has used that template ingeniously, putting together something altogether relatable for a contemporary audience. This novel finds a very clever way to approach class, wealth inequality, and identity in a 21st-century noir. It's a fantastic idea: a woman in the place of Philip Marlowe. In making that choice, Redmiles-Quinley has put a fresh spin on a classic genre and made it work for today's audience. I found Shark Bunny to be a unique, funny, and compelling take on the modern noir.

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