A group of friends makes an odd pact: after each of them dies, the other will launch the deceased individual's body out of a circus cannon. Why? Is it performance art? Mindless transgression? Crass insanity? Suffice it to say that by the end of the story, their plans unravel, and death has the last laugh. Dark comedy and philosophical musings abound in this exquisitely penned short novel with chapter titles such as "Little Death Meets Big Death". Literary aficionados will recognize the influences of Hunter Thompson and Ernest Hemingway, as well as the beautiful, nightmarish setting of a Michel Houellebecq novel. Coupled with the author's own inimitable style, these elements seamlessly coalesce to make "The Shooting Party" an instant 21st century classic.