Mary Willis Walker

The heroine in this one is unusual as she is smart, funny and much older than generally portrayed in this type of book. As we meet Katherine her world is coming down around her ears. About the time when she is at her wits ends, she gets more bad news...her father, who she hasn't seen or heard from in years, has died. She next discovers something that will set her off on a journey destined to change her life. I really liked the writing style of this author and the fact that she takes a job in the Austin Zoo....a fellow "Zoo Enthusiast:) The story has everything that came together to make it a 5 star rating. Lots of action... a great story line with enough mystery & suspense...a little romance thrown in... and a more than satisfying ending.… (meer)

Although a decent book after several years it doesn't stay with me. I reread my notes on the book and if it weren't for them I wouldn't have remembered reading this book at all. I do remember it took me weeks to finish it. I had a hard time connecting to the character Katherine and could care less who killed her father whom she hadn't seen in over 30 years. This is definitely not a cozy as the context was a bit more graphic then that. Katherine not only finds herself in the business of uncovering the reason behind her fathers death but also the death of several other men, an illegal rare animal selling ring, and a deep dark family secret. Overall I would say the book wasn't bad but I didn't rush out and read any other books by this author either.… (meer)