Book description
But if Lucy, the pregnant Giant Anteater from Belize, didn't kill the
man found dead in her enclosure, who did? California zookeeper Teddy
Bentley must find the real murderer before her furry friend is shipped
off to another zoo in disgrace. Then another human bites the dust, the
monkeys riot, and the wolves go nuts. Things get worse when the snooty
folks at Gunn Landing Harbor attempt to evict Teddy from the Merilee,
her beloved houseboat. That's just the beginning. Her father, on the lam
from the Feds for embezzling millions, gets targeted by a local
gangster; and Caro, Teddy's socialite mother, a former beauty queen who
loathes Teddy's dangerous job, starts introducing her to 'eligible
bachelors.' But Teddy has already given her heart to Sheriff Joe Rejas,
a migrant worker's son. Caro is not pleased. Zoo life, animal lore, and
the leaky ups and downs of Central Coast California houseboat living
create a thrilling backdrop for murder. When a zoo trustee is found
dead in Lucy the anteater's enclosure at the Gunn Landing Zoo on the
central California coast, zookeeper Teddy Bentley decides to nose around
because she believes poor Lucy has been framed. Soon Teddy finds that
people she has known all of her life have secrets that may have led to
murder. Webb, author of the well-written Lena Jones PI series, not only
presents a clear picture of what it is like to work in a zoo but also
introduces an engaging new protagonist who will appeal to mystery buffs
who enjoy light animal mysteries. Betty Webb is the author of the
acclaimed Lena Jones mystery series, which includes “Desert Cut” and
“Desert Wives.” A former Californian who once lived on a boat, like the
zookeeper protagonist of “The Anteater of Death,” Betty now lives in
landlocked Arizona, where she volunteers at the Phoenix Zoo. She also
teaches Creative Writing at Phoenix College and is a member of the
National Association of Press Women, Mystery Writers of America, and the
Authors Guild.
