Lois Schmitt Knihy

"When the director of a Long Island zoo is murdered by snake venom, Kristy Farrell, former English teacher turned wildlife reporter, takes a personal interest in the case. Her brother Tim, the zoo's curator in charge of reptiles, is the leading suspect. Although the evidence is circumstantial, Kristy is sure the homicide detective, a childhood nemesis of her brother, is out to frame Tim. Believing that the killer is one of her brother's colleagues, Kristy investigates the internal politics and personal relationships at the zoo. As she delves into each suspect's life, she uncovers weak alibis and powerful motives, including greed, blackmail, infidelity, and revenge. The trail leads her to a Greenwich Village pet store with a shady history, a radical animal rights group, a wildlife art exhibit on Long Island's infamous gold coast, and a bizarre animal auction in rural Ohio where just about anything -- dead or alive -- can be purchased for the right price. Meanwhile, the zoo is plagued with accidents, a second murder occurs, and Kristy's life is threatened. With everyone's nerves on edge, Kristy races to find the killer before the killer strikes again."-- Provided by publisher

When animals start mysteriously disappearing from the Pendwell Wildlife Refuge, former English-teacher-turned-magazine-reporter Kristy Farrell is on the case. Days later, the body of the refuge's director is found in a grassy clearing.

When attorney Samuel (Sam) Wong goes missing, wildlife magazine reporter Kristy Farrell believes the disappearance is tied to her latest story concerning twenty acres of prime beachfront that the Clam Shell Cove Aquarium hopes to purchase. Sam works for multi-millionaire land developer Lucien Moray who wants to buy the property for an upscale condominium. The waterfront community is divided on this issue like the Hatfields and McCoys, with environmentalists siding with the aquarium and local business owners lining up behind Moray. Meanwhile, a body is found in a nearby inlet. Kristy, aided by her veterinarian daughter, investigates and discovers deep secrets among the aquarium staff -- secrets that points to one of them as the killer.