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Ann Littlewood is the author of Night Kill, the first in the Iris Oakley Zoo-Dunnit series. She worked for the Oregon Zoo for 12 years as a zookeeper before a career in business writing with Kaiser Permanente. Ann lives in Portland, Oregon, across the river from Vancouver, Washington, the home of the fictional Finley Memorial Zoo. She is a life-long environmentalist and a volunteer with the Audubon Society of Portland.
Zookeeper Iris Oakley, who lost her husband in her first outing (2008's Night Kill), returns to Finley Memorial Zoo near Vancouver, Wash., for a second harrowing adventure that meshes the complexities of animal care and human failings. Early one morning, Iris discovers her boss, Kevin Wallace, face down in the elephant enclosure, apparently being mauled. What first appears to be a dreadful accident is revealed by autopsy to be a murder and merely the first incident to bedevil the little zoo. Although she's six months pregnant, several colleagues suggest that Iris should look into other disturbing events, including the theft of a zoo van and the body of a tiger. Fascinating details of zoo life--the impending birth of clouded leopards, collecting urine samples from elephants--lend color. Man again proves to be the most dangerous animal, and Iris needs all her cunning to discover the rogue behind the violence in a follow-up that should win Littlewood more fans. --Publishers Weekly Mystery mavens may pick out the killer early on, but a wealth of behind-the-scenes detail smoothly integrated into the puzzle makes this a promising debut. -- Kirkus Reviews of Night Kill A debut from former zookeeper Ann Littlewood, it convincingly and affectionately evokes its animal-friendly setting. Call it a zoo cozy. -- The Seattle Times of Night Kill Mystery mavens may pick out the killer early on, but a wealth of behind-the-scenes detail smoothly integrated into the puzzle makes this a promising debut. -- Kirkus Reviews of N
