PLEASE NOTE: This book may have an alternate cover. The following description is provided as a guide only and may contain text that doesn't specifically relate to this item. From Publishers Weekly . . Texas dog trainer Katherine Driscoll embarks on a perilous quest to unravel family mysteries in Walker's gripping debut. Her mortgage in default, Katherine is devastated by the imminent loss of her house, kennel and beloved golden retriever. A startling solution presents itself when her father, whom she has not seen in 30 years, writes to say that her big loan will be paid in full in return for a small favor. While the note does not mention what the favor will be, Katherine resolves to meet Lester Renfro and find out if he really is a ‘maniac,’ as her mother claimed. Upon arrival in Austin, she learns that veteran zookeeper Renfro has been killed by a tiger. Arguing that the keeper had been set up for the kill by someone who had sent Renfro a threatening note, Police Lt. Bernard Sharb tries to talk Katherine out of taking a job at the reptile house in the Austin Zoo. But Katherine is determined to remain in town until she answers an increasing number of questions. Why had Renfro been sending half his salary to a mystery woman? Why had her wealthy grandmother disowned her mother? Why is Renfro's attorney shot and impaled on the antlers of a deer? And why had her father left her photos of endangered African animals being led off of trucks? Katherine takes risks that put her at the cusp of unrelated, but lethal dangers. Very believable players make the resolution all the more harrowing. . . Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. . . . . From School Library Journal . . YA-- This book grabs readers from the beginning paragraphs and doesn't let go until a satisfying conclusion promises more adventures for heroine, dog trainer, and sleuth Katherine Driscoll. The 36-year-old protagonist receives a letter from her father, whom she has not seen since she was five. The letter promises much needed financial help, but when she arrives at the zoo where he works, she discovers that he is dead. Long-kept family secrets begin to emerge when the woman takes a job at the same zoo, which is run by her deceased mother's brother and largely financed by her maternal grandmother. The mystery brings in various literary tidbits from Emily Dickinson, Shakespeare, and Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner that add depth to the book. Katherine is a likable heroine with a gutsy intelligence that mixes well with her realistic human frailties. A gripping book, and its cover art--a terrifying snake, fangs bared, tongue flicking--is sure to increase its popularity. . . - Bunni Union, Geauga West Library, Chesterland, OH . . Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.Mary Willis Walker
