Death Roll
by Marilyn Victor and Michael Allan Mallory
Published by Five Star (May release)
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Reviewed by Anne-Gigi Chan
Anthony Wright, the Director of the Minnesota Valley Zoo, made a career of getting what he wanted, no matter the price. When he was murdered and ended up as the late-night snack for the zoo's fifteen-foot killer crocodile on the night of a fundraising gala, some were indifferent, some were relieved and very few shed any tears. Convinced that the police had the wrong man after they arrested the lead crocodile handler, zookeeper Lavender "Snake" Jones, was determined to clear her friend's name. But the more secrets and lies she uncovered and exposed, the stronger the case grew against her friend. Snake no longer knew who she could trust--and she had to find out who was trying to kill her!
This is the first novel by the authors, which they call a wildlife mystery. Take away the crocodiles and kangaroos, this book has a very cozy and whodunit feel to it: a victim being a much-disliked man, the body was discovered in a very public manner, many suspects all with their own agenda and opportunities, an amateur sleuth with a keen sense of observation, a reluctant detective plus secret pasts and hidden liaisons.
The authors did a good job providing the reader with lots of background information about animal behavior, wildlife conservation and so forth. There were many twists and turns with unexpected developments; subtle hints were also dropped throughout the book for the keen mystery fan to figure out who did it.
However, I was bothered by how Steve Irwin (the Crocodile Hunter) was immortalized in this book in the guise of Jeff Jones, the protagonist's husband. Too many thinly vieled references, including clothing, favorite words, up to his parents having started a zoological garden in Australia.
Irwin's approach towards wildlife conservation may be a controversial topic, but nonetheless, I believe that this "product of the author's imagination" deserves some kind of recognition and acknowledgement. It is one thing to have real people inspire the development of fictional characters, but it is another to transplant them into a book, give them a fake name and pretend it is one's own creation.
Overall, I enjoyed the book for the sake of the story.
Armchair Interviews says: Animal lovers who are Agatha Christie's fan will enjoy this. We agree with the Steve Irwin "characterization" problem.
Author's Web site: http://www.snakejones.com