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    The Otter of Death
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    The Otter of Death
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    The Otter of Death
    Ebook322 pages5 hours

    The Otter of Death

    By Betty Webb

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    "While examining some timely social issues, Webb also delivers lots of edifying information on the animal kingdom in an entry sure to please fans and newcomers alike." —Publishers Weekly

    While taking the yearly "otter count" at a marsh near Gunn Landing Harbor, California, zookeeper Theodora Bentley sees Maureen, her favorite otter, swimming around clutching someone's expensive smartphone. When Teddy rescues the device, she discovers a photograph of a murder-in-progress. A hasty search soon turns up the still-warm body of Stuart Booth, PhD, a local Marine Biology instructor.

    Booth was a notorious sexual harasser of young female students, so the list of suspects is long enough to make Teddy wonder if the crime will ever be solved. But when her friend, Lila, one of Booth's original accusers, is arrested and charged with his murder, Teddy begins to investigate. This creates considerable tension with Teddy's fiancé, Sheriff Joe Rejas. He believes the ever-inquisitive zookeeper might be putting her own life at risk, and so orders her to butt out.

    Concerned for her accused friend, Teddy ignores Joe's ultimatum. She questions not only members of Gunn Landing's moneyed social elite, but also the other side of the financial spectrum—the financially strapped young women willing to do almost anything to pay for their college tuition. Alarmed by Teddy's meddling, Booth's killer fights back—first with a death threat, then via gunshot.

    In this fifth Gunn Zoo Mystery, Teddy is torn between living a peaceful life on her Monterey Bay houseboat with her three-legged dog DJ Bonz, or moving inland to marry Joe, who comes with kids and a mother who has her own mysterious agenda. The choice is scary for Teddy—who has barely been managing her own many-times-married mother, and her imperious employer, Aster Edwina Gunn, overlord of the famed Gunn Zoo. Teddy's life is further complicated by a wayward snow monkey named Kabuki, taunter of teenage boys. The zookeeper's dedication to her charges—including the anteater, the koala, the llama, and Magnus, the polar bear cub from Iceland (met in Teddy's last adventure, The Puffin of Death), never falters in a cleverly plotted series rich in characters and in animal lore.

    Gunn Zoo series:

    The Anteater of Death (Book 1)

    The Koala of Death (Book 2)

    The Llama of Death (Book 3)

    The Puffin of Death (Book 4)

    The Otter of Death (Book 5)

    Praise for the Gunn Zoo series:

    "'High Society meets Zoo Quest.' I've always been a sucker for zoos, so I also relished the animal details in this highly enjoyable read." —RHYS BOWEN, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author

    "Webb skillfully keeps the reader guessing right to the dramatic conclusion." —Publishers Weekly for The Puffin of Death

    "Teddy's second case showcases an engaging array of quirky characters, human and animal." —Kirkus Reviews for The Koala of Death

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSourcebooks
    Release dateMay 2, 2018
    ISBN9781464209932
    Unavailable
    The Otter of Death
    Author

    Betty Webb

    As a journalist, Betty Webb interviewed U.S. presidents, astronauts, and Nobel Prize winners, as well as the homeless, dying, and polygamy runaways. The dark Lena Jones mysteries are based on stories she covered as a reporter. Betty's humorous Gunn Zoo series debuted with the critically acclaimed The Anteater of Death, followed by The Koala of Death. A book reviewer at Mystery Scene Magazine, Betty is a member of National Federation of Press Women, Mystery Writers of America, and the National Organization of Zoo Keepers.

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    Reviews for The Otter of Death

    4/5

    14 ratings5 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Betty Webb has created a fast-paced, light-hearted series that's just plain fun to read, and-- I'm happy to say-- The Otter of Death is the best of the bunch (so far). Personal relationships loom large in this book, with Teddy and Joe still having issues to iron out before contemplating setting a wedding date. There are also the soap opera-like intrigues amongst the other staff members at the Zoo. But it's not all who-did-what-to-whom. There's a tightly woven, intriguing mystery here, and Webb gives us animal lovers something else we crave: creatures of all shapes, sizes, and personalities. We learn about animal behavior, the ecology, and why flushable kitty litter is a no-no.I have to admit that, although the mystery is excellent, I get my critter fix, and it's fun to catch up with the lives of characters I've grown to care for, it's the humor that is absolutely stellar in The Otter of Death. I laughed so hard at the Anteaters to Zebras live segment on Good Morning, San Sebastian that I woke up the neighbors' dog and made it bark. And if you don't love the identity of the cavalry that rides to Teddy's rescue at the end of the book, well... there just may be something drastically wrong with your funny bone. Make an appointment with your doctor.Some of you may be familiar with Webb's other series featuring private investigator Lena Jones in Scottsdale, Arizona. It is marvelous and discusses some very serious issues. In Webb's Gunn Zoo mysteries, she gets to showcase an entirely different side of her personality, and these books are so much fun. It just goes to show that Betty Webb can handle both the serious and the humorous sides of your own reading personalities. If you're not already a fan, what are you waiting for?
    • 5/5
      Theodora 'Teddy' Bentley, a zookeeper at the Gunn Zoo, is helping with an annual otter count when one of her particularly friendly otters shows up with a cell phone under its fin. When she retrieves the phone, she realizes it belongs to Stuart Booth, a local Marine Biology instructor who's also helping with the count. But then she looks at the last picture taken - a selfie - and realizes that Stuart was being murdered at the time. When she calls the sheriff, her fiance Joe Rejas, their department searches until they find the professor's body.Joe naturally tells Teddy to stay out of the investigation and she wants to, but her boss, Aster Edwina gives her different instructions. She wants Teddy to quietly investigate and keep her updated on what's going on. Stuck between a rock and hard place, Teddy has to figure out how to do it and keep Joe from finding out.When Teddy's neighbor on the marina is arrested for the murder she asks her stepfather to intervene and help, because she knows the woman is innocent. But then the park's ranger, Lex Yarnell asks Teddy to visit an old girlfriend of his who might know something about Stuart and he wants to keep her out of it if possible.However, Teddy soon finds out that no one is grieving for Stuart - in fact, some are grateful he's gone; and the more she finds out about him, the more she realizes there are plenty of people who wanted him dead. When a second murder occurs and is apparent it's tied to Stuart's death, things start to get serious - Teddy receives warnings to back off, her dog is injured, and if she doesn't find out who's behind it all, she may very well be the next victim...This book was a true delight to read. Ms. Webb has a knack for creating an atmosphere of mystery while reading about one - she pulls you into the story and keeps you there, even if it means reading into the wee hours of the morning.This is the fifth book in the series, and each one seems to be better than the last. We get to see a warmth from Teddy's mother Caro that isn't always apparent, and during one particular social occasion we understand why she left her high society life behind (I would, too). We also get to spend time with Joe's family - his mother and two children - and even the fact that his Irish mother loves the color green seems rather endearing, in a way.While Joe is doing his best to keep on the investigation, as sheriff he naturally has other problems as well and can't be two places at once. He's also doing his best to get Teddy to the altar, and she keeps hedging on a wedding date, not wanting to completely give up her independence aboard her little boat.There is plenty of action and suspense, enough to keep even the most die-hard mystery fan interested. It seems that when Teddy does get a moment of calm, something else is lurking right around the corner which causes her to be drawn not only back into the investigation, but at times become part of it.When we finally realize the identity of the killer it comes as a complete surprise. The reasons for the murders make sense only to the killer; it is also rather sad in a way what drives people to do evil things. This was a very good book indeed and I only wish that I were able to read the next in the series. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      THE OTTER OF DEATH by Betty Webb is Book 5 in her popular Gunn Zoo series.I enjoy this series and am a big fan.The books are great fun to read, with lots of interesting facts about zoos, animals, animal behavior, ecology, and science mixed in.The book covers are amazing. In THE OTTER Of DEATH, a sea otter is floating on its back with a cell phone in its hands (whoops, I mean paws!). With vivid detail and color, the covers alone are worth the price of the book. Other series titles have the same amazing covers with a llama, an anteater, a puffin and a koala. The covers and titles introduce the mystery.There are interesting, detailed characters who are down-to-earth and very realistic.Theodora (Teddy) Bentley is a zookeeper at the Gunn Zoo in San Sebastian, California. Other characters include Teddy’s fiance, Sheriff Joe Rejas, friends, relatives and co-workers. Teddy’s mother, Caro, is a hoot.The mysteries are a blend of mystery, curiosity, investigating; everyday life. There is murder and some violence involved, but it is not graphic. Humor is always present which I like.I loved the tv segments (Anteaters to Zebras) that Teddy presents on Good Morning, San Sebastian. I also liked Joe’s mother and her secret foray into mystery writing.Ms. Webb’s Gunn Zoo series is one of my favorite mystery series. I hope there are many more titles to come.
    • 3/5
      Heh. That was fun, if here and there a bit scattered.It starts with Teddy finding a body-- uh-- I mean, she finds a phone which leads to the body of a person Teddy and some others are working with to do an otter count.She promises her fiance Joe that she will not get involved and try and find the killer, but, that doesn't go well, and suddenly she's in the middle of it all as usual for this series.There was also the subplot of whether when (if) she and Joe get married will they keep the Merilee or not.When she gets involved, the killer goes after her of course, and there's a lot of back and forth with Joe and her mother Caro because they're both very worried about her. She also moves in with Joe, his mother, and his kids, and that stuff was some of my favorite parts of the book. Not to mention the very cool, 'almost mother in law' subplot. Which I found hilarious.I do wish that like in the other books we'd gotten a bit more learning in about the Otters. Guess I'll have to do that research on my own. A fun book.I was given this ARC by Netgalley on behalf of Poisoned Pen Press.
    • 5/5
      I have enjoyed this series and The Otter of Death is a great cozy. Teddy loves her job at the zoo, she loves her liveaboard boat, and she loves Joe, the local sheriff and her fiance. When she finds an otter holding a cellphone with a picture of a dead man on the screen, Joe does not want her becoming involved in the investigation. Of course, Teddy is immediately asking questions and finds herself in danger. This was a well-written mystery with just the right amount of humor, suspense and happy endings. Pick up The Otter of Death, grab your favorite snack, and settle in for a cozy read.