I enjoyed the topic, but found myself somewhat turned off by the whole undercover nature of the investigation. I guess that is what has to be done to get these people. ( )

I knew I had to read this book as soon as I heard about it. I love butterflies and animals in general. I get inordinately angry when I hear about poaching and animal smugglers, and in my more vindictive moments have fantasies of shooting the humans who kill and capture animals for nothing more than profit.

Speart is a mystery writer, and it shows in her sometimes melodramatic prose. However, the story itself is so outlandish that if it appeared in a fiction book I would have had trouble suspending my disbelief. You can't make this shit up. This is the story of Ed Newcomer, US FWS agent, and his quest to bring down Yoshi Kojima, the world's "butterfly kingpin". Throughout the book, Speart weaves in chapters that provides background and history to animal smuggling, the FWS, butterflies, and other related topics.

I was immediately drawn into the story and could not put it down. It was a very fast and satisfying read that I probably could have finished in a day if not for work. I can add "FWS field agent" to my list of awesome jobs I want to have but probably won't. ( )

I picked up this book at a little bookstore in Iowa that had a box of ARCs at the door that you could pick through if you made a purchase. The butterfly on the cover caught my eye.

When I finally got around to reading it I had some reservations at first. It wasn't that the book was anti-science, but it was a bit light in science where I would have wanted more, and some of the characterizations struck me a little "dime story mystery novel" -- which made more sense when I looked up the author and discovered that she primarily writes mysteries. But once I got going, of course I was hooked, because Yoshi Kojima is such a strange person -- the kind of oncoming disasters is hard to look away from, and it's hard not to root for Ed Newcomer -- who just wants to save wildlife and keeps getting drawn into increasingly bizarre and uncomfortable undercover situations to do so.

Butterfly smuggling is a strange and depressing world -- the kind you just hope doesn't exist -- that all those framed insects you see for sale were responsibly harvested, etc. -- but of course it does. If only the legal system took it more seriously. I'm thankful for those who do. ( )

Completely absorbing story about the world's best butterfly smuggler, Yoshi Kojima, and how Agent Newcomer from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finally brought him down.

Speart's writing is straightforward and easy to understand. She shares information about the world of smuggling, plus specific butterfly trends and secrets, without overcomplicating the rhetoric. Her insider's perspective of the operations of Fish and Wildlife, along with the background in butterflies in particular, flesh out the story and add authority to the narrative.

I don't usually enjoy nonfiction, but I got this book because I do enjoy reading about animals. I learned so much about butterflies, not to mention beetles and other bugs, that I'm now quite appreciative of them. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about endangered animals and the U.S. laws that leave us exposed to their continued smuggling. ( )

Coming from a family of do-it-yourself insect collecting I was appalled to learn of the booming black market for butterflies. This is a grim nonfiction heartbreak recast as a Hollywood thriller. If you can wade through the stilted dialog it is an entertaining read. Not recommended for for serious consumers of science writing, others may enjoy. ( )