Not particularly good book, but I did love the anteater. Plot okay, characters lifted from a soap opera but the setting was fun ( )

body found in anteater enclosure at private zoo--Teddy the keeper must solve to keep friend out of jail

The interesting setting, very interesting characters, and a lively plot give this series a good start ( )

This cozy mystery begins with Lucy the Giant Anteater from Belize narrating. She smells a human interloper in her pen at the Gunn Landing Zoo and discovers him covered with hundreds of delicious ants. The victim of the zoo turns out to be Grayson Harrill, an employee and husband of the wealthy Gunn family who sponsor the zoo. The narration is then picked up by Theodora “Teddy” Bentley, another zoo employee.

Teddy knows that Lucy didn't kill Grayson which immediately puts her on the opposite side of boss and most of the community. Eventually Teddy expands her investigation and ends up being shot at, slugged on the head in a swirling fog, and eventually becomes a suspect in another murder. She also ignores any advice of her over-protective mother, her fugitive father, and her ex-boyfriend who just happens to be the sheriff.

What a delightfully fresh and funny mystery this turned out to be. It's filled with humor and some real laugh at loud moments. The atmosphere of the zoo is very realistic. In addition to a well thought out mystery plot we also learn a lot about monkeys, wolves and giant anteaters, as well as individual animals like Makeba, a giraffe who gis expecting a baby; Cisco, the alpha male wolf; and Carlos, the magpie jay who wants Teddy for his avian mate. I absolutely loved it and plan on reading the rest of the series. ( )

This is a fun easy read, a nice mostly 'cozy' mystery. We meet Teddy, her family and her friends at the Gunn Zoo and one of her best friends Lucy the Giant Anteater is blamed for killing one of the management, until it became obvious that the man was dead before Lucy swiped him, but then her human friend was blamed instead.

Teddy is a magnet for danger and often doesn't see it until it's almost too late, being so focused on what she is trying to do at any one time. It's a good series worth a read, and you always learn about some interesting animals along the way. ( )