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Leverage #2
The Zoo Job
A new novel based on the hit TV series Leverage...
The rich and powerful take what they want.
We steal it back for you.
THE ZOO JOB
Marney Brillinger is in trouble. The zoo that has been in her family for generations is failing, and when she makes a deal with a Malanian priest to loan her two exotic black rhinos for a special exhibit, they never arrive. Now, she’s on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars to the priest, who was planning to use the money for sick children.
Desperate, she turns to Nate Ford and his team for assistance. But finding two very large lost animals is no easy feat when the search involves duplicity—both international and close–to–home—and the unwelcome arrival of Nate’s nemesis, Interpol agent James Sterling.
With Sterling around, if the team isn’t careful, they just might end up in cages of their own...
The rich and powerful take what they want.
We steal it back for you.
THE ZOO JOB
Marney Brillinger is in trouble. The zoo that has been in her family for generations is failing, and when she makes a deal with a Malanian priest to loan her two exotic black rhinos for a special exhibit, they never arrive. Now, she’s on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars to the priest, who was planning to use the money for sick children.
Desperate, she turns to Nate Ford and his team for assistance. But finding two very large lost animals is no easy feat when the search involves duplicity—both international and close–to–home—and the unwelcome arrival of Nate’s nemesis, Interpol agent James Sterling.
With Sterling around, if the team isn’t careful, they just might end up in cages of their own...
291 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 5, 2013
40 people are currently reading
459 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
April 12, 2020
If you miss the TV show as much as I do, you absolutely HAVE to read this book. It's a very good and well thought-out case.
Just be prepared that the characterisation might piss you off a bit, because all the way through the story and the case you might get the impression that the team doesn't like each other very much, let alone respect each other, when, at THAT point in the series, they're pretty much a family. And a wonderful one, too.
That's incredibly annoying and the reason why it's only three stars instead of four. I honestly don't agree with more than fifty percent of every character's internal monologue, and almost all of them come across as selfish, conceited assholes, which... no. Just no.
I really wish there were a way to bring the TV show back, but... yeah. Not going to happen, sadly.
Just be prepared that the characterisation might piss you off a bit, because all the way through the story and the case you might get the impression that the team doesn't like each other very much, let alone respect each other, when, at THAT point in the series, they're pretty much a family. And a wonderful one, too.
That's incredibly annoying and the reason why it's only three stars instead of four. I honestly don't agree with more than fifty percent of every character's internal monologue, and almost all of them come across as selfish, conceited assholes, which... no. Just no.
I really wish there were a way to bring the TV show back, but... yeah. Not going to happen, sadly.
February 3, 2015
Not as impressive in terms of capturing the characters' unique voices as the Serenity novelisation by the same author; but the Eliot Spencer sections were quite good, while the parts involving Parker and a monkey were very cute and so easy to picture.
One of my favourite lines from an Eliot sequence: "[Eliot] should no longer have been surprised that Sophie had a miniskirt in her purse. He was convinced that the purse was like that stupid phone booth thing on that TV show Hardison liked: bigger on the inside than the outside." (pg 248)
The plot was appropriately twisty, and there were some neat tie-ins to past jobs/various episodes of the show. Good light reading.
One of my favourite lines from an Eliot sequence: "[Eliot] should no longer have been surprised that Sophie had a miniskirt in her purse. He was convinced that the purse was like that stupid phone booth thing on that TV show Hardison liked: bigger on the inside than the outside." (pg 248)
The plot was appropriately twisty, and there were some neat tie-ins to past jobs/various episodes of the show. Good light reading.
January 2, 2018
Based on the writing, this books gets about a 1. The writing is terrible. But, if you love the Leverage characters and are in serious withdrawal, it can be fun if you can get past that. But that's a big IF.
To start with, I don't think the author likes the Leverage characters or it's fan base, since apparently he thinks we're stupid and can basically be bought off with some reminiscing. I understand that authors will often do a bit of explaining on past events just in case the reader has forgotten an important or influential plot point. This isn't that. The author made sure to reference as many past episodes and plot points as possible. Half the book is reminiscing. For the most part, it's completely irrelevant. Not to mention the fact that it's lazy writing. It allowed him to take up half the book with re-hash instead of rounding out the story. It also comes off as "See, see I did watch the series", while he still gets some major character points wrong. I mean, you want to really understand some of the character traits, watch the damn commentary. Also, you don't need to give a 3 page back story to every random person we run across. They're side background characters. You want to give them a 2 sentence cute round out to make them more interesting, fine. But seriously, giving that much back story to characters that don't need it is just another BS trick to fluff out the book without working on hard things like plot or character development.
Minor spoilers ahead:
So ... yeah, next time get a better writer. Hell, get one of the show writers for goodness sake. In the meantime, I'm going to go re-watch old episodes or go watch The Librarians. I might know what's going to happen, but at least I don't have to wade through bad writing.
To start with, I don't think the author likes the Leverage characters or it's fan base, since apparently he thinks we're stupid and can basically be bought off with some reminiscing. I understand that authors will often do a bit of explaining on past events just in case the reader has forgotten an important or influential plot point. This isn't that. The author made sure to reference as many past episodes and plot points as possible. Half the book is reminiscing. For the most part, it's completely irrelevant. Not to mention the fact that it's lazy writing. It allowed him to take up half the book with re-hash instead of rounding out the story. It also comes off as "See, see I did watch the series", while he still gets some major character points wrong. I mean, you want to really understand some of the character traits, watch the damn commentary. Also, you don't need to give a 3 page back story to every random person we run across. They're side background characters. You want to give them a 2 sentence cute round out to make them more interesting, fine. But seriously, giving that much back story to characters that don't need it is just another BS trick to fluff out the book without working on hard things like plot or character development.
Minor spoilers ahead:
So ... yeah, next time get a better writer. Hell, get one of the show writers for goodness sake. In the meantime, I'm going to go re-watch old episodes or go watch The Librarians. I might know what's going to happen, but at least I don't have to wade through bad writing.
October 21, 2020
4 STARS
This time around, the team splits up, dividing their con efforts between the US and (a truthfully fictitious country in) Africa. A rhino never shows up at a struggling zoo, Eliot tangles with his past jobs under Moreau’s direction, and Sophie busts out an old alias from S2.
Like The Con Job, The Zoo Job isn’t a wonder of prose and finer detail. It is, however, another great foray into some of my favorite characters, complete with ever-increasing levels of ridiculousness. The cons they run this time are on an international scale, and once again, only this team could possibly pull it all off without it blowing up in their face. Really, this tie-in is a great example of keeping tie-in characterization darn near consistent with show characterization.
And if I remember correctly, it hovers somewhere between S3 and S4 or so, which covers a few of my absolute favorite character moments. Slotting the tie-in into the show timeline has been a special treat for me!
CW: loss of a loved one, animal death, violence (including gun violence), child death, alcoholism
This time around, the team splits up, dividing their con efforts between the US and (a truthfully fictitious country in) Africa. A rhino never shows up at a struggling zoo, Eliot tangles with his past jobs under Moreau’s direction, and Sophie busts out an old alias from S2.
Like The Con Job, The Zoo Job isn’t a wonder of prose and finer detail. It is, however, another great foray into some of my favorite characters, complete with ever-increasing levels of ridiculousness. The cons they run this time are on an international scale, and once again, only this team could possibly pull it all off without it blowing up in their face. Really, this tie-in is a great example of keeping tie-in characterization darn near consistent with show characterization.
And if I remember correctly, it hovers somewhere between S3 and S4 or so, which covers a few of my absolute favorite character moments. Slotting the tie-in into the show timeline has been a special treat for me!
CW: loss of a loved one, animal death, violence (including gun violence), child death, alcoholism
March 17, 2013
Another great book based on the TV-Show Leverage.
It was structured differently from the first book, here you really got the feeling of an episode including the flashbacks, but it could have had more characters personal interaction like the first one.
I really like it. It had all you wanted in a Leverage episode: Sterling, Sophie as Annie Croy, our two favourite FBI agents...
Love the continuity from the show, you could tell the author was familiar with the show.
It's a must read book if you're fan of the show and like me you're still disappointed that it got cancelled!
It was structured differently from the first book, here you really got the feeling of an episode including the flashbacks, but it could have had more characters personal interaction like the first one.
I really like it. It had all you wanted in a Leverage episode: Sterling, Sophie as Annie Croy, our two favourite FBI agents...
Love the continuity from the show, you could tell the author was familiar with the show.
It's a must read book if you're fan of the show and like me you're still disappointed that it got cancelled!
March 31, 2013
The second novel based in Leverage covers far more serious territory than the first outing. The series allows for such wide shifts in tone and it is good to see the same thing in the novels. Keith does a lovely job giving everyone something to do and keeps them nicely in character. He stretches a bit to mention or use a few too many aspects from the show but they do not slow down a tightly plotted caper. Good dialogue, nice action. Well done, sir.
March 14, 2013
I absolutely loved this book. It was well written and flowed just like you were watching an actual episode. I really loved the additional background on the characters. I can't wait for the next one!!!
August 19, 2020
4.5 stars
Disclaimer: I am friends with the author; however, I purchased this ebook for the full price.
I’ve known for a while that one of my favorite authors had written a media tie-in novel for one of my absolute favorite television shows, and now I’m kicking myself for waiting so long to read it. Fans of Leverage will thoroughly enjoy this adventure. The story expands upon what was probably possible with the show’s budget by featuring travel to distant locales and, as evident by the title, extraordinary animals. At its heart, however, it contains all the elements that made every episode of Leverage entertaining and unique.
DeCandido captures the (at times, multiple) voices of each Leverage hero perfectly, both narratively and in terms of the characters they slip into for a job. The sheer number of other callouts to familiar show elements verges on unnecessary, but by the end of the story, everything ties off perfectly. But honestly, I’ll never complain about something that involves my favorite TV almost-villain, and DeCandido is quite aware of what he’s doing based on an interaction between Nate and Hardison toward the end of the book.
Also, DeCandido solidifies character interactions often left undefined onscreen, such as the exact nature of the relationship between Nate and Sophie. I’m genuinely shocked that this passed editorial review, but it’s pretty awesome that it did.
Overall, a solid, action-packed adventure that is a light, entertaining read. I would not recommend it to fans of the show as a place to first launch into this fandom, but if you like heists, amazing characters, and solid storytelling, definitely check out the show. And then pick up this book to read afterward.
Finally, I must acknowledge DeCandido slips in the perfect number of Doctor Who references. Age of the geek, baby.
Disclaimer: I am friends with the author; however, I purchased this ebook for the full price.
I’ve known for a while that one of my favorite authors had written a media tie-in novel for one of my absolute favorite television shows, and now I’m kicking myself for waiting so long to read it. Fans of Leverage will thoroughly enjoy this adventure. The story expands upon what was probably possible with the show’s budget by featuring travel to distant locales and, as evident by the title, extraordinary animals. At its heart, however, it contains all the elements that made every episode of Leverage entertaining and unique.
DeCandido captures the (at times, multiple) voices of each Leverage hero perfectly, both narratively and in terms of the characters they slip into for a job. The sheer number of other callouts to familiar show elements verges on unnecessary, but by the end of the story, everything ties off perfectly. But honestly, I’ll never complain about something that involves my favorite TV almost-villain, and DeCandido is quite aware of what he’s doing based on an interaction between Nate and Hardison toward the end of the book.
Also, DeCandido solidifies character interactions often left undefined onscreen, such as the exact nature of the relationship between Nate and Sophie. I’m genuinely shocked that this passed editorial review, but it’s pretty awesome that it did.
Overall, a solid, action-packed adventure that is a light, entertaining read. I would not recommend it to fans of the show as a place to first launch into this fandom, but if you like heists, amazing characters, and solid storytelling, definitely check out the show. And then pick up this book to read afterward.
Finally, I must acknowledge DeCandido slips in the perfect number of Doctor Who references. Age of the geek, baby.
February 15, 2020
I do not often mix my media, but for the TV show “Leverage”, I was happy to make an exception. I was looking for another book when I found The Zoo Job by Keith R. A. Decandido. If you are not familiar with the TV show, the book’s storyline is not far from it. It is easy to read as a standalone also.
The story follows the Leverage team: Nate, Sophie, Parker, Hardison and Eliot. Each character has a distinct job that comes into play throughout the book. This job involves a zoo manager who paid for but never received a shipment of black rhinos from Africa. Marney, the manager, is just trying to keep the zoo afloat for the town it’s located in and purchasing the rhinos was a move to open a new exhibit. Nate, the mastermind of the team, sets the rest of them in motion to find the missing rhinos and to also help the zoo. They find out that the preacher who sold Marney the rhinos did so to help fund his struggling medical clinic in Africa. Now the problem is to find out who made the rhinos go missing.
The way the team works together is always a blast and reading it in a book is just as enjoyable as watching it on the small screen. If you like feel good tales of people helping people who need the help and winning against the rich and corrupt, you’ll enjoy Leverage. I’m looking forward to finding the next volume!
The story follows the Leverage team: Nate, Sophie, Parker, Hardison and Eliot. Each character has a distinct job that comes into play throughout the book. This job involves a zoo manager who paid for but never received a shipment of black rhinos from Africa. Marney, the manager, is just trying to keep the zoo afloat for the town it’s located in and purchasing the rhinos was a move to open a new exhibit. Nate, the mastermind of the team, sets the rest of them in motion to find the missing rhinos and to also help the zoo. They find out that the preacher who sold Marney the rhinos did so to help fund his struggling medical clinic in Africa. Now the problem is to find out who made the rhinos go missing.
The way the team works together is always a blast and reading it in a book is just as enjoyable as watching it on the small screen. If you like feel good tales of people helping people who need the help and winning against the rich and corrupt, you’ll enjoy Leverage. I’m looking forward to finding the next volume!
May 21, 2018
I loved Leverage. It was a fun popcorn-on-a-late-night kind of show. And to a degree, so was this book. There were times I felt like I was watching an episode--certain moments were spot on. It was a nice, light and airy caper, and I did enjoy.
However, I will say that the writing wasn't top notch. There was a lot of telling rather than showing, and a lot of the narrative was spent reminding readers (most of whom were viewers of the series) about stuff and things that happened on the show. This type of filler got to be a little grinding after a while.
Still, it was fun to see the crew again, and I appreciated the appearances from the likes of Taggert and McSweetin. Overall, it was a likable little book, and it makes me want to binge-watch the series again.
However, I will say that the writing wasn't top notch. There was a lot of telling rather than showing, and a lot of the narrative was spent reminding readers (most of whom were viewers of the series) about stuff and things that happened on the show. This type of filler got to be a little grinding after a while.
Still, it was fun to see the crew again, and I appreciated the appearances from the likes of Taggert and McSweetin. Overall, it was a likable little book, and it makes me want to binge-watch the series again.
November 12, 2023
I don't have much experience with IP novels like this, but I thought this was pretty fun. I think the voices were captured pretty well, though the character dynamics read a bit more like the early seasons than later seasons.
This has certainly made me curious about what the background process for these types of books is. My best guess is that the authors are given 5-6 episodes and some character sheets with some notes about the backstories. There are a lot of callbacks happening here that felt a smidge jarring at times.
But I had a good time. If this was an episode of the show proper, it would probably be in the middle somewhere. And since it's my favorite show, that's still pretty solid.
This has certainly made me curious about what the background process for these types of books is. My best guess is that the authors are given 5-6 episodes and some character sheets with some notes about the backstories. There are a lot of callbacks happening here that felt a smidge jarring at times.
But I had a good time. If this was an episode of the show proper, it would probably be in the middle somewhere. And since it's my favorite show, that's still pretty solid.
September 8, 2025
If you at all enjoy the tv show Leverage, you have got to check this out. It's a dead perfect adaptation of the characters, both the main team and many familiar faces.
When a small town zoo loses the rhinos they banked on revitalizing their falling attendance, the desperate manager runs into someone who knows a man that runs a very unusual team...
Nate and the crew split up, some going to Africa to check things out on that end, and some heading to Massachusetts to research the board members of the zoo.
There are a lot of twists and turns, and plenty of things to make Leverage fans smile. I loved this story and encourage folks to check it out.
When a small town zoo loses the rhinos they banked on revitalizing their falling attendance, the desperate manager runs into someone who knows a man that runs a very unusual team...
Nate and the crew split up, some going to Africa to check things out on that end, and some heading to Massachusetts to research the board members of the zoo.
There are a lot of twists and turns, and plenty of things to make Leverage fans smile. I loved this story and encourage folks to check it out.
March 19, 2018
This book takes full advantage of its format to pull cons on the reader that wouldn’t work in the original visual medium of the television show, but absolutely fit the style of the show. At times it feels like the author is trying a little too hard to tie in the story to the show’s continuity. I felt like it was wrapped up very suddenly. One of the nice things about a book is not having to worry about actor availability, meaning many fan favorites made their way into the story. As fun as it was to see them, I would have liked to have gotten more from the original character Elizabeth.
May 14, 2018
This one was a definitive improvement over the previous one. At first I found the changing timelines confusing but I quickly got used to it and it followed the Leverage series style pretty well. The con - or rather a series of short cons - was very nice.
I also liked the humour and as in the case of the previous book it follows the characters' distinctive voices (it is a very distinctive voice...) pretty well. I also liked the referring to the series in the characters of Zoe and, of course, Sterling.
All in all a short but very nice read.
I also liked the humour and as in the case of the previous book it follows the characters' distinctive voices (it is a very distinctive voice...) pretty well. I also liked the referring to the series in the characters of Zoe and, of course, Sterling.
All in all a short but very nice read.
September 18, 2021
So, first and foremost.
Leverage, #2? I apparently need to get my hands on #1? I did not know until like a week ago that these existed and I am delighted to spend more time with my disaster crime children?
Another delightful heist-with-heart deal. All of my characters are in character, and I absolutely love the brief flashes into a character's thoughts, it's adorable. The author also notes where, in canon, this heist is occurring, which I appreciated.
I really need to get my hands on more of this series.
Leverage, #2? I apparently need to get my hands on #1? I did not know until like a week ago that these existed and I am delighted to spend more time with my disaster crime children?
Another delightful heist-with-heart deal. All of my characters are in character, and I absolutely love the brief flashes into a character's thoughts, it's adorable. The author also notes where, in canon, this heist is occurring, which I appreciated.
I really need to get my hands on more of this series.
September 17, 2023
4 stars
You can tell this was a different author from the first book as the writing style is quite different. I thought this was a blast to read with the flashbacks to the past and jumping to the present. It's a nod to the way the show normally works. I will say there were quite a bit of name dropping of previous scenes and characters - some of which I appreciated, but most went over my head. Plot wise, I thought it was a good con - there were certainly a lot more layers to it than what it appeared at first and it was fun.
You can tell this was a different author from the first book as the writing style is quite different. I thought this was a blast to read with the flashbacks to the past and jumping to the present. It's a nod to the way the show normally works. I will say there were quite a bit of name dropping of previous scenes and characters - some of which I appreciated, but most went over my head. Plot wise, I thought it was a good con - there were certainly a lot more layers to it than what it appeared at first and it was fun.
January 31, 2017
This felt like the least strong of the 3 Leverage tie in novels. While the show absolutely (and occasionally egregiously) take advantage of the "here's this thing you don't know that happened", this novel used that mechanic in seemingly every storyline with each character and it felt a little too much. The bad guy story itself felt a little generic too. The characters were pretty well written. I felt I could "hear" Nate and Sophie and Eliot and Parker and Hardison but it wasn't very exciting.
March 7, 2019
Of the three Leverage tie-ins, I liked this writing style the best. Occasionally a little too into POV switching as a way to keep intrigue up, but there was little external character development and more internal viewpoints - which I enjoyed! The story was interestingly woven from pretty disparate areas of the world, with the team split up most of the time, but they're always feeding info and help back and forth in a way that feels natural and syncs what's happening around the globe.
February 5, 2020
As a fan of Leverage and having been sad that it finished. When I found this book in a charity shop I definitely had to pick it up and read it, and I was not disappointed by it at all as it was full of how good Nate and his team are at this particular job in helping to keep this zoo.
It had great moments of action and peril as well as some moments of peril which all were great and the way it was resolved at the end for all parties.
It had great moments of action and peril as well as some moments of peril which all were great and the way it was resolved at the end for all parties.
August 21, 2017
better than the first, especially since it reads like an actual episode from the series, though i am miffed at nate. i mean, for a mastermind he really tells sophie something really stupid at the end.
September 11, 2018
With a writing style that more accurately reflected the style of the episodes, I found this book more enjoyable than the first in the series. A fun, quick read that finds the Leverage crew in some close shaves and encountering familiar faces.
January 12, 2019
Part of the fun of these books is “hearing” their voices in your head. This was cool, the Zoo was neat. Parker and her monkey were hilarious! The crime was evil, and I’m glad that they got their comeuppance. Sterling was a bastard yet again. Fun read! 3h8m
June 12, 2019
If you are a fan of the TV show...
If you are a fan of the TV show you will like this book. It is entertaining and a quick read. The book follows the TV show and brings back some characters from the show. Overall a good book. 3 1/2 stars.
If you are a fan of the TV show you will like this book. It is entertaining and a quick read. The book follows the TV show and brings back some characters from the show. Overall a good book. 3 1/2 stars.
October 8, 2020
Great Read
I really like that the books play into the series. I also like they are written by different writers. I do hope others take up the writing. I’d love to have more books! I love reading!
I really like that the books play into the series. I also like they are written by different writers. I do hope others take up the writing. I’d love to have more books! I love reading!
February 12, 2021
This was fun, and in many ways more exciting than the Bestseller Job, but it was also incredibly convoluted. While "flashbacks within a flashback" might work alright on screen, it doesn't quite translate to book format, for me. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the character work and the story.
March 13, 2025
Good familiar read of Leverage
Very easy to read and the Leverage characters come to life as if watching the show. Sufficient twists and turns that keeps it interesting and compelling. Most of all a fun read.
Very easy to read and the Leverage characters come to life as if watching the show. Sufficient twists and turns that keeps it interesting and compelling. Most of all a fun read.
May 7, 2017
Based on the tv show Leverage, this book is great - for the most part, it captures the characters' unique voices. I especially loved the section of Sophie's purse.
January 25, 2018
Great book!! I really enjoyed reading this book and envisioning my favorite actors and actresses playing out the parts in the book. Great read!!
May 21, 2018
This was OK, but when the team is working on different continents (North America and Africa), some attention should be paid to the difference in time zones.
July 17, 2018
Now that was a good Leverage novel
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews