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Gunn Zoo Mystery #4
The Puffin of Death: A Gunn Zoo Mystery
California zookeeper Theodora Bentley travels to Iceland to pick up an orphaned polar bear cub destined for the Gunn Zoo’s newly installed Northern Climes exhibit. The trip is intended to be a combination of work and play. But on day two, while horseback riding near a picturesque seaside village, Teddy discovers a man lying atop a puffin burrow, shot through the head. The victim is identified as American bird-watcher Simon Parr, winner of the largest Powerball payout in history. Is Teddy a witness―or a suspect? Others include not only Parr’s wife, a famed suspense novelist, but fellow members of the birding club Parr had generously treated to their lavish Icelandic expedition. Hardly your average birders, several of them have had serious brushes with the law back in the States. Guessing that an American would best understand other Americans, police detective Thorvaald Haraldsson grudgingly concedes her innocence and allows Teddy to tag along with the group to volcanoes, glaciers, and deep continental rifts in quest of rare bird species. But once another member of the club is murdered and a rockfall barely misses Teddy’s head, Haraldsson forbids her to continue. She ignores him and, in a stunning, solitary face-off with the killer in Iceland’s wild interior, concludes an investigation at once exotic, thrilling, and rich in animal lore.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published November 3, 2015
32 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
About the author
Betty Webb
24 books202 followersAs a journalist and literary critic for more than 20 years, Betty -- a resident of Scottsdale, Arizona, where her detective Lena Jones also lives -- has interviewed U. S. presidents, Nobel prize-winners, astronauts who’ve walked on the moon, polygamy runaways, the homeless, and the hopeless.
Now retired from journalism to write full time, she also contributes the Small Press column for Mystery Scene magazine and teaches creative writing at Phoenix College.
In her writing, Betty makes liberal use of her own varied background. She earned her way through art school by working as a folk singer but eventually gave up singing to concentrate on her art career. At various times she has picked cotton, raised chickens which laid blue eggs (Speckled Hamburgs), worked in a zoo, been a go-go dancer and horse breeder, taught Sunday School, founded a literary magazine, helped rebuild a long-abandoned 120-year-old farm house, and back-packed the Highlands of Scotland alone.
In 1982, Betty moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, where her Lena Jones novels are set, but her roots are in Hamilton, Alabama, where most of her extended family still lives. In 2000 she published The Webb Family of Alabama: Survivors of Change, which focused on the descendants of her half-Seneca, half-English great-great-grandfather, William Douglas Webb, who ran away to sea at the age of 16, then after 14 wild years, settled down to farm peacefully in Hamilton. Recent DNA testing, however, has revealed that her seafaring ancestor harbored a big secret: he might not have been a Webb after all, but the descendant of a New Jersey colonist family named Price. Betty is now working to unravel this real-life mystery: did William Douglas Price change his name to Webb. Was he on the run from the law? (As a mystery writer, she kinda hopes he was)
On her mother’s side, Betty can trace her roots back to the Barons of Riddell in medieval Scotland. The Riddells, friends and financial supporters of the poet Robert Burns, did not always enjoy the best of reputations. The opera, Lucia di Lammermore, about a young bride who decapitates her husband on their wedding night, was based upon a real life incident in the Riddell family. But the Riddells maintain that Lucy (her real name) merely scratched her bridegroom, and that he simply overreacted when he screamed out, "Murder!" Anyway, that’s the Riddells' story and they're sticking to it.
"The impact of my unusual family upon my life has been profound," Betty says. "That's why I thought it would be intriguing to create a detective who had no idea of where she came from or who her parents were. Creating the orphaned Lena Jones has helped me appreciate my own ancestral heritage - both the good and the bad." About the recent DNA testing results, she adds, "All this time the Webbs were keeping an even bigger secret than the Riddells -- and they didn’t even know they were! How could I not have become a mystery novelist."
(from http://www.bettywebb-mystery.com/bio....)
Series:
* Lena Jones Mystery
* Gunn Zoo Mystery
Now retired from journalism to write full time, she also contributes the Small Press column for Mystery Scene magazine and teaches creative writing at Phoenix College.
In her writing, Betty makes liberal use of her own varied background. She earned her way through art school by working as a folk singer but eventually gave up singing to concentrate on her art career. At various times she has picked cotton, raised chickens which laid blue eggs (Speckled Hamburgs), worked in a zoo, been a go-go dancer and horse breeder, taught Sunday School, founded a literary magazine, helped rebuild a long-abandoned 120-year-old farm house, and back-packed the Highlands of Scotland alone.
In 1982, Betty moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, where her Lena Jones novels are set, but her roots are in Hamilton, Alabama, where most of her extended family still lives. In 2000 she published The Webb Family of Alabama: Survivors of Change, which focused on the descendants of her half-Seneca, half-English great-great-grandfather, William Douglas Webb, who ran away to sea at the age of 16, then after 14 wild years, settled down to farm peacefully in Hamilton. Recent DNA testing, however, has revealed that her seafaring ancestor harbored a big secret: he might not have been a Webb after all, but the descendant of a New Jersey colonist family named Price. Betty is now working to unravel this real-life mystery: did William Douglas Price change his name to Webb. Was he on the run from the law? (As a mystery writer, she kinda hopes he was)
On her mother’s side, Betty can trace her roots back to the Barons of Riddell in medieval Scotland. The Riddells, friends and financial supporters of the poet Robert Burns, did not always enjoy the best of reputations. The opera, Lucia di Lammermore, about a young bride who decapitates her husband on their wedding night, was based upon a real life incident in the Riddell family. But the Riddells maintain that Lucy (her real name) merely scratched her bridegroom, and that he simply overreacted when he screamed out, "Murder!" Anyway, that’s the Riddells' story and they're sticking to it.
"The impact of my unusual family upon my life has been profound," Betty says. "That's why I thought it would be intriguing to create a detective who had no idea of where she came from or who her parents were. Creating the orphaned Lena Jones has helped me appreciate my own ancestral heritage - both the good and the bad." About the recent DNA testing results, she adds, "All this time the Webbs were keeping an even bigger secret than the Riddells -- and they didn’t even know they were! How could I not have become a mystery novelist."
(from http://www.bettywebb-mystery.com/bio....)
Series:
* Lena Jones Mystery
* Gunn Zoo Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
June 13, 2015
Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley. I also love Puffins. Screw penguins! Puffins are da bomb.
Betty Webb’s first Gunn mystery was one of the first books I read on my first kindle. I picked it up because it had an anteater in the title and was offered as a freebie. All the cozy mysteries that I have tried since then owe a thank you to Webb because without that good first volume, I would not have given cozy mysteries a try.
This installment finds everyone’s over named zookeeper, just call her Teddy, traveling to Iceland to pick up puffins!!!! Oh and a couple of foxes and a polar beer named Magnus. Since the book is not called the Polar Bear of Death or the Icelandic Fox Murder, we all know that Puffins are the most important animal, even if the some people think polar bear cubs are cuter. Anyhow, not long into her stay in Iceland, there is murder that traumatizes some poor Puffin mother (the victim was a birdwatcher, though he didn’t like puffins, so he had it coming), and despite her good intentions, Teddy is roped into solving it.
What Webb presents to the reader is part cozy mystery, part love story to Iceland, and part superior tourist spot. Honestly, if the Icelandic tourist industry didn’t pay Webb to write this book, they should cut her a check. Unlike some books that just use foreign locales to be, well, foreign and exotic, Webb goes to the trouble of actually making the reader aware of Icelandic culture, language, food, and place. You really do feel like you’re in Iceland, and the Icelanders don’t act like Swedes, Danes, or the American stereotype of Nordic society. Webb might be making a nod to the popularity of Nordic crime fiction, in particular the Erlandur books, but her Iceland is just as much a character in the book as the puffins are. Webb’s love for the country comes across quite well. Additionally, she does poke a little fun at how Americans stereotype anything that seems North of England.
This is done by giving Teddy Icelandic friends as well as using the slightly disapproving regular character type of Nordic detective that Webb uses quite well in the character of Thor. Bryndis, who is Teddy’s roommate and polar bear keeper trainer, quickly becomes a friend, and one of the joys of the novels is watching all the female characters pass the Bechtel test in spades. The location also allows for Teddy to act as Teddy and not as the fiancée of Joe, which is how some writers, not Webb mind you, would have written her.
It’s true that the observation reader can figure out who did it before the end, but Teddy’s conclusion and the reader’s will mostly like be close together, so the reader isn’t feeling far smarter or far stupider than the heroine. Webb gets a huge round of bonus points for actually taking Iceland’s crime rate and justice system into account, and some of the best scenes are the use of the American system, the Icelandic system, and the Hollywood view of the American system.
All in all, a fun read.
And it has puffins!
June 25, 2015
* I received this ebook at no charge from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review *
Zookeeper Theodora (Teddy) Bentley finds herself, with very short notice, on a plane traveling to Iceland. The eccentric owner of the Gunn Zoo, who also happens to be Teddy’s aunt, has asked her to go and pick up a baby polar bear named Magnus, two artic foxes and a pair of grounded Puffins for the Gunn Zoo’s new “Northern Climes” exhibit. Although the trip was unexpected Teddy is looking forward to doing some sight-seeing in addition to her “zoo duties”, because really – how many times does one get to travel to Iceland with a platinum corporate credit card?
On her second day she and her Icelandic zoo counterpart, Bryndis, are out horseback riding when a strange lava formation catches Teddy’s eye. Upon closer investigation it turns out not to be an unusual land mass but a dead body … shot twice and, unfortunately, a little worse for wear having been pecked at by the wild puffins that nest in the area.
Teddy does have a knack for finding dead bodies.
Despite being warned by both her fiancée (the local law back home) and Icelandic detective Thorvaald (Thor) Haraldsson she cannot help herself – she begins looking into the death herself. She learns the victim is an American birdwatcher (who happens to be married to a successful novelist and has just won multi-millions in the lottery) on holiday in Iceland with his Arizona bird-watching group. There are no shortage of suspects nor is Teddy’s discovery the last victim.
I have read and enjoyed all of Ms. Webb’s Gunn Zoo Mysteries so when I saw this new title I wanted to read it immediately. The Icelandic setting makes “The Puffin of Death” a little different from the previous three books. Ms. Webb enjoyed a trip to Iceland herself and made good use of her first hand knowledge of the country. Her descriptions of the lifestyle, the people and their unusual names, the language and the landscape are wonderful. Her well-researched information about Icelandic wildlife is fascinating. Between that and the vivid geographic descriptions, I learned a lot about a place I will probably never get to visit myself. That was enjoyable however, while Iceland was an excellent setting for this murder mystery, I did find myself missing the Gunn Zoo and all the quirky characters I have come to know over the course of the last three books. I’m sure (fingers crossed) they will be back in the next installment to this series.
All in all a good read and completely the type of story I was looking for when I picked it up.
Zookeeper Theodora (Teddy) Bentley finds herself, with very short notice, on a plane traveling to Iceland. The eccentric owner of the Gunn Zoo, who also happens to be Teddy’s aunt, has asked her to go and pick up a baby polar bear named Magnus, two artic foxes and a pair of grounded Puffins for the Gunn Zoo’s new “Northern Climes” exhibit. Although the trip was unexpected Teddy is looking forward to doing some sight-seeing in addition to her “zoo duties”, because really – how many times does one get to travel to Iceland with a platinum corporate credit card?
On her second day she and her Icelandic zoo counterpart, Bryndis, are out horseback riding when a strange lava formation catches Teddy’s eye. Upon closer investigation it turns out not to be an unusual land mass but a dead body … shot twice and, unfortunately, a little worse for wear having been pecked at by the wild puffins that nest in the area.
Teddy does have a knack for finding dead bodies.
Despite being warned by both her fiancée (the local law back home) and Icelandic detective Thorvaald (Thor) Haraldsson she cannot help herself – she begins looking into the death herself. She learns the victim is an American birdwatcher (who happens to be married to a successful novelist and has just won multi-millions in the lottery) on holiday in Iceland with his Arizona bird-watching group. There are no shortage of suspects nor is Teddy’s discovery the last victim.
I have read and enjoyed all of Ms. Webb’s Gunn Zoo Mysteries so when I saw this new title I wanted to read it immediately. The Icelandic setting makes “The Puffin of Death” a little different from the previous three books. Ms. Webb enjoyed a trip to Iceland herself and made good use of her first hand knowledge of the country. Her descriptions of the lifestyle, the people and their unusual names, the language and the landscape are wonderful. Her well-researched information about Icelandic wildlife is fascinating. Between that and the vivid geographic descriptions, I learned a lot about a place I will probably never get to visit myself. That was enjoyable however, while Iceland was an excellent setting for this murder mystery, I did find myself missing the Gunn Zoo and all the quirky characters I have come to know over the course of the last three books. I’m sure (fingers crossed) they will be back in the next installment to this series.
All in all a good read and completely the type of story I was looking for when I picked it up.
October 19, 2015
I thought this was a thoroughly enjoyable mystery novel that included detailed descriptions of Icelandic locations, people and culture. It was an interesting way of learning about the country, whilst also being titillated by the mystery.
Teddy (Theodora) is a zoo keeper with a history of getting involved in mystery, but when she's packed off to Iceland to collect some animals for her zoo, she settles in for a relaxing vacation. This doesn't last long as when she stumbles over the body of recently-made millionaire, Simon Parr, she gets drawn into the intrigues of the birding group he was travelling with. When her friend asks her to get personally involved and solve the mystery - she can't say no, even though there's a grumpy Inspector warning her off. This book is host to a wide range of well written, interesting characters, set in a unique location. It's clear that a lot of research has gone into it, and I really enjoyed learning a lot of new things.
It seems almost everyone has a motive to kill, so I had no idea who it would turn out to be - although I had a couple of guesses, of course. Overall a very enjoyable simple to read mystery, that fans of the cozy genre or those who enjoy reading about new cultures or animals, will love.
My thanks go to the author, Betty Webb, the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, and to NetGalley, for providing me with an advanced review copy of this title.
Teddy (Theodora) is a zoo keeper with a history of getting involved in mystery, but when she's packed off to Iceland to collect some animals for her zoo, she settles in for a relaxing vacation. This doesn't last long as when she stumbles over the body of recently-made millionaire, Simon Parr, she gets drawn into the intrigues of the birding group he was travelling with. When her friend asks her to get personally involved and solve the mystery - she can't say no, even though there's a grumpy Inspector warning her off. This book is host to a wide range of well written, interesting characters, set in a unique location. It's clear that a lot of research has gone into it, and I really enjoyed learning a lot of new things.
It seems almost everyone has a motive to kill, so I had no idea who it would turn out to be - although I had a couple of guesses, of course. Overall a very enjoyable simple to read mystery, that fans of the cozy genre or those who enjoy reading about new cultures or animals, will love.
My thanks go to the author, Betty Webb, the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, and to NetGalley, for providing me with an advanced review copy of this title.
August 31, 2020
This is one of a series of mysteries set in a zoo; however this mystery takes place in Iceland where zookeeper Teddy Bentley goes to pick up an orphaned polar bear cub to take to the zoo's new Northern Climes exhibit. She also will take home a pair of puffins and Arctic foxes. The mystery involves a murdered birder; fellow members of the bird watchers club have complicated relationships! Teddy and her new Icelandic friends are interesting, but I found the Iceland setting fascinating--not a safe place to live, btw, with all those volcanoes, geysers, and melting glaciers (caused by exploding volcanoes). I chose this story because of the setting, which is fun and very different. I found the ending a bit contrived.
February 28, 2020
Another silly Gunn Zoo mystery - this time in Iceland! While at times this read a bit like a guide book, the series continues to be packed with Teddy making silly decisions and being terribly nosy. And by that I mean, terrible at being nosy. But still enjoyable and fun. I may be more into these than predicted.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2020
This time we go to Iceland to pick up some animals for Gunn Zoo. Guess what? Then there is trouble involving Teddy. In this book it shows how much research the author put into writing about a place. It's really packed with facts about another culture and language and I find it very interesting. I still enjoy this series.
May 16, 2017
The author took us on a roller coaster ride to Iceland with a casual indifference to its wildlife and mostly, it's inhabitants - the two-legged type. The author could have, no, make that should have, taken a detour and avoided the subject of the incestrial relationships that permeated the country's population. Regardless of it's validity, it added zilch to the storyline. Meanwhile, lurking in the background, a most unlikely murderer waited for just the right moment to spring. I found the author penned her words well for an easy read but felt the shallow storyline lacked depth and failed to acquire solid footing.
Theodora, let's call her Teddy, works for the Gunn Zoo in Northern California. At the instruction of the director, she was scheduled to travel to Iceland and return with an orphaned polar bear cub. An exhibit, "The Northern Climes", had already been installed and was awaiting the grand entrance of the zoo's new superstar. All that was missing was the fluffy little cub.
Upon her arrival in Iceland, she was warmly greeted by Bryndis, one of the handlers at the Reykjavik City Zoo. Bryndis insisted that they room together in her flat. That sounded better than hanging out in some godforsaken hotel room. They hit it off right away and got along swimmingly.
Shortly after Teddy's introduction to Magnus, the adorable polar bear cub, destined for America, she came upon a group of birders from the United States. They appeared to be a tight-knit group. As she was soon to discover, looks could be deadly deceiving.
Being the naturalist that she was, Teddy eagerly looked forward to seeing Puffins in their natural surroundings. On the next morning, she embarked on a hike up a mountain in search of Puffin habitats. Near the top, Teddy discovered the lifeless body of one of the birders, Simon, a recent winner of the Powerball Lottery. Today, luck was not on his side. He had been shot in the head. And to add to the grizzly scene, an overprotective Puffin mama had nibbled away at his nose leaving nothing but a bloody stump. It was a gruesome sight. Aha...the misleading title speaks - The Puffin of Death.
The Icelandic police converged at the scene in no time. This had been Iceland's first homicide in years. During their initial investigation, another member of the birders had been killed. Two down. This one, a female who had sustained a traumatic blow to the head with an unidentified blunt object. She had been unceremoniously dumped into the harbor. This was a first in this country's history, two murders within a few days of each other. Everyone was in a tizzy.
Ever since her gruesome discovery of Simon's body, Teddy, a self-appointed sleuth, searched to find evidence that would lead to the person or persons behind these unscrupulous murders. Her incessant snooping did not go unnoticed, especially, by the police. In fact, she had been given a stern warning from the lead detective to desist meddling with Police business. Those words of advice went in one ear and out the other.
Unexpectedly, and right on cue, one of Iceland's renowned volcanoes had erupted. The calamity that ensued caused everyone to head for the hills, literally. During the unsettling chaos, Teddy found herself in a life-or-death battle, winner take all, with the murderer. She had been asking too many questions and needed to be silenced. Only one of them would walk away.
Theodora, let's call her Teddy, works for the Gunn Zoo in Northern California. At the instruction of the director, she was scheduled to travel to Iceland and return with an orphaned polar bear cub. An exhibit, "The Northern Climes", had already been installed and was awaiting the grand entrance of the zoo's new superstar. All that was missing was the fluffy little cub.
Upon her arrival in Iceland, she was warmly greeted by Bryndis, one of the handlers at the Reykjavik City Zoo. Bryndis insisted that they room together in her flat. That sounded better than hanging out in some godforsaken hotel room. They hit it off right away and got along swimmingly.
Shortly after Teddy's introduction to Magnus, the adorable polar bear cub, destined for America, she came upon a group of birders from the United States. They appeared to be a tight-knit group. As she was soon to discover, looks could be deadly deceiving.
Being the naturalist that she was, Teddy eagerly looked forward to seeing Puffins in their natural surroundings. On the next morning, she embarked on a hike up a mountain in search of Puffin habitats. Near the top, Teddy discovered the lifeless body of one of the birders, Simon, a recent winner of the Powerball Lottery. Today, luck was not on his side. He had been shot in the head. And to add to the grizzly scene, an overprotective Puffin mama had nibbled away at his nose leaving nothing but a bloody stump. It was a gruesome sight. Aha...the misleading title speaks - The Puffin of Death.
The Icelandic police converged at the scene in no time. This had been Iceland's first homicide in years. During their initial investigation, another member of the birders had been killed. Two down. This one, a female who had sustained a traumatic blow to the head with an unidentified blunt object. She had been unceremoniously dumped into the harbor. This was a first in this country's history, two murders within a few days of each other. Everyone was in a tizzy.
Ever since her gruesome discovery of Simon's body, Teddy, a self-appointed sleuth, searched to find evidence that would lead to the person or persons behind these unscrupulous murders. Her incessant snooping did not go unnoticed, especially, by the police. In fact, she had been given a stern warning from the lead detective to desist meddling with Police business. Those words of advice went in one ear and out the other.
Unexpectedly, and right on cue, one of Iceland's renowned volcanoes had erupted. The calamity that ensued caused everyone to head for the hills, literally. During the unsettling chaos, Teddy found herself in a life-or-death battle, winner take all, with the murderer. She had been asking too many questions and needed to be silenced. Only one of them would walk away.
September 25, 2015
This series of books attracted my attention because I’m a sucker for anything and everything involving animals. Set in Iceland, I hoped that it would have some great descriptions of the land and people. From the reviews I read this also seemed like it would be good little mystery.
I was not disappointed. This is a fun, well written book with lots about the amazing animals and birds of Iceland. It is the 4th in what is a series of Gunn Zoo mysteries. But I didn’t have any trouble just reading this one. Teddy, the zookeeper from the Gunn Zoo is sent to Iceland to bring back a polar bear, some puffins and foxes for the zoo’s new arctic exhibit.
Before much time has passed, while out to get some air and a feel for the area, she comes upon a murdered man, part of the group of birders that flew out with Teddy. His name is Simon Parr and was the winner of a huge Powerball payout. He had paid for his friends from his birding group to come to Iceland and observe and photo the unusual birds. She of course gets the police involved but she can’t help playing sleuth herself. Which eventually gets her in a whole lot of trouble.
Teddy’s counterpart at the Iceland zoo, Bryndis, is a really fun and unusual character, not only being a zookeeper but part of a pretty funky heavy metal band where the members are dressed as Vikings. Another noteworthy character is the police chief, Thorvaald Haraldsson who seems to be a pretty competent man who keeps having to remind Teddy to stay out of the investigation and away from the rest of the “birders” as it’s thought that perhaps one of them is the murderer.
Teddy’s time is spent back and forth between sleuthing and caring for her new charges at the zoo. I learned lots about the care of a baby polar bear, the foxes and puffins. I wanted to be right there with her cuddling and feeding that baby bear!
I don’t want to give away any more of the plot but there are many more events, and lots of pondering to do while trying to solve the mystery yourself. The diverse cast is well described and not only Iceland but also it’s people and culture are well represented. It almost felt as if there was a travelogue thrown in.
While not normally a mystery fan I truly enjoyed this book. I'm guessing that this is what is called a “cozy” mystery, with no grotesque descriptions or terrifying sequences to make me want to run and hide.
It was a wonderful little treat between some hefty reading I have been doing. Well done!
I received this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I was not disappointed. This is a fun, well written book with lots about the amazing animals and birds of Iceland. It is the 4th in what is a series of Gunn Zoo mysteries. But I didn’t have any trouble just reading this one. Teddy, the zookeeper from the Gunn Zoo is sent to Iceland to bring back a polar bear, some puffins and foxes for the zoo’s new arctic exhibit.
Before much time has passed, while out to get some air and a feel for the area, she comes upon a murdered man, part of the group of birders that flew out with Teddy. His name is Simon Parr and was the winner of a huge Powerball payout. He had paid for his friends from his birding group to come to Iceland and observe and photo the unusual birds. She of course gets the police involved but she can’t help playing sleuth herself. Which eventually gets her in a whole lot of trouble.
Teddy’s counterpart at the Iceland zoo, Bryndis, is a really fun and unusual character, not only being a zookeeper but part of a pretty funky heavy metal band where the members are dressed as Vikings. Another noteworthy character is the police chief, Thorvaald Haraldsson who seems to be a pretty competent man who keeps having to remind Teddy to stay out of the investigation and away from the rest of the “birders” as it’s thought that perhaps one of them is the murderer.
Teddy’s time is spent back and forth between sleuthing and caring for her new charges at the zoo. I learned lots about the care of a baby polar bear, the foxes and puffins. I wanted to be right there with her cuddling and feeding that baby bear!
I don’t want to give away any more of the plot but there are many more events, and lots of pondering to do while trying to solve the mystery yourself. The diverse cast is well described and not only Iceland but also it’s people and culture are well represented. It almost felt as if there was a travelogue thrown in.
While not normally a mystery fan I truly enjoyed this book. I'm guessing that this is what is called a “cozy” mystery, with no grotesque descriptions or terrifying sequences to make me want to run and hide.
It was a wonderful little treat between some hefty reading I have been doing. Well done!
I received this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
February 1, 2016
My first time reading a Betty Webb novel and I loved it!! Great story and plenty more f twists and turns to keep the reader guessing whodunnit. The characters are well thought out and Iceland seems like a great place! Very well researched and can't wait to read the first book in the series!
February 7, 2019
This is the fourth book in a series, and the first one I have read. My library doesn't happen to have the entire series and it's not quite good enough for me to put money down on for myself, so I'll make do with what I have. This is not a great novel by any means, but it is a perfectly competent and enjoyable mystery novel with an appealing heroine and a worthwhile environment in Iceland among a crowd of shady bird-watchers from Arizona. The novel is a reasonably short one at 240 pages, took me an hour or so to read, and it gave me modest enjoyment in dealing with a group of people I found somewhat loathsome and unpleasant, aside from the Icelandic contingent and the heroine herself, who was spunky and curious. One could likely read dozens of series like this one and I chose this particular series because it had animal names, which allowed me to fulfill part of a Goodreads challenge, which is enough reason to spend a bit of time on a book like this which shows competence but not surpassing skill.
With a due avoidance of spoilers, this particular book looks at the consequences of a trip by our heroine Theodora "Teddie" Bently to Iceland to pick up a polar bear and a few other animals for her zoo's Northern Clime exhibit. Naturally, as one would expect from an amateur detective and moderately unlucky busybody, she spends very little time on her actual work of bonding with the adorable orphan polar bear cub that her zoo is adopting and a lot more time trying to solve a growing set of murders where she herself becomes a target after inserting herself into the case. The first murder victim happens to be the sponsor of the whole trip, a polyamorous birdwatcher whose unconventional romantic life and Powerball winnings make him an obvious target for someone. But whom? Is it the woman who he was quarreling with in a restaurant that draws some negative local attention? Is it a girl whose family has serious money problems whose harridan mother has thrown her at him? Is it a bad actor with a dark life? A local actor? His wife, a famous romantic suspense novelist? And, as is common in this genre, not only do we have one murder to deal with with a stolen Finnish rifle, but when another body shows up dead, that of a woman who Teddie has been pretending to be friends with, how long will it take for Teddie herself to be a target?
Of course, all ends relatively happily in a somewhat suspenseful manner and the author even manages to close the book by giving nearly everyone a send-off and a positive reward, even the murderer. I modestly enjoyed reading the novel and its twists and turns were sufficient that I look forward to reading the other two novels in the series that my library had and I was able to put on hold. I can't see myself reading these novels again as is my fashion with books I really like, but as someone who is a fan of mystery I found a great deal that was likable about the heroine and it confirmed my own position about the ambivalent place that private detectives like the protagonist face with the local authorities, seeking to use their intellect and independent position to assist the legal order while finding themselves both tolerated and somewhat mistrusted by that official order. Too bad we didn't get to see more from the protagonist's fiance, who only makes a cameo appearance here.
With a due avoidance of spoilers, this particular book looks at the consequences of a trip by our heroine Theodora "Teddie" Bently to Iceland to pick up a polar bear and a few other animals for her zoo's Northern Clime exhibit. Naturally, as one would expect from an amateur detective and moderately unlucky busybody, she spends very little time on her actual work of bonding with the adorable orphan polar bear cub that her zoo is adopting and a lot more time trying to solve a growing set of murders where she herself becomes a target after inserting herself into the case. The first murder victim happens to be the sponsor of the whole trip, a polyamorous birdwatcher whose unconventional romantic life and Powerball winnings make him an obvious target for someone. But whom? Is it the woman who he was quarreling with in a restaurant that draws some negative local attention? Is it a girl whose family has serious money problems whose harridan mother has thrown her at him? Is it a bad actor with a dark life? A local actor? His wife, a famous romantic suspense novelist? And, as is common in this genre, not only do we have one murder to deal with with a stolen Finnish rifle, but when another body shows up dead, that of a woman who Teddie has been pretending to be friends with, how long will it take for Teddie herself to be a target?
Of course, all ends relatively happily in a somewhat suspenseful manner and the author even manages to close the book by giving nearly everyone a send-off and a positive reward, even the murderer. I modestly enjoyed reading the novel and its twists and turns were sufficient that I look forward to reading the other two novels in the series that my library had and I was able to put on hold. I can't see myself reading these novels again as is my fashion with books I really like, but as someone who is a fan of mystery I found a great deal that was likable about the heroine and it confirmed my own position about the ambivalent place that private detectives like the protagonist face with the local authorities, seeking to use their intellect and independent position to assist the legal order while finding themselves both tolerated and somewhat mistrusted by that official order. Too bad we didn't get to see more from the protagonist's fiance, who only makes a cameo appearance here.
January 17, 2023
I liked the setting for this story and a rather original storyline. Teddy goes to Iceland to pick up a baby polar bear for her zoo and stumbles upon a murdered man. She incorporates herself with his tour group to help clear the name of a local.
I've been to Iceland and like the details the author either read about or experienced. There were a couple bobbles like one of the characters saying he planned to bring his glock with him to Iceland. Totally not legal (though one does read about the unbelievable number of people who bring hand guns to the airport, either because they "forgot" they were in their bags or because they didn't realize (?) it would be an issue. Magnus', the bear, weight changes.
I had not heard of this series before and enjoyed the book enough to put the author's name on my follow up list, to get her, by now, 5 other books in the series. I received this copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
I've been to Iceland and like the details the author either read about or experienced. There were a couple bobbles like one of the characters saying he planned to bring his glock with him to Iceland. Totally not legal (though one does read about the unbelievable number of people who bring hand guns to the airport, either because they "forgot" they were in their bags or because they didn't realize (?) it would be an issue. Magnus', the bear, weight changes.
I had not heard of this series before and enjoyed the book enough to put the author's name on my follow up list, to get her, by now, 5 other books in the series. I received this copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
December 27, 2022
Teddy (Theodora Esmeralda Iona Bentley) is off to Iceland to bring home animals for the Gunn Zoo. The she finds a dead American at a puffin burrow. How are a polar bear cub, two Icelandic foxes, and a puffin pair involved? Why do members of the American birding club The Geronimos keep dying?
And to give the story more interest:
There is a movie pitting Viking Berserkers against Visigoths, Huns, ninjas, and Mongols. (No, there is no historical accuracy in the fight.) A little night life with an Icelandic band called the Valkyrie. An earthquake. A volcano eruption. And an Icelandic phone app to prevent Accidental Incest (Yes, it's a real thing!) since the gene pool is limited.
I'd recommend this to mystery afficondo and animal lovers.
And to give the story more interest:
There is a movie pitting Viking Berserkers against Visigoths, Huns, ninjas, and Mongols. (No, there is no historical accuracy in the fight.) A little night life with an Icelandic band called the Valkyrie. An earthquake. A volcano eruption. And an Icelandic phone app to prevent Accidental Incest (Yes, it's a real thing!) since the gene pool is limited.
I'd recommend this to mystery afficondo and animal lovers.
June 29, 2022
I feel we're back on track with this series. After some issues with continuity of characters and facts in the last novel, this one is thoroughly researched and an all-around great read. In book 4 of the series, Teddy, a zookeeper at the Gunn private zoo in California, travels to Iceland to pick up a pair of puffins, an orphaned polar bear cub, and two Icelandic foxes. When she finds a man lying at the base of a cliff over a puffin's burrow, she at first thinks the puffin killed him. When the police arrive, they discover the man, who recently had a huge lottery win, was murdered. Suspects abound, of course, against the beautiful landscape and culture of Iceland.
July 11, 2021
As usual in these “Zoo” mysteries, the puffin has nothing to do with the death. But Webb seems to have done her homework on polar bears, volcanoes and the naming practices of Icelanders. The cast of suspects that includes the first victim’s wife, a novelist who is obnoxiously colorful, as well as birders who seek to get past the ubiquitous puffins provides provocative entertainment while at least one of them—or perhaps several—tuck up their dubious pasts in their pursuits of sightings and loggings of rare ornithological specimens.
June 4, 2018
It’s always fun to find a new author to follow. I enjoyed this story which followed a group of birders in Iceland along with the main character being in Iceland to pick up a polar bear cub and several other rescued animals for the zoo she works at. While I have mixed feelings about zoos this book shows the positive side of rescuing animals that can’t be released back to the wild. Looking forward to the rest of the series and planning to check out the author’s other series.
October 30, 2021
I would have given this cozy 2 stars or maybe even 3, if not for the gazillion typos. I was making corrections every few pages. There were also a few repeat passages. This was a first or second draft. Why are traditional publishers putting out unedited manuscripts? I'm very disappointed. This seems to be a problem in the cozy mystery genre because the last mystery I read (by a different author) was also riddled with typos.
January 16, 2019
This was actually delightful! Nothing too life-changing but I picked it up at a library sale because of the title and the cover (I love that illustration) and it was a nice cozy read. I hadn't read any previous books in the series and I don't think I missed anything because of it but I might pick some of them up in the future for a fun and relaxing romp.
April 20, 2019
The Puffin of Death by Betty Webb
This is the first of the Gunn Zoo series books that I have read by Betty Webb. I learned so much about the Icelandic scenery, people and culture that I was unaware of! Also, despite the turbulence of events, the characters and relationships were interesting, upbeat and fun. It is a good read.
This is the first of the Gunn Zoo series books that I have read by Betty Webb. I learned so much about the Icelandic scenery, people and culture that I was unaware of! Also, despite the turbulence of events, the characters and relationships were interesting, upbeat and fun. It is a good read.
April 9, 2019
A very entertaining read to learn about Iceland and about birds and other animals (including homo sapiens). The crime at issue is almost an afterthought but Webb does a wonderful job of describing the psychosocial interactions of all the characters.
October 24, 2019
This is such a good series. This time we get a trip to Iceland and learn about polar bears, puffins, Icelandic foxes, and birds that travel where they don't belong. Lots of suspects and new friends.
February 23, 2020
I picked this up from a library display of bird-related books, and it didn't disappoint. The zookeeper sleuth reminded me of a zookeeper twitter friend of mine, and I enjoyed references to Icelandic points of interest and the Icelandic language.
March 11, 2021
Probably the weakest book in the series yet. Same basic storyline as all of the others, less interesting mystery, quite stereotypical depiction of characters and places. A little boring in places, this book just didn't live up to the standard of the first few.
August 3, 2024
If you're still a kid at heart, and you love going to the zoo, you should really enjoy this series. Zookeeper Teddy goes to Iceland to pick up a polar bear, a pair of Icelandic foxes, and a pair of puffins, and gets involved in a murder.
I think this is the best book of the series so far!
I think this is the best book of the series so far!
June 12, 2017
The fourth in this series, and not the best. It's an easy read, and time not wasted, just not as good as the other 3.
June 14, 2017
Loved the descriptions of Iceland. The plot and storyline weren't that great. Also character development was rather stilted considering it's in the middle of a series.
August 8, 2018
3.5 stars
October 12, 2018
Read because my son and my best friend each went to Iceland this summer (not together). Actually I was impressed by the landscape descriptions. Would recommend on that basis.
October 28, 2018
so glad there was a change of scenery in this book! The puffins weren't as prominent in this story as the other animals were in previous books. great story!
Read
June 22, 2019Listened
July 3, 2019
A nice little mystery that I could not figure out based in Iceland.
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