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Zusatztext "A very entertaining series with a menagerie of colorful human and animal characters." — Mystery Lovers Bookshop News "Five paws up for Cynthia Baxter's Reigning Cats & Dogs series!"—Carolyn Hart Informationen zum Autor Cynthia Baxter is a native of Long Island, New York. She is the author of the Reigning Cats & Dogs mystery series, featuring vet-turned-sleuth Jessie Popper, and the Murder Packs a Suitcase mystery series, featuring travel writer Mallory Marlowe. Baxter currently resides on the North Shore, where she is at work on her next mysteries in both series. Klappentext Is a certain vet detective about to become an endangered species? It's been over a decade since Jessica Popper spoke to vet-school friend Erin Walsh. So when Erin calls out of the blue! Jess agrees to meet her. When Erin doesn't show! Jessie begins to suspect that her old pal was making a monkey out of her—until she learns that Erin was murdered. Jessie can't resist getting involved! but her sleuthing quickly pulls her into a jungle of suspects. Did Erin's husband! Ben! kill her - or was it the eccentric lizard-loving coworker with whom she may have been monkeying around? Was Ben's outrageously wealthy new partner trying to cover up some monkey business? Or was it Erin's ambitious boss! a distinguished primate specialist determined to remain top banana in her field? With the killer going ape to stay hidden! even Jess's animal instincts might not save her from a fate more fatal than a barrel of monkeys.... Chapter One "Whenever you observe an animal closely, you feel as if a human being sitting inside were making fun of you." –Elias Canetti, The Human Province Jessie? I'm sorry for calling so early. I know I probably woke you. But I don't have your cell phone number, only your home number. And I wanted to make sure I got hold of you before you left for the day." What a lot of words to be hit with at–what time was it? I forced my eyes open long enough to look at the alarm clock next to my bed. Five-thirty. In the morning . "I'm sorry, who is this?" I asked groggily. Whoever had dragged me out of my sleep at this ridiculous hour certainly sounded as if she knew who I was. The problem was, I had no idea who she was. And given the fact that only seconds before I had been lost in a wonderful dream that starred both Brad Pitt and George Clooney, I wasn't exactly in the mood to play guessing games. "Erin Walsh," the called replied breathlessly. "Remember me? From vet school?" It took me a few seconds to connect the name with my years at Cornell University's veterinary college. More than a decade had passed since I'd been a student there. But slowly, through the thick wad of tissue paper still wrapped around my brain, I managed to attach a face to the name. An entire identity, in fact. "Sure, I remember you, Erin," I finally said, though my mouth still felt as if it was coated with glue. "You and I crammed for the Neuroanatomy final together, right? I seem to remember the two of us pulling an all-nighter in the basement of the vet school library. Didn't we keep ourselves awake by eating a different candy bar from one of the vending machines every hour. . . ?" "That's right. Jessie, the reason I'm calling–" "You married somebody else who was in our class, didn't you? Bill or Brad . . ." "Ben Chandler," Erin corrected me. She was speaking unusually quickly. In fact, I realized that she'd sounded as if she was in a hurry ever since I'd answered the phone. "But I'm afraid I didn't call to reminisce. I need to see you. Right away. Like this morning." The longer I talked, the more awake I became. Fortunately, I hadn't woken Nick, who was lying beside me fast asleep. The adorable man I was scheduled to marry in only four short weeks was so tang...
