Why would anyone steal a chicken hawk, red fox, and a muskrat? I wondered while sipping my second cup of coffee.

I’m not a morning person, but with two dogs, sleeping late is not an option.

My canine friends now sat on either side of me, hoping I would share part of my bagel—dogs are such optimists. Brandy was a collie, and Archie was a large dog of uncertain heritage who looked like a small bear.

As a reporter for Animal Advocate Magazine, I’d been assigned to cover a story on the Pendwell Wildlife Refuge. Several animals from the refuge’s rehabilitation center had disappeared. The staff was baffled, and the police had no clues.

I’d spent most of yesterday at the refuge, exploring the grounds and interviewing the director. From the moment I entered the facility, I sensed tension among the staff. I didn’t know if it related to the missing animals, but I needed to get to the bottom of it.

Today, I was going back to interview other employees. Most people like to talk, and as a former high school English teacher, I was good at reading body language to tell if anyone was lying.

I drained what remained in my coffee cup, booted up my computer, and headed to the refuge’s website, which provided biographies for each staff member. I wanted to arm myself with background information before conducting my interviews.

I was interrupted by a beep on my phone—a text message from my daughter Abby who appeared to be in a panic because five people still hadn’t responded to her wedding invitation. Abby, a veterinarian, was one of the most laid back people I knew, but she was becoming a bit of a bridezilla.

I texted that we’d talk about it tonight. The RSVPs weren’t actually due for another two weeks.

I went back to my computer. After completing my research, I logged off and palmed the remainder of my bagel to the two dogs who were now doing their happy dances. Then I headed out of the house and drove to the Pendwell Wildlife Refuge.

When I arrived at the refuge, I noted a police car and a crime scene investigation vehicle.

Is this about the missing animals? I wondered.

Within seconds, that thought disappeared.

The county’s medical examiner’s van pulled into the parking lot.

Playing Possum, A Kristy Farrell Mystery #3
Genre: Cozy
Release: December 2021
Purchase Link

Murder, mayhem, and missing animals. . .

When animals start mysteriously disappearing from the Pendwell Wildlife Refuge, former English-teacher-turned-magazine-reporter Kristy Farrell is on the case. Days later, the body of the refuge’s director is found in a grassy clearing. Kristy, assisted by her veterinarian daughter, investigates and discovers strong motives among the suspects, including greed, infidelity, revenge, and blackmail.

As Kristy delves further, she finds herself up against the wealthy and powerful Pendwell family, especially matriarch Victoria Buckley Pendwell, chair of the refuge’s board of trustees, and Victoria’s son, Austin Pendwell, who is slated to run for state senate. But ferreting out the murderer and finding the missing animals aren’t Kristy’s only challenges. While researching a story on puppy mills, she uncovers criminal activity that reaches far beyond the neighborhood pet store. Meanwhile, strange things are happening back at the wildlife refuge, and soon a second murder occurs. Kristy is thwarted in her attempts to discover the identity of the murderer by her old nemesis, the blustery Detective Wolfe. Kristy perseveres, and as she unearths shady deals and dark secrets, will she succeed in drawing the killer out of the shadows?

Meet the author
Lois Schmitt has been a mystery fan since she read her first Nancy Drew novel. She combines a love of mysteries with a love of animals in her series featuring wildlife reporter Kristy Farrell. Lois is a member of several wildlife conservation and humane organizations as well as Mystery Writers of America and the Long Island Author’s Guild. She received 2nd runner-up for the Killer Nashville Claymore Award for her second book in the Kristy Farrell series entitled Something Fishy. Playing Possum is the third book in this mystery series. Lois lives on Long Island (where her mysteries take place) with her family, which includes a 120 pound Bernese Mountain dog. This dog bears a striking resemblance to Archie, a dog of many breeds, featured in her series.

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