Before zookeeper Theodora “Teddy” Bentley hears that there’s a dead man floating near her houseboat, she’s having a terrific day.
Since six in the morning, Teddy’s been attending to her usual rounds at California’s famed Gunn Zoo. Feeding flash-frozen termites to Lucy, the giant anteater; Monkey Chow, to Marlon Brando, the squirrel monkey; eucalyptus leaves to Wanchu, the koala; and squirming meal worms to Carlos, the magpie jay. As the day wears on, she’ll be visiting more of her animal friends, but right now, she’s standing in front of the new Red Panda Exhibit, conducting a live TV interview with a seven-foot tall Tyrannosaurus Rex named Tippy-Toe.
Tippy-Toe – well, Gordo Walken, the actor inside the dinosaur costume – is excited because his television series, Tippy-Toe & Tinker, has enjoyed stellar ratings, and it’s rumored that the program is about to be nationally syndicated.
“All of us in Dinosaur Dell are thrilled,” Tippy-Toe says into the microphone. “Just imagine, Teddy. We’ll get to meet maybe millions of children and teach them how we dinosaurs solve the problems of everyday living!”
Behind Teddy, Poonya, the zoo’s new red panda, is intrigued by the crowd that has gathered. While red pandas are usually shy, she isn’t. The size of a housecat, the fluffy red animal has always enjoyed human attention, and she especially enjoys Teddy’s. Since Poonya arrived at the zoo, Teddy has made a point of stopping by at least twice a day to pet and cuddle the cute little thing, so Poonya no longer misses the elderly woman she used to live with. Well, maybe she still misses her a little, but life back then wasn’t as exciting as her new life at the Gunn Zoo. Where else could Poonya meet a real live Tyrannosaurus Rex?
“Yes, Teddy,” the big dinosaur is saying, “Poonya will soon be a character on our show, and we’ll all looking forward to. . .”
Teddy puts her hand up. “Hold that thought, Tippy-Toe. I’ve got a text coming in from the sheriff’s office.”
Since Teddy is married to Sheriff Joe Rejas, she expects the text to say LUV U BUNCH. Unfortunately, it doesn’t.
Instead, the text reads, DEAD GUY NR UR BOAT. GET 2 HARBOR QIK.
Teddy tosses the mike to another zookeeper, and makes tracks.
Before Teddy’s marriage to Sheriff Joe, Teddy lived on the Merilee, moored at Dock 4 in Gunn Landing Harbor. Life was usually peaceful there, but today, when Teddy arrives, the place is in an uproar. The boat-living residents have been denied access to their homes while the sheriff’s CSI team stands in front of the Merilee, studying the corpse they’d hauled out of the greasy harbor water. Because of her past experience with police investigations, Teddy knows that despite her relationship to the sheriff, she won’t be allowed access, either, so she joins her harbor friends at Chowder ‘N Cappuccino, a dockside eatery, to see what she can find out.
The news isn’t good. As it turns out, the dead man is Cliff Flaherty, the much-hated scriptwriter for Tippy-Toe & Tinker.
And someone has bashed his head in with a crowbar.
The rest of Teddy’s day is more pleasant. Once she returns to the zoo, her charges are thrilled to see her again – especially Poonya, the red panda. As Teddy cuddles the panda in her arms, she wonders how Flaherty’s death will affect his television show. Will it continue as usual, but with a new writer? Or will the show have to be cancelled, thereby breaking the hearts of its young fans?
Recognizing that her human is troubled, Poonya gives the zookeeper a comforting lick on the arm, as if to say, Don’t worry, human. It’ll all work out in the end.
And it does, but not before more people turn up dead. Other than that, Teddy’s day is just terrific.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Red pandas are also known as “bearcats” or “lesser pandas,” and are members of the Mustelidae family, which includes the weasel, raccoon, and skunk. The size of housecats, red pandas are known for their masked faces, lush red coats, and fluffy tails. And they smell like popcorn.
Giveaway: Leave a comment below for your chance to win one (1) print copy of The Panda of Death, limited to U.S. residents. Giveaway ends March 8, 2020. Good luck everyone!
The Panda of Death is the sixth book in the “Gunn Zoo” humorous mystery series, released March 3, 2020.
California zookeeper Theodora Bentley is now happily married to Sheriff Joe Rejas. The Gunn Zoo is celebrating the arrival of Poonya, an adorable red panda, who forms a strong bond with Teddy. All appears fairytale blissful in the small Monterey Bay village of Gunn Landing until Teddy’s mother-in-law, mystery writer Colleen Rejas, has discovered through DNA testing that Joe has sired a son he knew nothing about. Dylan Coyle, 18, arrives to meet his biological family. . . and then is arrested for murder.
By the end of the book, besides solving the crime, Teddy and Colleen have learned that the term “family” does not always mean blood kin. It often includes those who—although no blood relationship—are still held close in our hearts.
Purchase Link
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About the author
Betty Webb is the author of the best-selling Lena Jones mystery series (Desert Redemption, Desert Wives, etc.) and the humorous Gunn Zoo mysteries (The Panda of Death, The Otter of Death, etc.). Before beginning to write mystery novels, Betty spent 20 years as a journalist, interviewing everyone from U.S. presidents, astronauts who walked on the moon, Nobel Prize-winners, and polygamy runaways. Connect with Betty at bettywebb-mystery.com and bettywebb-zoomystery.com.
All comments are welcomed.
New-to-me series…
Thank you for the giveaway…
This is really fun!
This is intriguing. The red panda aspect and the protagonist are different from most cozies.
I first ran into the red pandas at the San Francisco Zoo, and I was a gonner. There is NOTHING cuter than a red panda — not even a kitten!
Poonya sounds adorable. I’m an animal lover so would probably enjoy this series.
Poonya IS adorable! And yes, this series is very popular with animal lovers.
Sounds like a great series – will definitely check it out!
Thanks! I hope you like it. The first book in the series is “The Anteater of Death,” but you can read them out of order.
The first book in the series is “The Anteater of Death,” but they don’t have to be read in order.
I love cozy mysteries when animals are involved. Thank you for the chance.
You’ll love these crazy animals. There’s even a runaway sloth in the book!
I love visiting the zoo. My sister and I were at the Columbus zoo and the red pandas were hiding, probably too hot. Would love to read a cozy set at a zoo. Sounds like a great series.
Thanks for the giveaway
Thank YOU!
You had me at “panda”! This sounds like an extra fun cozy!
I fell in love the first time I saw one.
My daughter did a school project on Red Pandas and fell in love with them, but I don’t think she knew that they smelled like popcorn! Thanks for sharing Teddy Bentley’s Semi-Terrific Day ~
A school project on red pandas? That sounds more like fun than work!
I just read this series in October and it was wonderful. Especially Lucy and her baby! I’d love to win the new book. Thanks for the giveaway!
Poonya says “Good luck!” to you all!!!
I love animals so this series is for me! Thanks for the chance to win!
Crossing my fingers for you, Autumn.
I loved the first book about Lucy the ant eater, and I’m looking forward to the next installment.
“Panda” is actually several books later on. We’ve already gone through “Koala,” “Llama” “Otter,” and I don’t know what all!
Sounds like a good cozy, thank you for the chance to win a copy.
wfnren at aol dot com
Cozy and funny.
Captivating and unique book. Thanks.
And very, very funny.
Hi Dru, I don’t want you to think I’m “Panda”ing you or anything. But I’d love to win this book for my collection.
Good luck to you, Nora-Adrienne!
I seem to have missed the Gunn Zoo series completely! Thank you for posting today.
If you love cozies and you love animals, you’ll love the Gunn Zoo series.
Thank you for the inside into Panda of Death and the Gunn Zoo series. I am a newbie to this series and have entered it on my need to read list.
They’re really fun to read.
Thanks for sharing about this great sounding series.
They’re very different, Doward. And funny.
Thanks for the giveaway. The red panda doesn’t look much like a panda, but I’m only familiar with the black and white ones. Thanks for educating and entertaining us!
Oh, that’s exactly what a red panda looks like! BTW, they’re also known as firefoxes.
This sounds like such a fun read and adore the cover!
A red headed, cat sized critter that smells like popcorn?
That is TOO cool!
And so cuddly!
This is such an entertaining series. I’m always happy to hear a new Gunn Zoo mystery is being released. Thanks for the chance to win The Panda of Death. Keeping my fingers crossed!
Good luck!
Linda, you won, so email me your mailing address: webbscottsdale@aol.com
I hadn’t heard of these but they sound amazing. The zoo is a really inspired setting. The cover is adorable too- I love red pandas!
You’ll love the animals. There’s even a sloth in there. A RUNAWAY sloth!
I like animals and I think I would really enjoy this book. Thanks for the chance!
I think you’d enjoy it, too!
O think you’d enjoy it, too!
This is a fun series. I’ve been enjoying Teddy’s adventures.
They’re fun to write, too.
Another new and series for me, sounds good!
I think you’ll like it.
Sounds good – my nephew volunteers at our local zoo and always has entertaining stories about the animals.
I am really enjoying all the vet shows on T.V. i.e. Dr. Pol. I love learning about all the different animals and and hearing all the stories their owners tell. The book sounds as if it shares these traits, plus i involves a mystery.
**** WINNER ****
The Panda of Death is Linda MH
Congratulations!