Right from the Gecko (Reigning Cats & Dogs Mysteries, No. 5)

by Cynthia Baxter

Book Overview

Surf's up . . . and so are the stakes when veterinarian and amateur sleuth Jessica Popper escapes to the land of hula, hibiscus, and geckos for a professional conference. The last time she and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553588443
• Release Date: March 2007
• Publisher: Bantam
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.9" x 0.9" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

Another Fun Read

While at a veterinary convention, Jessica Popper meets a newswoman who is murdered. Jessica has to figure out the story the reporter was working on and figure out exactly why local farmers are being forced to sell their land. Jessica tries to attend the convention, reconstruct the news story, solve the murder, and have a romantic get-away in Hawaii. I've read three books in Cynthia Baxter's series and enjoyed them all. I like the little details of her writing and her direct style. She knows how to observe and describe a scene. And a big plus is Baxter's humorous approach to her mysteries. In this book there are multiple scary situations, with some twists, which makes the story a page-turner. I have my suspects, but I wasn't quite sure where it would end. This book is a littler lighter on her veterinary work--although I always learn something about pet care--and heavier on romance. Baxter's upbeat and lively writing style is fun entertainment. The combination of mystery, intrigue, humor, and animals are a winner.

Continues a great run

Cynthia Baxter's mystery-vet series is superb. Great characters, and a most enjoyable read. Like most character-based series, they're better if read chronologically, but don't let that stop you if you run across them out of order. One is far better than none!

EXCELLANT BOOK

If you like Janet Evanovich, you'll enjoy the Cynthia Baxter series... If you enjoy Cynthia Baxter, you'll enjoy Janet Evanovich TOO!!!!

strong amateur sleuth

Eighteen months have passed since Brookside University School of Law student Nick Burby proposed to commitment phobic veterinarian Jessica Popper and she said no though they still seeing one another exclusively. However, they are now returning to the scene of the crime, make that proposal, as they leave Long Island for Maui for her to attend the American Veterinary Medical Association's annual conference and for them to share some romantic interludes. However their retreat is disturbed when the corpse of reporter Marnie Burton washes on the beach near Jessie. Having met the journalist the day before and as always curious when it comes to bodies, Jessica looks close at the deceased while someone observes her doing so and worries that the Long Islander might have found a clue especially when the vet begins making inquiries that lead her to a biotech firm. Though the latest Jessica Popper whodunit is not reigning cats and dogs, fans of a strong amateur sleuth tale will enjoy the heroine's return to Hawaii in which her biggest fear is that Nick will ask the "Question" even when someone wants to end her inquiry. The cast is solid even with just one supporting feline as so many two legged beasts make prime suspects. Though some purists might object to the lack of the four-legged secondary characters, Cynthia Baxter provides a strong mystery RIGHT FROM THE GECKO. Harriet Klausner

Pawsome!

When mobile veterinarian and amateur sleuth, Jessica Popper, learns that the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) plans to hold their yearly conference in beautiful Maui, she finds herself feeling a mix of unusual emotions. Sure, she'd love to break free of the blistery Long Island winter she's been suffering through and spend ten gorgeous days traipsing along the warm, sunny beaches of Maui; but she's also dreading the occasion, as she'll be returning to the scene of the crime where she and her current law student and ex-private eye boyfriend, Nick Burby, asked her to marry him. That vacation ended in her running as fast as possible away from her live-in lover, and straight back onto a plane to New York. This time, however, Jess is hoping to experience a slightly different ending to her rest and relaxation. However, on her very first day in Maui, Jess meets an ambitious young reporter named Marnie Burton, who will do anything to land a story. Jess is instantly drawn to the bubbly youngster who seems to have a nose for news. So when she learns about her death the next morning, Jess immediately feels like she should do a little sleuthing of her own to figure out exactly why the intrepid reporter lost her life. Contacting local police, Jess quickly realizes that, just like the detectives on Long Island, local officers are just as unhappy about a snoopy vet sticking her nose into unwanted territories. But Jess doesn't let that intimidate her. Renting a car, she begins skipping various lectures that the conference happens to be offering, instead opting to navigate the rural roads of Maui, searching for clues to help lead her in the right direction. As she makes her way from Marnie's office at the Maui Dispatch to her messy apartment, and even traipsing into forbidden territory by making small talk with Marnie's secret lover, however, she soon realizes that suspects are stacking up left and right. Not only was Marnie a thorn in many people's side, a lot of people found her downright nosy, and wanted nothing more than to see the pixie-esque girl mind her own business. When Jess stumbles upon some of Marnie's files, filled with interviews and information regarding some of the big stories she was working on before she was murdered, she puts two and two together, and comes to believe that someone was scared of Marnie's investigative reporting, and killed her in an attempt to shut her up. The only problem is that Jess has no hard proof to support her theories. Luckily, Nick is along for the ride, and agrees to put his ex-P.I. skills to work to help Jess investigate the murder. Unfortunately, with the amount of time that Jess is devoting to fingering the killer, she hasn't had a minute to soak up the sun, and relax - which is what she'd planned to do on her trip to paradise. As if that weren't bad enough, she and Nick haven't spent more than a few mornings together alone, and now that Jess' beloved neighbor and landlord, Betty, along with her live