The Fright of the Iguana: A Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mystery

by Linda O. Johnston

Book Overview

The petnapping of a puppy and an iguana leads Kendra Ballantyne to her Southern California pet-sitting club, where she learns of other foul play. Then a fellow pet-sitter turns up bludgeoned to death. Kendra has her suspicions, but it soon appears she's barking up the wrong tree.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425218023
• ISBN13: 9780425218020
• Release Date: October 2007
• Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
• Length: 245 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 7.0"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Satisfying cozy mystery

Reviewed by Kathy Perschmann This is the fifth in this cute and cozy series-a Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mystery Kendra Ballantyne, attorney and pet-sitter, must deal with a series of pet nappings-and a murder! Two of her charges, the pets of high-powered Hollywood producers, are kidnapped. While Kendra does call in the police and the media, she is able to help the owner get them back by paying an exorbitant ransom. Then Nya, a colleague, is found bludgeoned to death! Other members of Kendra's professional association, the PSCSC (Pet-Sitters Club of Southern California) have experienced client pet nappings, and Nya was investigating, apparently, when she was killed in the home of one of Tracy Owen's clients. Tracy is the active and dedicated president of the club. Tracy and Nya's boyfriend, Jerry Jefferton, are the main suspects. While trying to solve both the kidnappings and the murder, find the missing pets, and solve a particularly difficult pet custody case, Kendra must also try and decide what to do about the two handsome and attentive men in her life, PI Jeff Hubbard and veterinarian Tom Venson. Her favorite pet-sitting employee, Rachel, is accused of theft while taking her dog to a local nursing home, and also comes to Kendra for help. Worries that her beloved dog Lexie might be targeted, makes this work especially hard for Kendra. The characters, both human and animal, are well-drawn, and the details of the pet law cases and the pet sitting business are interesting. This is a series I will keep on reading! NOTE: Lexie does exist--the dog of author Linda Johnson! She is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Armchair Interviews says: A cute story for a fun read.

Who's stealing the pets?

Kendra Ballantyne, Los Angeles attorney and part-time pet sitter, is horrified to find two pets in her care missing and a ransom note in their place. The missing pets are a wealthy film producer's beloved pup and iguana. Soon she discovers that other pets have been snatched when under the care of her fellow Southern California pet-sitting club pet sitters. The police aren't very interested in finding missing pets. After a fellow pet sitter is found murdered, Kendra knows she must get to the bottom of things. In the meantime she's trying to decide between her hunky investigator boyfriend and her new beau, a wonderful vet. Can she juggle two men, find the missing pets, and unmask the killer without putting herself in any danger? I really like this series. Kendra is a wonderful character. I like the pet sitting theme as well. I was happy to see that she makes a decision between the men in her life; I just hope that it will hold! I always enjoy the pet-sitting antics in this series. The author has done a great job of making the reader care about the animals. Plus their personalities really shine through. The Southern California is enjoyable as well. I highly recommend this book and series.