Hoot to Kill

This book is outstanding. If you are interested in conservation, endangered species or if you'd just like a good read-try Hoot to Kill. Karen Dudley's heroine Robin Devara is refreshingly funny- "Most biologists believe that the worst thing about field biology is watching everything else have sex except you". The plot was riveting, the characters were intriguing and I loved the mouth-watering descriptions of food! I really enjoyed Hoot to Kill and I look forward to following Robyn's further adventures.

Hoot to Kill is a terrific read, and charming in a way that so many grittier and cynical American mysteries rarely are. Although set in British Columbia, the underlying premise concerns issues that are very central to the Pacific Northwest in general: old-growth forests, logging and the survival of the spotted owl. Dudley's protagonist is an environmental consultant, so the reader gets to not only piece together the mystery but finds out all sorts of interesting things about a profession they probably know nothing about. Robyn Devara is an immensely likable heroine full of her own insecurities, yet resolute when it comes to both crime-solving and science. Karen Dudley's strengths lie in her realistic and charming characters, her sparkling and witty (hell, downright hilarious) dialogue, and in the fact that she seamlessly weaves environmental and scientific information into her mystery without being either overly technical or preachy. In fact, for a book that features such controversial subject matter, she is remarkably balanced in her approach, showing sympathy for both the logging town and the environmentalist. At once exciting, fascinating, warm, evocative and cozy (the descriptions of food alone are worth the price of admission) Hoot to Kill is a very promising start to what will probably be a crackling good series. The next title, The Red Heron, is out now.