Someone at the zoo has a hidden agenda.And they’re willing to kill to keep it a secret.Finding a body in the penguin pool isn’t a great way to start the day.It’s even worse when you realise you’re now in charge of looking after the penguins.Because their keeper is the one at the bottom of the pool.Zookeeper, Madigan Amos, is just as curious as anyone about the strange circumstances surrounding … Amos, is just as curious as anyone about the strange circumstances surrounding the penguin keeper’s death.
But after apprehending armed intruders, getting caught in the middle of a deadly attack, and sparring with a machete wielding murderer, she starts to wonder if she should have kept her curiosity to herself.
There’s no getting out now.
She must solve the mystery… or meet the same fate as the previous penguin keeper.
Pick up this thrilling mystery today and you’ll be up all night turning the pages to find out ‘whodunnit’!
Praise for Penguins and Mortal Peril:
I loved this Book! This was a great story kept you guessing all the way. – M. Thomas
Warning DO NOT READ RIGHT BEFORE BED. Due to high paced adventure and intriguing clues, you will not be able to put it down. You will lose a night of sleep. – Shotts
I have loved every book I have read by this author. This is no exception! Great pacing, awesome characters and interesting story. Cannot wait to read the next instalment! – K. Charon
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Penguins and Mortal Peril Madigan Amos Zoo Mysteries, Book 1, my third read from author Ruby Loren. A short, enjoyable, well-written mystery with likable characters. Fun read. Since I own both the Kindle & Audible editions I was able to read along while listening. Narrator Rebecca Reed’s narration added to the book’s enjoyment. I was given an Audible copy of this book & am voluntarily reviewing it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 – July 24, 2018).
zoo, murder, amateur-sleuth, women-sleuths, twisty, cozy-mystery, England
Saturday did not start out well for Madi, keeper at the Avery Zoo. The
regular keeper for the penguins was late, so those duties were temporarily
added to hers. Until she found his body in the penguin pool. And that’s
just the beginning of this well crafted mystery puzzle full of twists,
turns, and too many suspects for Madi to be sure of, including a protest
group who have been causing trouble for a while now. There are more
incidents, interpersonnel conflicts, and a real surprise ending. Don’t
miss this one!
Rebecca Reed is excellent!
I enjoyed this book. I love the whole idea of it being set in a zoo and reading about the animals. The mystery part was pretty good to.
This is book one but I started with book two and enjoyed that so much I went back to the beginning. Maddi is a zoo keeper with a big responsibility, keeping all the animals in her care happy. This proves to be the easiest part of her job when you start adding in humans. Especially with animal rights activists picketing the front gates and the zoo keepers getting killed but when someone starts targeting the animals she doesn’t know who to trust and the people she always thought of as family become suspects.
It was a fun mystery with like able characters.
Awesome adventure. Madi’s character helps to protect the animals under her care from extremists and in some cases simply from their mother. It’s hard work, but Madi is up for whatever it takes.
Parrots and Payback (a prequel) – A cute, little prequel about another day at the zoo with some of our favorite characters. A quick read where readers familiar with Mad’s zoo will know what’s going on. I personally would read this after The Peacock’s Poison, but that’s how I did it. LOL. 5*
Penguins and Mortal Peril #1 – A good thriller. A well written, intriguing suspense with a well thought out, twisting plot and believable characters. There’s interesting information about the zoo and its animals. Madi is an intelligent, caring person, especially with the animals, and takes loving care of the zoo. There’s also humor; beware of furry pyschos. The animals are a good part of the story and some even have their own personalities. I finished the book in one sitting, immersed in the mystery. If you liked Blooming, you’ll like this book, too. 5*
The Silence of the Snakes #2 – Spellbinding! Ruby just gets better with each book she writes. A well written, intriguing suspense with believable characters and a plot that doesn’t let the reader put down the book until the last page. This is a substantial story, not a weak cozy, that would make Christie proud to write. Don’t let this series pass you by, they’re must reads. 5*
Murder is a Monkey’s Game #3 – Another well written, intriguing suspense this time set in France. There’s an interesting plot that holds the reader’s attention, although a bit slower when compared to the previous two books. The characters are still interesting and the relationships between the characters are realistic and entertaining. While not necessary since each book is a standalone, I would recommend reading the books in order. Madi’s story is continuously evolving and her growth as a character, too. I contacted the author to review her work many books ago. 5*
Lions and the Living Dead #4 – Her best book yet! This is a substantial and intriguing suspense with a well written, fast paced plot and believable characters. The main characters continue to evolve and the new characters are developed enough to have weight. The descriptions and storylines are vivid and full. The dialog realistic. The story flows from page to page making it difficult to put the book down. I stayed up late to finish it. 5*
The Peacock’s Poison #5 – Another well written, well thought out story with our Madi and her crew. A longer book than usual, but just as substantial, that keeps the reader immersed in the pages until the end. Someone did their homework and makes it look bad for Madi. Poor dummy, bad move. Each book in the series gets better and the books always have you thinking. I watched this author mature as an author and her work doesn’t disappoint. I have to recommend this series as must reads. Start with Penguins #1 to meet Madi and finish with Lions. If these are the only two books of the series you read, you picked well. But don’t miss out on Silence and Monkey’s Game. Sequentially is how they should be read, but it’s not necessary, they’re all standalones. 5*
A Memory for Murder #6 – Oh my gosh! This book has it all: intrigue; romance; subterfuge; romance; stings; murders; and the list goes on. Every book in this series gets better and better, and this is the “betterest”. The amazing plot swings the reader in every direction; yah, some things are figured out, but there are some characters that are questionable. The characters, old and new, are interesting, have grown or have enough background where needed. Their dialog is realistic and there’s no stupidity in second guessing or questioning everything – just straight thoughts and actions. I couldn’t put this book down until I had finished it. The is the most substantial book by Ms. Loren and I’m looking forward to #7. I’m happy I volunteered to review her work. She has immense growth as an author since the first book I read by her, Snowed In With Death. 5*
Whales and a Watery Grave #7 – What what a way to die! Sorry, but the murder of this victim is extremely different from the usual murders found in other mystery books, which complicates the investigation. Ms. Loren does another fabulous job with this book, its characters and the murder itself. Well written, intriguing and suspenseful, the story line holds the reader glued to the pages, which zip by quickly. There’s continued growth with our favorite characters and the new characters are developed enough to either like or dislike them. The animal characters always add something to the stories. A simple, relaxing holiday in Mallorca isn’t in the cards for Madi and Auryn with the complex, intriguing murder, there’s suspects everywhere. 5*
Foxes and Fatal Attraction #9 – I just love the expressions of the fox and the hound, such a funny cover; it makes you wonder what has the clever fox happy and the hound worried. Well the story does give you that info. Another intriguing, substantial murder mystery with all of our favorite characters and the return of an old favorite or two, of which one brings even more secrets and subterfuge to Madi’s present and future. The animals still play a large part in the story and add to the humor, which blends in well with the drama and intrigue. Another wonderful addition to a great series. 5*
I have enjoyed all of Ruby Loren’s books. This was not an exception. The characters are well developed – especially Madi. The plot had some unexpected twists. It kept my interest and I read it in one sitting. Enjoy.
First book in the series. Quite enjoyable.
“Penguins and Mortal Peril” earns 5/5 Precarious Penguin Predicaments!
I am new to Ruby Loren’s work, so getting in on her new series Madigan Amos Zoo Mystery is the perfect introduction: Animal rights activists? Penguin keeper dead? A menagerie of suspects? Zoo’s can be dangerous, but deadly, too? Madigan ‘Madi’ Amos is dedicated to the care of the animals at the Avery Zoo, but when she finds Aquatics Keeper Ray Meyers bludgeoned at the bottom of the penguin pool, murder was the last thing on her mind. The mystery and mayhem to follow is delightful…all ‘cozy’ addicts will be thrilled with several twists and turns to keep any amateur “Sherlock” on their toes, humor to cut through the murder, and a bit of romance thrown in to warm one’s heart. Ruby’s characters are well developed even this early in the series—a testament to Loren’s writing skill, with Madi written in first-person which by nature puts me right in the middle of the story. Playing the background we enjoy learning about the ins and outs of zoo life through Madi’s zoo writings about the various animals to which we are introduced. This is unique, but delightful; I’ve not read a ‘cozy’ zoo-themed book. This was a great introduction to Ruby Loren. I am looking forward to the upcoming books in the series, but there are so many other books of hers I am very excited to read also.
Update 7/16/19
Engaging. Entertaining. Fun! I have subsequently become an eager fan of this series and enjoyed revisiting Ruby Loren’s “Penguins and Mortal Peril” with this newly released audio version. I am so partial to a British accent, often saying murder “sounds” better with a British accent, and Rebecca Reed’s delightful narration is brilliantly entertaining. She goes well beyond the traditional reading aloud format using a variety of British dialects to illustrate a plethora of character personalities along with the tone and emotions to keep me engaged. The one challenge female narrators have is doing justice to male voices, and Rebecca met and exceeded that challenge. Don’t miss this gem!
We are going to visit the Avery Zoo!!!
This is where Madigan Amos works as
a Zookeeper. She is a dedicated, hard
working, problem solving, very realistic
and well created character.
Madigan will take the reader with her
into the zoo workings. She will introduce
various animals, their environment,
eating habits plus share incidents that
happen inside the Avery Zoo.
I enjoyed learning about the uniqueness
of the various jobs involved while
working a zoo.
Madigan finds the penguin zookeeper
dead in the bottom of the penguin’s pool
along with a sledgehammer.
Was it an accident or murder?
Madigan sets out to uncover the truth.
The story presents a tangled web of clues
with uncovered lies and secrets revealed.
There is an animal activist protest, strange
volunteers, a suspicious construction worker,
animals escaping their habitat adding humor
and a touch of romance to the mystery.
The characters were well developed, realistic,
and very interesting adding flavor to the story.
The tension was thick with plenty of suspense,
chills and thrills with unexpected twists.
A very entertaining read.
I Love This Story!
I have been critter crazy since I was a small child and this tale certainly has a lot of animals. The mystery is excellent without any excessive clues. I was not able to guess the bad guys or their plans until the author revealed it. All of the main characters were well developed and deep. Their emotions and dialog all rang true. This author always seems to produce a quality story and this certainly is no exception. I can’t wait for the next in this series. For now, I am anxious to start another of her novels
Ahh the heroine zookeeper is too cute.
An investigative novel with info coming from different places while still working the day to day zoo care. Well written, loved the setting, the plot and story line. Interesting characters and villains. Identifying villains takes investigation to find people’s mystery hidden agenda. Some romance. Love the animals part in the story. Very happy ending