Eye of the Ocelot
Volta Rose
"Detective Abigail Fiorelli expertly examines links between human culpability and the natural world, tugging on the chain of causality for weakness and also for strength. Volta Rose's debut novel, EYE OF THE OCELOT, is an eye-opener indeed." -Gregory Maguire, NYT best-selling author of WICKED
Under the waning light of a late-summer day, a visit to a quiet fishing spot leads to a macabre discovery: the slaughter of an endangered ocelot. From the moment she arrives on the scene, Detective Abigail Fiorelli begins to interweave a series of seemingly unrelated clues: a mysterious pendant with two crescent moons surrounding a dagger, distinctive tracks along the Cape Cod shoreline, and incriminating traces of DNA.
A serendipitous discovery in the personal ads hints at a connection with a cryptic and darkly ruthless international organization. When a car chase through a maze of back roads leaves the trail cold, the case pivots on the discovery of a delicate endangered flower Fiorelli identifies with the help of her lover and partner in crime-solving, Chris Armstrong.
Abby has spent a lifetime building a world around the hole in her heart created when her mother, Fiona, died of cancer when she was only eleven years old. Her life is also colored by the absence of her father, Angelo Fiorelli-an ordained minister and trained police officer turned missionary in Rwanda. The stress and loneliness of life as a detective are eased by the support of Abby's best friend and colleague, Rhonda, whose thick mid-Cape accent and off-color humor lighten up her life.
Can long nature walks along trails through the beloved dunes near her seaside cottage and passionate interludes with her lover save Abby from a horrific late-night discovery on her doorstep...and the conflagration that plunges her into a netherworld where life itself hangs in the balance? When news goes viral about the desecration Abby has prevented, she becomes a global champion for lovers of all things wild.
"Rose's debut mystery, the first in the Abigail Fiorelli series, is a pleasing read. The interplay between Abby and her cohort is often thoughtful, even tender, building the reader engagement in the team and their lives that it takes to build a series upon. Rose's prose adapts wonderfully to the setting. It is tense and terse in encounters and chase sequences, but also languid and evocative describing Abby's birding treks. This promising series starter offers detection and character depth." -BookLife Reviews
"Volta Rose has a future in the mystery genre, this was such a well done novel. I loved getting to know the detective and see the romance elements go forward. I enjoyed trying to solve the mystery. The characters were perfect. I hope there is more in this series." -Kathryn McLeer (NetGalley)
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