Ambushed is the third in Carol Potenza’s De-Exinct Zoo Mystery Series. Veterinarian Milly Smith trained in Siberia and now works in Pleistocene BioPark, a zoo dedicated by resurrected extinct megafauna (giant short-faced bears, dire wolves, smilodons, mammoths, woolly rhinos) brought back by de-extinction geneticists. Milly’s first de-extinct animal is Maskwa, a bear she raised from a cub and cares for deeply. She’s next involved with Pleistocene giant apes who learn American Sign Language for the deaf. Now, she’s facing Quinkanas, huge crocodilians, that are released into tunnels beneath the BioPark by a nefarious fellow biologist, Evan Bowie—and is present at a fourth murder. She learns more about her own past and genetics, finally faces the fact that the head of the zoo, Dr. Luther Nikolai, is never going to return her love, and opens herself to another man, Warren Carter, with devastating consequences.
Potenza is a biochemist, and her knowledge shines through in the mystery. The De-Extinct Zoo series is akin to Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park series in its blend of science and fiction. Potenza incorporates enough technical details to provide verisimilitude while not overpowering the reader with obscure details. It is a quick read, full of twists and turns, and a touch of unrequited love.
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Ambushed (Tiny Mammoth Press, August 9, 2024) is available through:
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You can read my reviews of Carol Potenza’s other books here:
The Nicky Matthews Mystery Series
The De-Extinct Zoo series
#1 Unmasked
#2 Signs
The Lies Series
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