A fantastic little mystery that kept me hooked and had a twist I didn’t expect. This is the only book I’ve read by this author but would definitely be interested in others. Great characterisation

Bella Pennefeather, the daughter of rich zoo owner, Adam Pennefeather, is found murdered. Her favourite job at the, Kent, wildlife park was looking after the elephants. That night, whilst tending to a baby elephant who had been rejected by his mother she was being watched, Then the killer strikes. He cuts her throat and then hangs her up like an animal carcass at an abattoir.
The police don't have much to go on,. Adam gets frustrated with them so calls old friend, Joe Cassidy for help. Joe was a detective based at Canterbury police station. His last case, that of a child killer, really hit him hard, so he had taken some time out to de-stress and figure out what to do with his life. He isn't ready to do this, but he can't say no to Adam. When they were younger Joe was a volunteer at the zoo. He was attacked by a male elephant; if Adam hadn't of stepped in Joe would have been killed. Now it's his turn to help.
So Joe tries to work along-side his old colleagues from Canterbury nick, It's not easy; one of them is his wife, Katy, who he is on a trial separation from. Another is Hugh Duffy, a total idiot who wants to take Joe's place in his family home.
At first it seems likely Bella was killed by an anti-zoo extremist, but then the investigation brings out lot's of scandalous famìly secrets, lies and cover-up's. The, already greiving family, then face more tragedy when Adam is, also found dead in suspicious circumstances.
When Joe finally figures out the identity of the person responsible, it's shocking. Something no-one saw coming.

From the very first page, I knew that I would really enjoy reading this.
It was well written; so, I was never confused about who was who, or what was happening, and I never could have predicted the outcome. I, also liked that I knew all the locations, in Kent, where the story is set, as its where I am from.
I highly recommend this book and, will, now, be looking for more from Steven Booker: a very talented writer.

I really enjoyed this 'read with a difference'. It's a good storyline about an ex police officer who gets drawn into a murder at a zoo. The victim is the daughter of someone who saved his life, so, he feels compelled to help.
An added twist is that his wife is the SIO on the case and they are going through a difficult time in their relationship. The characters are well drawn and the plot flows really well.
There are also unexpected twists and turns that keep you guessing.

I'm hoping for more from this character as he's really interesting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

3.5*

First book I’ve read by this author but it won’t be the last!. Loved the writing, characters and plot. Lots of twists along the way to a surprise culprit. . Loads of scope to develop this into a series, I’d love to read more about Joe

Joe Cassidy is an ex-policeman trying to get his life onto something of an even keel after the resolution of disturbing case, the details of which are only hinted at. If you've read Kill Me Twice you may remember Cassidy - he was a minor character living in his shack on the Dungeness beach. When the daughter of a childhood friend goes missing Cassidy is asked to help find her. But not only is Cassidy off the police force he has also separated from his wife and she's leading the police investigation into the disappearance.

Cassidy's friend is the owner of a zoo which was where Bella was working when she disappeared and the place is the original source of the two men's friendship. When Bella's body is discovered the police view her father as a suspect and he wants Cassidy to maintain his involvement in an effort to track down the real killer.

This is a book of two halves. In the first there is the investigation into Bella's death, albeit complicated by Cassidy's relationship with his wife and her involvement in the official investigation and the fact that his son is hiding something that may be related to the murder. He's also both helped and hindered by a journalist who is trying to get a scoop on the story. The second half sees the implosion of the family in the wake of the murder and ramifications that could rival a Greek tragedy.

For all the crime fiction I've read (and it's a fair amount) this is the first book I can recall that had a zoo / wildlife park setting and dealt with issues such as animal rights and the sort of fanatics that can be attracted to this sort of cause.

I enjoyed the book, it was compelling and well-plotted, even if the climax pushed the bounds of credibility it did make me go 'blimey' (or words to that effect) as I was reading. I hope that a series develops for Cassidy - there's unfinished business that I'd like to find out the resolution to.

Animal Instinct is a thriller revolving around Joe, a former cop haunted by his last case. Having brought the notorious Salamander, a serial rapist and murderer, to justice Joe had a breakdown and has moved away from his wife and son to a remote shack on a Kent beach. It’s there that he is approached by Adam Pennefeather, a man he owes a huge favour back from when they were teenagers. Adam is a multimillionaire who owns and runs a zoo in the grounds of his magnificent home. His daughter Bella has gone missing and he enlists Joe to help find her. When Bella’s body is found in a store house at the zoo everyone becomes a suspect; her father, her complex and somewhat eccentric family and the workers and volunteers at the zoo.

As always I will stop there on the plot as I don’t like to reveal too much. I would rather leave it for you to see unfold should you choose to read this book. I will say that this is a good read. It isn’t terribly fast paced (would be 4 stars from me if it was a little pacier) but there is intrigue throughout. You will find yourself guessing at who committed the crime right until the great twist thrown in towards the end. Plus just when you think all the twists are done, another, which links Joe even more firmly to the Pennefeather family, is hurled at you.

If you fancy a great mystery yarn with intricate characters, a multi layered plot and some elephants thrown in for good measure then I definitely recommend Animal Instinct to you.

Note: My review would be 3.5 stars if I could do that!

My thanks for #NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of #AnimalInstinct in return for an honest review.

What an interesting read!! The book features Joe Cassidy, an ex policeman that wants a quiet life after leaving the police force. He then gets involved, as a favor, in the investigation of a murder, and quickly the murder investigation starts becoming a family affair..... Well done and well written. Recommended!

I liked the character of ex DI Joe Cassidy, suffering from PTSD. Joe now lives in an old house in Dungeness when a friend's daughter goes missing. Joe is called in to help with the search and this reason to get up each day, helps Joe to recover. I hope there will be another book featuring Joe as the character has more to give. Thank you Net Galley for my copy. I reviewed on Amazon, facebook and Goodreads.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Canelo for an advance copy of Animal Instinct, the first Kent set novel to feature ex DI Joe Cassidy.

The resolution of the Salamander case gave Joe PTSD so he retired from the police and lives in a shack on Dungeness, on a three month sabbatical from his marriage and family life. He doesn't do much so has time to help Adam Pennefeather when he calls in a favour. Adam wants Joe to find his daughter, Bella who has gone missing and when Bella's body is found he wants him to find the killer. The catch is that Joe's wife is leading the investigation.

I thoroughly enjoyed Animal Instinct which is a straightforward hunt the killer novel with some good twists and a well concealed perpetrator. Mostly told from Joe's point of view there is no mention of the killer's thoughts or actions from their perspective. Call me old fashioned but I love the hunt and the puzzle so this approach is my favourite kind of reading and it makes a welcome change. There are plenty of red herrings and twists to keep the reader occupied so the novel held my attention throughout, up to and including the action packed and revelation filled dénouement.

As the Pennefeathers own a "wildlife park" (zoo is considered a bit passé as a description) there is discussion on the pros and cons of captive breeding. It makes for interesting reading as Mr Booker has obviously done his research and is able to present a balanced discussion on a topic I'd not thought much about before.

I like Joe Cassidy as a protagonist and would be interested in reading more about him. In his fifties the cases he has worked over the years have taken their toll and while he's getting stronger life can be a bit of a struggle. This case is the lifeline he needs to get up in the morning and prove he still has it. He's smart, instinctual and detail orientated so troubles on the home front don't deter him. This is not my experience of depression but everyone's different and it's fiction.

Animal Instinct is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.