If Tim Burton wrote mysteries for children…

They would probably read a lot like In the Wolf’s Lair. There are a lot of visual and verbal plays, a very weird and twisted sense of humor, a mystery spiked with more humor and the grotesque, and so, so many stereotypes… The normal tropes are smashed on their ear by the animals that give them voice. Perhaps not real animals… In fact, I’m pretty sure Badgercat was played by Johnny Depp and Benedict Cumberbatch was Badger. (Oh, wait, this wasn’t live action or animated? Why did I have all those weird visuals going? I guess I shouldn’t have read this so close to bedtime!)

The dogged and relentless police chief of Far Woods is a badger, his cockeyed sidekick assistant is a cat who thinks he’s a badger (he’s actually an adopted badger), the victim’s a rabbit, the litigious lawyers are owls, the violent predatory suspects are a wolf and a coyote, and so on. Characters sip mothitos (get you tipsy) and nom on beetles (unless they’re holding white flags), porcini mushrooms (taste like meat), and other non-animal victuals and keep a law that keeps them from eating each other. All that peace ends when Rabbit is murdered, his blood-spattered fur and bones found testifying to a violent end in someone’s stomach. Can they discover who killed Rabbit and gnawed his bones clean?

There’s social media (Frogbook Messenger), television via the root network, frivolous lawsuits, suspects on the lam, underfunded police, and all the usual shenanigans in this twisted tale of greed and deception. While children will be fascinated by all the action, adults will decipher the underlying satire and social commentary and snicker. The mystery is actually very well done and all the crazed goings-on around the fringe make it look easy. The illustrations are stylized and vibrant, lending yet another quirk to a very quirky endeavor. Just a lot of weird fun. (Did I mention Tim Burton?)

Sing it with me now:
“We’re owls, owls, owls!
We’ll go on the prowl
to find what’s afoul.
And we’ll sue, sue, sue,
all for you, you, you!

The mystery wraps up satisfactorily and there’s a lead-in to the next story as In the Wolf’s Lair is first in a series by the author, Anna Starobinets.

Highly recommended for fans of Tim Burton, twisted fairy tales, and very quirky mysteries.

I received this book as a digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from the publisher through NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Dover Publishing for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is a children's chapter book, and a mystery. Who ate Mr. Rabbit? The main suspect is Mr. Wolf. Cute, with some humor and good reasoning skills. The only thing I didn't like was the behavior of some of the animals. Since when do coyote's laugh like hyenas? And badgercat seemed unusually stupid. Oh well. Regardless this is a book that can be read by children or read to them. The illustrations were good. I give this a 3.5.

Anna Starobinets has created an anthropomorphic tale both clever and witty. The animal kingdom of In the Wolf's Lair resembles an English village, complete with pub owners, wait staff, lawyers, and detectives. The latter honor belongs to a badger and his sidekick affectionately called a "badgercat" (as in he's really a cat but was raised by--and believes himself to be--a badger).

The animal kingdom has been disrupted by the violent murder of Mr. Rabbit. Tell-tale blood and fur spark off the hunt for the guilty party. Perfect for middle grade readers, the book is not too violent, has corny humor and delightful illustrations for each chapter heading. Children will love the descriptions of the animals and how badger saves the day. And just as badger is looking forward to finally being able to hibernate, another case falls into his lap which is a fun way to signal to young readers that a sequel will be on its way. The book would be especially entertaining to read aloud (with various voices for each animal of course!).

This entertaining book will be available September 12, 2018 and available for pre-order at Amazon. A great book for mystery-loving kids and animal lovers alike. In the Wolf's Lair will tempt even the most reluctant reader.

Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of In the Wolf's Lair from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

ARC Copy...for an "animal" story that was short, that was actually some sophisticated and tightly knitted crime drama and twists going on here (is it really an open shut case?) with a touch of satire (lawyer owls that seem to act more like hungry vultures). The interplay between the leading investigators is interesting...the older badger is calmer and patient while younger rookie is impulsive with a go go attitude.