Love and Death and Llamas by Betty Webb
Where do writers get their idea?
As the old joke goes, sometimes they buy them at Wal-Mart. In my case, however,
I get my ideas by watching real live people do real live crazy things, which is
exactly how I came up with the plot of THE LLAMA OF DEATH.
I may be best known for my
noir-ish Lena Jones mystery series, but I also write the humorous and cozy-ish
Gunn Zoo mysteries, which means some pretty loveable animals turn out to be
characters in those books. We’re talking koalas, anteaters, lemurs, giraffes,
wombats, honey badgers… On second thought, maybe honey badgers aren’t all that
adorable, although their mothers probably love them.
But back to THE LLAMA OF DEATH.
In addition to my love for llamas,
I’ve always been a devoted fan of Renaissance fairs, so a couple of years ago I
dragged poor Hubby to one in Apache Junction, Arizona. While checking out the
fractured Renaissance-speak of peasants, knights, and fancy-dressed royalty, I
happened to spy something that was, to my animal-loving soul, even funnier: the
expression on a young teenager’s face as she led a llama around with a child on
its back. The child looked thrilled, the llama looked peaceful, but the
teenager looked like she would rather have been taking an algebra test.
The girl was wearing one of those
long, fussy, tightly-laced dresses we’ve all come to associate with Renaissance
fairs, and while she was leading the llama around with one hand, she was busy
tugging up her low-cut bodice with the other. When I smiled at her, she scowled
back. She was miserable, and like most teenagers, wanted everyone to know just
how miserable she was.
With that scowl, THE LLAMA OF
DEATH was born.
THE ANTEATER OF DEATH, the first
book in the Gunn Zoo series, introduced Theodora “Teddy” Iona Esmeralda
Bentley, a zookeeper who lives on a houseboat in at the northern edge of
California’s stunning Monterey Bay and commutes to work at the zoo in a rusty
pickup truck. Teddy loves animals, and is a frequent visitor to the local
animal shelter, where she helps adopt out some of the less-lovely animals.
Those she can’t find homes for, she keeps – such as DJ Bonz, her three-legged
terrier, and Miss Priss, her one-eyed cat.
Teddy grew up rich, but after her
rapscallion of a father embezzled several million dollars and fled to Costa
Rica, the Feds moved in and took all her family’s assets, leaving them
impoverished. Caro, Teddy’s mother, a former beauty queen, decided that the
only thing left to do was to marry a series of wealthy men, then demand large
settlements during the following divorces, thus restoring the Bentley family to
its former financial glory. It worked, but poor Teddy sometimes feels like half
the millionaires in California have at one time served as her stepfathers.
In THE LLAMA OF DEATH, the
money-grubbing Caro gets her just desserts. When Teddy’s boss at the Gunn Zoo
makes her take a llama named Alejandro to the Gunn Landing Renaissance Faire,
the zookeeper is at first as disgusted as that real-life teenage I saw in
Apache Junction. But since giving llama rides to young children helps raise
money for the local no-kill animal shelter, Teddy soon makes peace with the
task. However, during Teddy’s first night at the fair, the man acting the part
of Henry the Eighth is found dead in Alejandro’s pen. At first the llama is
suspected of trampling the man to death, but after the cause of death is
discovered to be a crossbow arrow to the neck, suspicion shifts to Caro. The
dead man had promised the fair’s role of Anne Boleyn to her, then reneged,
whereupon the two had had a loud, public brawl. When Caro is arrested, it’s up
to Teddy to track down the real killer.
Other characters in THE LLAMA OF
DEATH include a nervous teenager who plays the part of the fair’s leper, a
no-better-than-she-ought-to-be blonde named Bambi, a Shakespeare-spouting drama
teacher, and Sssbyl, the Gunn Zoo’s escaped Mojave rattlesnake, who Tweets
about her adventures while on the lam. By the way, if that tweeting snake
sounds familiar, think back about the news story where a boa constrictor began
tweeting after it escaped from its zoo.
Yes, newspapers are great
places to get ideas, too.
The plot of THE LLAMA OF DEATH may
be goofy, but the critics don’t seem to mind. Of the book, Library Journal
said: “Webb’s third zoo series entry winningly melds a strong animal story with
the engaging amateur sleuth tale. Set at a relaxed pace with abundant zoo
filler, the title never strays into too-cute territory, instead presenting the
real deal.” Publishers Weekly wrote: “Human relationships prove more
taxing than animal ones in Webb’s amusing third Gunn Zoo mystery… Animal lore
and human foibles spiced with a hint of evil test Teddy’s patience and
crime-solving in this appealing cozy.”
After reading those reviews, I
realized I owed a heart-felt Thank You note for that poor teenager at the
Apache Junction Renaissance Faire, so as soon as the fair opens next month,
I’ll head back.
With a Thank You note for the
llama, too.
Betty Webb is the author of the nationally best-selling Lena Jones
mystery series (DESERT WIVES, DESERT NOIR, DESERT WIND, etc.) and the humorous
Gunn Zoo mysteries (THE KOALA OF DEATH, THE LLAMA OF DEATH, etc.). Before
beginning to write full time, Betty worked as a journalist, interviewing
everyone from U.S. presidents, astronauts who walked on the moon, Nobel Prize-winners,
and polygamy runaways. She has taught creative writing classes and workshops at
Arizona State University and Phoenix College. Betty is a member of the National
Federation of Press Women, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime.
She is also a member of the National Association of Zookeepers.
For information about the Gunn Zoo books, log onto www.bettywebb-zoomystery.com
For information about the Lena Jones books log onto, www.bettywebb-mystery.com
Betty Webb
Author of THE LLAMA OF DEATH, due out Jan. 6, 2013
and DESERT WIND, starred review in Publishers Weekly,
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Marja McGraw