Pamela Beason

The character of Neema the signing gorilla is based on the real life Koko, and Neema certainly has a tough time of it in The Only Clue. She's the loving new mother of baby Kanoni and is happy in her life with her mate Gumu. All that is shattered when thieves break into Dr. Grace McKenna's barn. The pool of blood that's the only clue left behind isn't a very good one. Is it gorilla blood? Which gorilla? Could it even be human blood? It takes time to find out, and time is one thing that Dr. Grace McKenna does not have. There are too many people in charge who really don't have a clue about the work she's doing or about the animals she is in charge of. They are constantly on the lookout for the tiniest thing that will allow them to boot her and her animals out of their county. This really spotlights how tough it is for many scientists who have to wrestle for permits and funding.

Another thing that The Only Clue does an excellent job of bringing attention to is that of the illegal wildlife trade. Why does someone with the right amount of money need to raise a tiger in their big-city apartment? Why do certain countries' traditional medicines seem to insist on the extinction of many animal species? I mean... I adore meerkats, but I don't want a family of them in my backyard. The lengths to which these illegal traders will go to get their hands on money are both chilling and disgusting, and Beason brings it right out in the open without being overly graphic.

As much as I enjoyed the first Neema mystery, The Only Witness, this second book fell flat for me. First, there were Grace's overbearing parents. You know the type, the parents who don't like the career their child has chosen and never miss an opportunity to undermine them? If there's a contest for "I'm So Over Them" Characters, overbearing, judgy parents would rank in my top three. Then there was a bit of deus ex machina at the end to save the day for one of the plotlines, a plotline that I wondered how the author was going to resolve.

But the thing that bothered me the most was poor Neema. She went through emotional hell in this book, and even though there is just one more book in the Neema series, I'm going to leave it here at book two where all is right in her world once again. It's just not right to keep torturing the poor ape.… (más)

The idea of having a gorilla be the only witness to a crime intrigued me right from the beginning, and Pamela Beason's fast-paced mystery ticks all the boxes. The mystery is first-rate, and the work Grace McKenna does with Neema's language skills is fascinating. Readers also learn the difficulties such programs have in getting funding-- and their acceptance (or lack thereof) when located in small, conservative communities.

The characters are very well drawn. Brittany isn't your typical teenage mother. Beason portrays her empathetically, showing us a young girl who is naive but who also shows surprising depth. Matt Finn, the detective in charge of investigating the kidnapping is tired and depressed, dealing with his own personal problems, and it's interesting to see how the case starts bringing him back to life. And as for Grace and Neema? It's mainly due to these two characters that I'm glad to see that there's another book in the series to read. Are you an animal lover who likes a good, well-paced mystery with strong characters? I highly recommend Pamela Beason's Neema mysteries.… (más)

An ingenious & charming mystery, starring improbably sympathetic characters: Brittany, a feckless teenage mother who leaves her baby in the car to dash into a store. Finn, a grumpy detective who's saddled with his ex-wife's menagerie & out of the loop in this grapevine-infested small town. And Neema, the only witness to the baby's abduction: a gorilla who's learned sign language, in a program that's just been de-funded. Pamela Beason deftly weaves local prejudices, personal quirks, & challenging circumstances into a believable net that traps each protagonist. Each plot strand is compelling, & they converge in a satisfying resolution.… (más)