The Llama of Death by Betty Webb

The Llama of Death by Betty Webb
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (250 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

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She thought working the local Renaissance Faire was the worst thing that could possibly happen to a girl. But when a dead body turns up in her llama’s pen, she knows that the worst has only just begun. From the moment Teddy takes it upon herself to investigate, the entire world as she knows it begins to come undone. Is no one who they say they are? How can she ever trust anyone after this?

Teddy Bentley, zookeeper extraordinaire, is great. She’s quirky, frustrated, and an all-around likable girl. Her frustrations with her parents, missing her fiancé, and the craziness that comes with being a zookeeper make her into a very relatable character. I will admit though, she had quite a few of what I’ve always thought of as ‘Scooby-Doo’ moments – those moments when she knows that she should just leave well enough alone but can’t bring herself to walk away. This is both good and bad. Good, because it means that she’s going to get to the bottom of the mystery, no matter what. But it can be bad, too, because she occasionally comes off as a meddling busy body. In the end, it all balances out and I still liked her by the time she figured it all out.

Besides having something akin to the best title ever, The Llama of Death was one of the cutest and most enjoyable cozy mysteries I’ve read to date. Chock full of amusing and interesting characters, The Llama of Death brings a lot to the plate, rounding it out with a great small town mystery. Alejandro the llama, Teddy’s charge and one-time murder suspect, really steals the show with his quirky personality and lovableness. As both a lover of animals and mysteries, I couldn’t have scored better if I had tried.