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Rating: 
Summary: You Go GIRL!
Review: Fish and Wildlife Agent Rachel Porter is a fabulous and very believable character. Placed in a job mainly considered by her various superiors (all male) to be a "man's" job she fights the bad guys and the social stigma (that in reality is ALL too common even in the year 2000) to show that women CAN do anything they put their minds to. Jessica Speart does wonderful research on the locations and geography of the locations Rachel is assigned to and enlightens readers on issues of endangered species and lands, poaching, legal issues in prosecuting violators etc. all the while keeping us alternately laughing out loud and sitting on the edge of our seats. You can't help but be touched by the diverse, hysterical and lovable recurring friends whose personalities and quirks make them more memorable with each new novel. Get to work Jessica - we're waiting!
Rating: 
Summary: poor plotting
Review: If you believe that all law enforcement agents are inept or corrupt or both, then perhaps you won't have difficulty suspending disbelief for this story. The protagonist in this series blunders around crime scenes, interferes with investigations and miraculously survives single handed faceoffs with murderers. Except for the first novel in this series, don't waste time on these books.
Rating:
Summary: poor plotting
Review: Jessica Speart is not as well known as some mystery writers, and hence her books are afordable. Still I hope it happens because she is a wonderful writer. Her character of Rachel Porter is completely believable with a sense of humor I would kill for. Probably not a word I should use here since that is what her co-characters are always doing in the most interesting places. This book combines the excitement of South Florida with the thrill of the hunt--this time for endangered beautiful birds. Her books have multi-dimensional characters, and I never tire of them. Indeed, I am ready to turn to her latest set in Texas. Maybe Jessica will consider the Bluegrass for a setting since our catfish are some of the best, to say nothing of the endangered bats of the Mammoth Cave. But wherever Jessica spins her tale, I'll be there to pick it up and read. Join me?
Rating:
Summary: Colorful birds of a feather.
Review: Jessica Speart is not as well known as some mystery writers, and hence her books are afordable. Still I hope it happens because she is a wonderful writer. Her character of Rachel Porter is completely believable with a sense of humor I would kill for. Probably not a word I should use here since that is what her co-characters are always doing in the most interesting places. This book combines the excitement of South Florida with the thrill of the hunt--this time for endangered beautiful birds. Her books have multi-dimensional characters, and I never tire of them. Indeed, I am ready to turn to her latest set in Texas. Maybe Jessica will consider the Bluegrass for a setting since our catfish are some of the best, to say nothing of the endangered bats of the Mammoth Cave. But wherever Jessica spins her tale, I'll be there to pick it up and read. Join me?
Rating:
Summary: Can Rachel uncover the players in the smuggling ring
Review: Once again Rachel Porter, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Agent, has been relocated. She's always getting into situations that her superiors do not approve of and in the end she receives a new assignment. This time she's in southern Florida.Rachel follows a hot tip and goes to the compound of Alberto Dominguez, alleged smuggler of exotic cockatoos and parrots. She finds him dead and all of his birds gone. She discovers he was also smuggling Cuban cigars. Her Cuban boss, Carlos Cardenas, almost gives the case to her co-worker, Phil, but she does some fancy footwork so that she can continue investigating. He makes it clear that the birds are her business, not the killers. Willy Weed worked for Dominguez smuggling birds and eggs into the U.S. Unfortunately Willy owns quite an extensive collection of snakes and is very sleazy. His ex-wife Bambi keeps telling Rachel information in the hopes of getting Willy in trouble and thus to leave her alone. Rachel finds herself getting deeper and deeper into a smuggling ring that appears to have ties to anti-Castro terrorists. Her friend Terri comes to visit and ends up helping her get to know the right people. Terri also helps Rachel keep her mind off breaking up with Jake Santou, her lover. There are many dangers involved in her uncovering the many players in this smuggling ring. Rachel finds herself face to face with snakes and wild cats. I always enjoy reading books in this series. Rachel is a great character. She's very strong, but yet a woman. I must say that some of the situations she gets into make my skin crawl, but that just makes me want to keep reading to find out how she gets out of the situation! I also like the different locations as I feel as if I have traveled there with her. This is a terrific book. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Can Rachel uncover the players in the smuggling ring
Review: Once again Rachel Porter, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Agent, has been relocated. She's always getting into situations that her superiors do not approve of and in the end she receives a new assignment. This time she's in southern Florida. Rachel follows a hot tip and goes to the compound of Alberto Dominguez, alleged smuggler of exotic cockatoos and parrots. She finds him dead and all of his birds gone. She discovers he was also smuggling Cuban cigars. Her Cuban boss, Carlos Cardenas, almost gives the case to her co-worker, Phil, but she does some fancy footwork so that she can continue investigating. He makes it clear that the birds are her business, not the killers. Willy Weed worked for Dominguez smuggling birds and eggs into the U.S. Unfortunately Willy owns quite an extensive collection of snakes and is very sleazy. His ex-wife Bambi keeps telling Rachel information in the hopes of getting Willy in trouble and thus to leave her alone. Rachel finds herself getting deeper and deeper into a smuggling ring that appears to have ties to anti-Castro terrorists. Her friend Terri comes to visit and ends up helping her get to know the right people. Terri also helps Rachel keep her mind off breaking up with Jake Santou, her lover. There are many dangers involved in her uncovering the many players in this smuggling ring. Rachel finds herself face to face with snakes and wild cats. I always enjoy reading books in this series. Rachel is a great character. She's very strong, but yet a woman. I must say that some of the situations she gets into make my skin crawl, but that just makes me want to keep reading to find out how she gets out of the situation! I also like the different locations as I feel as if I have traveled there with her. This is a terrific book. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: This book was entertaining, but not great.
Review: The start of the book starts out really exciting but then loses its pep. It's entertaining, but kind of drags out. I didn't feel like I really got to know or identify with Rachel Porter's character. The book was real dry on humor. There wern't any scenes or observations that were funny. This book was ok, but not my favorite.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good once you get into it
Review: This is not Speart's best work, TORTOISE SOUP would hold that distinction, but it is pretty good once you get into it. I live in Miami, and was excited when I saw that this modern mystery was set in Miami. I enjoy Speart's pro-feminist approach, use of edgy characters, and descriptive writing style (especially when it comes to colours); but the plot and surprise twist is becoming formulaic. I did appreciate Speart's skimming-the-subject look into the chaotic world of cohabitation betwixt anglos and hispanics in Miami, and loved the Versace-like characters of Ramon and his sister. The party scenes are very Miami, but sometimes the story just dies, it had a lackluster ending and would have been improved with perhaps a different look into Porter's character or her love for wildlife.
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