Habitat

Rating:
Summary: Non-ascending Venus
Review: After three outings that were fun, although a bit off-the-wall, this fourth effort is rather a total loss. Briefly put, Venus Diamond is on a case again, although she gets into it indirectly. The Greedy are seeking to profit from the Protectors of near-extinct wildlife. The Moralists and the Environmentalists are in there, too.
There were too many plot elements to keep track of; too many subplots that do little to advance the major thread; too many "just-in-time-and-place" resolutions of sticky issues.
Of course, everything gets more-or-less resolved by the last page, but one can hope that Venus' next outing will be more grounded and less contrived.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic environmental mystery
Review: Habitat is the fourth mystery in Skye Kathleen Moody's series starring Venus Diamond, Fish and Wildlife agent, continuing her high level of suspense writing with another exciting and thought-provoking mystery. Venus, recently married and, at the insistance of her husband, on leave from her job, is suffering from depression which she attributes to Seasonal Affective Disorder. However, the doctor she consults diagnoses it much more accurately as 'spiritual suffocation.' When her husband, Richard Winters, accepts an overseas assignment, Venus agrees to help her boss with the particularly nasty and vicious murder of Dr. Hannah Strindberg, and simultaneously throws herself into grave danger while curing her soul's suffocation. Venus refuses to accept the arson investigator's formulaic solution to the crime, and instead investigates those associated with Strindberg in the secretive Breedhaven project to harvest, freeze, and clone embryos of endangered species. Once again, Moody gives readers an extremely well-crafted plot, which is supported by a tremendous depth of research. She demonstrates her sensitivity to a variety of viewpoints concerning the very complex issues of cloning, preservation of endangered species, and the relationship between science and the general public. Her characters are realistic, complex, and very well developed. This novel is most highly recommended for those readers who want an action-packed mystery which also has believable characters and a thought-provoking plot.

Rating:
Summary: Bad author, BAD editor!
Review: I'm not basing this judgement on just one book -- I read both "Wildcrafters" and "Habitat," to be certain that I hadn't merely caught the writer in a slump, or caught her editor on vacation. Alas, apparently not -- both books had the same flaws.

The main character in this series is supposed to be a highly professional federal Fish & Wildlife law enforcement agent. The second sentence of "Habitat," however, refers to "octopuses." That's on Page One, a foreshadowing of the many slips, hiccups, and foolish errors which insult the reader throughout the book.

More substantive, for instance, is an encounter in which our badge-carrying heroine is physically assaulted -- but when the police come, they treat the incident as a he-said she-said episode, and walk away. Come ON! Not in any jurisdiction in the nation would a federal law enforcement agent of any gender or agency be treated so cavalierly. But it's needed for the plot, as are so many other ludicrous developments, so the author plopped it in and the editor passed it by.

Moody has a wild imagination, and her books could be fun, silly, James-Bond-type romps -- for example, she drags NASA into this one, an agency not likely in real life to have anything at all to do with Fish & Wildlife. However, she needs a more thorough and stern editor to address not only the sloppy errors mentioned above, but also the tendency in both of the books I read to have too many narrative threads which have to be knotted together too hastily at the end. The result is neither attractive nor satisfying.

She could be good, but her style will always be more fantastical than realistic. If you're looking for believable wildlife settings with common-sense sleuths, stick with Dana Stabenow's Kate Shugak series, or Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon. If you're looking for giddy and glamorous fun, Moody's Venus Diamond *might* be your girl -- someday. Here's hoping for better from this lively writer!

Rating:
Summary: Venus on Vacation
Review: In the previous Venus Diamond novels we have seen her as a get-tough, get-it-done Fish and Wildlife Agent. Since her marriage to Richard, Venus appears to have lost her way. She is depressed, goal-less, and unable to carry out her investigation of murder and theft in her usual no nonsense, efficient style. She is unable to dodge the bad guys, getting hit over the head more than once. Unfortunately, little sense is knocked into her. Venus needs to get her life back and with the Zen help of Dr. Wong might do so if she can muster up the motivation. Venus does get to realize one of her dreams, that of becoming an astronaut, but this part of the plot is decidedly far fetched.

As an avid reader of mysteries, and as a great lover of the out-of-doors, I would like to see Venus return to her roots and her kicking ways. This is not the Venus I have come to know and love.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic environmental mystery
Review: Interesting concept that combines a more realistic Jurassic Park and genetic engineering plus the concept of another Noah's Ark. Moody writes well and her heroine is realistic, gutsy, and funny.