THE CASE OF THE GRUDGE TIGER

A woman and her daughters fight to save their tiger and their zoo following an animal attack in this novel.

The Warrens run a zoo in Southern Illinois where the big draw is their Bengal tiger, Ms. Benni. Carolyn, the family’s matriarch, started the business with her husband, now dead. Marietta, Carolyn’s elder daughter, is a flight attendant in her early 20s; Kenny, her sister, is an accomplished high school student. Kenny has a crush on Dean Alcott, the young man who delivers feed to the zoo—often shirtless—which is what leads her to film him on her phone the day he walks into the tiger enclosure and is mauled by Ms. Benni. As a result, Dean sues Carolyn for $3.8 million, which would certainly finish the Warren Family Zoo. The Warrens are quickly supplied with a lawyer by their insurance company. Jackie Bauer—with Kenny’s aid—wastes no time in discovering that two weeks prior to the attack, Dean kicked at Ms. Benni’s head; that he was spurned by Marietta before he unlocked the animal’s enclosure; and that there are tigers who hold grudges. While the case gets underway, Carolyn worries about the family’s finances; Kenny expands her social circle; and Jackie’s trip to London for a tiger expert’s deposition may lead to more than just pertinent testimony. This story can best be described as wholesome. Helms’ writing style, with accessible but detailed prose, gives the tale an overall feeling of nostalgic comfort, a warmth and simplicity that’s present in animal-centered family movies like Free Willy and Homeward Bound. These traits pop up in much of the dialogue as well, as when Marietta tries to cheer up her sister after it becomes known that Kenny liked to secretly film Dean: “I would’ve been a jerk about it—especially because I’d have been secretly jealous of your good grades.” This simplicity is a strength and is partly what makes the story enjoyable. Another high point is the trial, particularly when Dr. Nigel Lucas, the English tiger expert, delivers passionate, clever testimony. One minor misstep is the attention placed on Dean, namely that most women (save for Marietta) unrealistically seem to lose their reason when they encounter him.

A charming tale about a loving family and their beloved tiger.