Garth Carson, the fast-talking, wisecracking New York taxidermy dealer of Wiprud's second mystery, Pipsqueak
, goes on a dizzying and sometimes dangerous romp across multiple state lines in this equally zany sequel. When Carson purchases a white crow from a Vermont shop for his girlfriend Angie's birthday, it seems that nearly everyone, from the cops to the carnival freaks, wants to get their hands on the coveted dead bird. After masked men beat him up and steal all his prized animal wares, Carson becomes determined to find out why this white crow is ruffling so many feathers. With the help of Angie and his rough but well-meaning Russian handyman, Otto, Carson attempts to sort out the shady dealings in the underbelly of the taxidermy world. Wiprud's imagination runs wild here, and he skillfully brings the reader along as the plot moves more and more out into left field. His protagonist's frequent and eccentric musings about everything from the joy of cheap moose heads to the pain of parking signs add to the lighthearted tone, though some may be put off by the occasional rant. Agent, Alex Glass at Trident Media. (May)
