The Lie-Catcher in the Primate House - Paperback

The Lie-Catcher in the Primate House is a thriller about stopping the smuggling of endangered species. It involves true-life crime, exotic locations, and a unique supporting character. Through the eyes of the heroine (an expert in detecting human deceptiveness) the reader enters the worlds of animal smuggling, academic politics, chimpanzees who have learned to use sign language, and black market procurement of experimental animals for medical laboratories. All the key plot elements of the novel are based on fact: signing chimpanzees, international task forces tackling the smuggling of endangered species, dangers faced by protectors of wildlife, and disgraced medical researchers. Equally genuine is the science of detecting deception, the basis of the heroine's professional expertise. These elements are woven together to tell a story that is at once exciting and serious. Julie Heidebrecht has helped the police solve a few cases, an extracurricular activity which would surprise her university colleagues. But now she's been drawn into a new world of international intrigue, where endangered animals are trafficked across borders by ruthless criminals. Who are the buyers? What will the smugglers do to anyone who interferes with their billion-dollar trade? And now another, unexpected danger awaits her in Africa..... The author has advanced degrees in human psychology and many years of experience rescuing native wildlife and helping save the habitats of endangered species around the world. She has traveled widely to biodiversity hotspots, including Uganda, Madagascar, Costa Rica, Belize, Ecuador, the Galapagos, and South Africa.