The Kinship Series, Volume 2 / Robin Lamont / Grayling Press / 252 pages
Each year, using taxpayer dollars and very cruel methods, the USDA’s Wildlife Services program kills anywhere from 1.5 million to more than 5 million animals. What is especially frightening about the program is its lack of transparency; many members of the public have no idea that Wildlife Services even exists—or that it kills so many wild animals in an effort largely to protect private interests.
Robin Lamont’s The Trap could open people’s eyes. This second book in the Kinship Series follows main character Jude as she goes undercover to investigate the murder of a Wildlife Services trapper and in the process learns about Wildlife Services and what it does. Although the murder mystery is a work of fiction, the backdrop is all too real. Lamont delves deep into the lethal practices that the program uses to indiscriminately kill wildlife—particularly wolves—in states such as Idaho.
The author provides extra color by taking the reader through the various perspectives of all the characters involved—including the animals, as they suffer after being caught in leghold traps or shot via aerial gunning. The book is well researched and accurate. Hopefully, it will reach an audience that may not otherwise be exposed to the truth about Wildlife Services.