A challenge arises when some valuable and endangered desert tortoises disappear from a laboratory. It's up to Rachel to track them down. When her first suspect turns out to be a decomposing corpse, obviously murdered, things begin to look more complicated than a simple case of illegal wildlife smuggling.

Along the way, Rachel's investigation brings her into contact with Noah Gorfine, ex-employee of the Department of Energy and a man with an axe or two to grind against the government. Adding to the list of suspects are several ranchers who'd be only to happy to shoot the tortoises on sight, and a group of land developers wanting the endangered (and protected) tortoises out of the way.

This was a tight, well-crafted story. Red herrings abound, the characters are a mixed bag and about what you'd expect living out in the desert, and the plot deepens in a satisfying manner. As for Rachel, her smarts in investigative work don't extend to her love life, which was the only irritant in an otherwise admirable character. When she all but falls in a drooling heap at the feet of a good-looking guy who is obviously not on the up-and-up, it elicited a snort of derision from this reader. Since this flaw has to carry some of the plot, it can't be brushed over. But Rachel emerges a bit wiser in the end, which bodes well for the next book in the series.

All in all, Tortoise Soup is entertaining and intriguing. The V rating on this review is based on several gory descriptions rather than a high body count, so don't let it put you off. Rachel Porter is a sleuth worth meeting.

--Cathy Sova