Imagine The Sopranos, with snakes! The Lizard King is a fascinating account of a father and son family business suspected of smuggling reptiles, and the federal agent who tried to take them down.
When Bryan Christy began to investigate the world of reptile smuggling, he had no idea what he would be in for. In the course of his research, he was bitten between the eyes by a blood python, chased by a mother alligator, and sprayed by a bird-eating tarantula. But perhaps more dangerous was coming face to face with Michael J. Van Nostrand, owner of Strictly Reptiles, a thriving family business in Hollywood, Florida. Van Nostrand imports as many as 300,000 iguanas each year (over half the total of America’s most popular imported reptile), as well as hundreds of thousands of snakes, lizards, frogs, spiders, and scorpions.
Van Nostrand was suspected of being a reptile smuggler by Special Agent Chip Bepler of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who devoted years of his life in an obsessive quest to expose The Lizard King’s cold-blooded crimes. How this cat-and-mouse game ended is engrossing and surprising.
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Sexual Content - 0/5
0/5
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Violence - 2/5
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Language - 4/5
4/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 2/5
2/5
Summary
Overall My husband said I wouldn't be interested in reading this book at allmaybe that got my attention. It's all about creepy crawling things and men that match nothing that I would normally be interested in. But I found each page fascinating and enjoyed it throughly. By the end of it I thought it was really a book about love and redemption. I don't know if the author Bryan Christy set out to do that. He does a great job telling about the world of reptile smugglers. You have probably seen their
work at your local zoo. I had no idea about this world and how lucrative it is. Anyone that is interested in buying exotic animals should read this book and anyone that just likes a good read. I highly recommend this book
Violence There is descriptions of violence in here but just the facts
Language unfortunately the world of smugglers is filled with violent men with language that probably matches. I wouldn't hesitate to read the book though.
Sexual
Drug & Alcohol it is definitely a part of this world.
Review by Ahna