Book excerpt: Come to Missouri! See the sights! Solve a murder! When Teancum Leon, a wildlife veterinarian, and his husband, semi-reformed conman Jeremiah Berger, go to a conference in central Missouri, they’re expecting a short and uneventful trip. Tean will present a paper, attend a few panels, and network (under duress). Jem is looking forward to unlimited poolside drinks, some well-deserved couple time, and peace and quiet. Instead, they find themselves drawn into a frantic search after the head of the association goes missing. Worse, Tean’s friend from grad school is arrested—and charged with murder. Their investigation takes them face-to-face with a fervent conspiracist, a band of wildlife traffickers, the owner of a big cat sanctuary, and more. But the real killer doesn’t want to be found, and they’ll do anything to stop Tean and Jem from learning the truth. Lucky for them, they’ve got a reluctant group of allies. Not so lucky for them? Their allies are…well, characters.