UNFLAPPABLE

A tycoon’s young wife and an injured bald eagle take flight in this eco-woke suspense story.

In Gilbert’s novel, graying billionaire Adam Matheson believes only his mesmerizingly beautiful young wife sets him apart from other men in his class. Adam became besotted with Luna when she managed his small private zoo, and following a brief courtship, she became his fourth wife. But after six months of marriage, bird-loving Luna wants a divorce from Adam and an exit from his high-end lifestyle. To woo her into staying, Adam presents her with an eagle stolen from a wildlife center. Luna, appalled at the theft, vows to deliver the bird, named Mars, from Adam’s Florida estate across the international boundary line to an eagle sanctuary in Ontario. Ned, a 26-year-old wildlife center volunteer, abets Luna and Mars on their clandestine wild ride north. En route first in a classic Caddy and later in a red ’57 Chevy ragtop, they go “rehabber-hopping”—only staying at animal rehab centers that have a flight cage big enough for an eagle. Hot on their tail feathers are the police, a federal wildlife officer, and Adam and his bodyguard. Excitement, adventure, romance, and sex fill the book’s pages, as does a wacky cast of characters—perhaps too many—that includes gun-toting, panther owner Warren and tarantula-loving Harper. The story is laced with humor. For example, when Warren falls and lands on spilled wine, he explains he is fine on the floor, simply “marinating.” Gilbert gives just enough backstory to key characters to make them—even Adam—sympathetic without bogging down the narrative. A wildlife rehabilitator, the author knows of what she writes, and the novel has a built-in audience of nature lovers and animal enthusiasts.

This zany rescue tale starring an eagle offers readers a great escape.