A man. A tiger. A tornado. Jared Montaine owns a big cat rescue in Florida and faces financial pressures, getting over his ex-wife, and the challenge of suburbia creeping ever closer to his enclave for the animals. But when a tornado wrecks part of the refuge, Jared's worst fear comes to life: his Siberian tiger, Sultan, escapes. It's a big cat handler’s nightmare: a tiger on the loose, confused, lost -- and hungry. Jared races against the police, the media, and the hysterical public, all of whom are clamoring for the tiger's hide. He must re-capture Sultan before the cat is killed -- by traffic, by SWAT, or by a civilian who just wants to shoot a tiger. With fellow wildlife handlers at his side, Jared fights desperately to find and capture Sultan before the tiger injures or kills a human. Because that would lead to his worst nightmare -- having to kill the tiger he hand-raised from a cub. Jared’s commitment is tested -- to his animals, his refuge, and his belief that saving the life of even one tiger is worth losing everything.

The Tiger Whisperer

Kate and Brett Smythe stood off to his left. Unfortunately, Tartan had been unable to persuade them to let Jordan attend the press conference. The child’s woeful expression and terrible red eyes would have made for great video with that juicy touch of real-life pain and drama that fed some segments of the media.


These clients weren’t his norm. Tartan generally practiced more flamboyant law, taking on mobsters accused of running pornography rings, judges accused of taking bribes, the professional athlete turned or reverted to—thugs, all sure to gain lots of media play. Tartan was ready for Hollywood; he’d already copyrighted his pitch for a TV show based on his life.


Chapter 57