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Claws

(Angie Rippard #1)

Stacey Cochran

3.29 · Rating details · 116 ratings · 19 reviews

Dr. Angie Rippard is an Arizona wildlife biologist who is drawn into a police investigation when two teenagers are found dead on a golf course that borders protected National Forest Land. Rippard suspects the teens were attacked by a large mountain lion.

Rippard believes that the resort was developed too close to wilderness lands, but her plan to relocate cougars in the are ...more

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Paperback, 228 pages

Published January 2nd 2009 by CreateSpace

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Setting the Family Free by Eric D. Goodman

Animal Attacks

159 books — 84 voters

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· 116 ratings · 19 reviews

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Jun 16, 2009 Becka Sutton rated it liked it

Recommends it for: Anyone who likes thrillers

(Okay I'm copying and pasting the review from blog - hopefully it's not too long)

Before I review Claws by Stacey Cochran I feel that in the name of complete disclosure I should state that I got this book for free. And how I got the book for free is a tale.

A few years back I came across Stacey's first novel Amber Page and the Legend of the Coral Stone and was initially leery of buying it because the title was a tad Harry Potterish. But there was a sample chapter available, so I took a look and th ...more

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Dec 07, 2009 Alice Osborn rated it liked it

Something is hunting the local occupants near Tucson, Arizona, and Dr. Angie Rippard is determined to find out what…and protect whatever it is at all costs. As an expert on mountain lions, also known as cougars and pumas, Rippard is dedicated to preserving these beautiful animals. But as the attacks continue and more and more people die, she struggles with her philosophy that the cat should be captured and relocated, and not exterminated, more and more difficult to maintain.

How do you balance th Something is hunting the local occupants near Tucson, Arizona, and Dr. Angie Rippard is determined to find out what…and protect whatever it is at all costs. As an expert on mountain lions, also known as cougars and pumas, Rippard is dedicated to preserving these beautiful animals. But as the attacks continue and more and more people die, she struggles with her philosophy that the cat should be captured and relocated, and not exterminated, more and more difficult to maintain.

How do you balance the challenge of protecting an endangered species, a species that has been on the mountains for thousands of years, against the cardinal rule that human life must be preserved at all costs? Rippard is shocked to learn that one attack has taken place on a golf course that is only fifty feet from National Forest Land and the natural habitat for the mountain lion. The protective borders are hazy as a result of encroachment by humans. Land deals that shouldn’t have been allowed and a greed for land in beautiful areas has resulted in eroding the mountain lion’s natural habitat. The balance point is tipping. A forest fire in Arizona the previous year has meant that the hunting grounds are even smaller, with less prey, and the cats are hungry. The attacks continue and Rippard comes to realize that she is up against a mountain lion that is different than all of the rest. This one hunts humans. Rippard puts together a team to locate and dart the animal so it can be relocated.

But it is a race against time as there is another mountain lion expert who wants to track the animal, but only to kill it - Charlie “the Chopper” Rutledge. An entrepreneur worth millions, Rutledge specializes in building mountain resorts and golf courses in stunning mountainous locations. And if he has to chop down ten thousand acres of trees in order to build them, well then, that’s what he will do. With his eye on land close to the border of the Arizona National Forest for his next multi-million dollar development, the last thing Rutledge needs is a mountain lion attacking the tourists and locals. He loves hunting and decides to go after it himself. He warns off Rippard, hating her “treehugging” ways, telling her that if she tries to protect the animal he will attack her too!

Dr. Angie Rippard is a strong female protagonist in this novel. An expert in her field, a strong personality, warm and empathetic to those she loves, passionate about her cause, she is an eco-warrior and a learned professor. In her classes she takes a holistic approach, making sure her students know not just about the animals but the flora and fauna too, and the impact that humans have on the local ecosystems. And in the field, Rippard needs all the knowledge she has about the habits of mountain lions if she is going to protect them.

The attack scenes are quite violent, and I am not just talking about the big cat scenes. Charlie “The Chopper” Rutledge lives up to his name and causes carnage amongst the people ranged against him. Be warned, the body count at the end of the book is quite high! However, despite of, or indeed due to, this novel is an exciting, heart-stopping rollercoaster ride of a book.

Stacey Cochran is a writer, producer and teacher. His books include The Colorado Sequence, Amber Page and the Legend of the Coral Stone, and The Kiribati Test. He was a finalist for the 1998 Dell Magazines Award for undergraduate fiction writing and a 2004 finalist for the St Martin’s Press/PWA Best First Private Eye Novel Contest. He teaches writing at North Carolina State University, and hosts an author-interview TV show in Raleigh.

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Dec 15, 2013 Ashley rated it liked it

Claws took place in the Arizona wilderness, most of it. I found that immediately intriguing, as I am a resident of Arizona. Doubly, the main character was a big cat biologist, a secret passion of mine. The plot was heart-pounding, and the premise interesting...but I wasn't impressed with the way the characters were handled. I felt that more of the characters that became the victims were connectable than the actual main character herself. I feel that this book had extreme potential, but fell shor ...more

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May 18, 2009 Anthony Policastro rated it it was ok

Claws will grip you and not let go! This scary, plausible tale could be a harbinger of events to come if more and more natural lands are developed pushing wild animals to commit desperate measures of survival. This is the author’s message cleverly wrapped in a story about two hungry mountain lions hunting people for their next meal – something a mountain lion would not normally do in most circumstances. The fear and horror evoked in Claws makes one seriously think about man’s encroachment on nat ...more

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Jun 15, 2009 Sherrie rated it it was ok

Shelves: fiction, kindle

The concept of Claws is interesting and the author shows a lot of promise as the story hooks the reader in the beginning. For me, however, the story began to fall apart from lack of character development. Granted, characters are placed in an extremely stressful situation but that situation is implausible and the actions of the characters incomprehensible. It's not enough to throw in a sentence about the behavior of characters that have been inadequately developed in the first place. More charact ...more

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Jan 03, 2012 Michelle rated it it was ok

Shelves: my-ebooks

First of all, this is not the kind of book I usually read. It was free on amazon, and I like free.
I feel like the main character was not developed at all! The characters that were developed happened moments before their death or the end of their part in the story. I like the main character's boyfriend, johns break down but wish there had been more to his character before this! Each character had glimpse of a deep character but fell short.
Ending kind of confused me. ...more

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May 27, 2012 Ingrid Foster rated it liked it

Just finished this novel, glad I got it for free on Kindle.

Ms. Cochran had a great story premise here, did the research and wrote a quite a yarn. My only real problems with the book is it needs editing, a lot of editing and some parts of the story were a little too far fetched.

Otherwise it was a entertaining and I found it hard to put down.

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Feb 02, 2013 Belea Keeney rated it liked it

This was a solid action/adventure tale, and I really love stories about big cats. This one focused on mountain lions, and its setting out west was interesting to this Eastern gal.

I think this was one of Cochran's earlier books, and the POV wobbles and other mechanical issues were easy to let slide.

A fast, fun read. For the beach. Not if you're heading out west for a vacation. :) ...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Jenna Walker rated it did not like it

I thought this book was only ok. it was different and interesting but then again it was a little dry.. the character building wasn't very good.. I didn't care much about the characters. Im glad I read it but I wouldn't read it again. I think there's a claws 2 and I may take a gander at that but I'm not gonna drop everything to read it. ...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Smf rated it liked it

The real reason whY I love animal attack novels is the sense of place, the rustic outdoors. Kudos to the author for bringing that to life. I loved the cougar story. However, the writing itself is lacking. But still a good read. I've read sequel. ...more

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Jul 17, 2013 Anthony Beals rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-2013

So-so thriller that is basically a mountain lion version of Jaws. Very two-dimensional characters. 2.5/5

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Feb 04, 2013 Kim Vandrisse added it

This was a great book, really kept my attention while on the treadmill..

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Feb 22, 2011 Larry Cook rated it really liked it

Great read.

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Oct 08, 2012 Bill rated it did not like it

terrible story. Do not recommend

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Jan 01, 2012 Melankalia rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Awful. It was a free kindle download and I still want my money back.

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Aug 17, 2012 Alena rated it really liked it

Claws.. One word
SUSPENCE!
A wild cat running around on a mountain just happening to mal people while their alone

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Apr 27, 2012 Patt Lisenbee rated it it was amazing

You'll think twice hiking alone in woods where cougars roam! A thrilling, fast-paced book, the author expertly sets your teeth on the edge in this tale... nuff said, read it and be amazed! ...more

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Jun 20, 2009 Lynn rated it liked it

Shelves: kindle

Okay plot - I have to agree with other reviewers
that the characters were rather shallow. The
story seemed to move too quickly - almost at the
pace of a short story.

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