King By Gareth Crocker

Elijah Rolene is a lost man. Following the death of his wife, he quits his job as a police pilot and turns to prescription painkillers for comfort. Not content to watch him destroy his life, his veterinarian sister convinces him to help out at her animal shelter.

Soon, they rescue a rare white lion cub from the heart of Detroit's gangland. The lion is brought to live with them and instantly connects with Elijah's autistic niece, Harper. As Harper is brought out of her shell, so Elijah begins to heal as well. But something happens that puts their family at risk and threatens to tear their world apart.

Elijah is faced with a question that will define the rest of his life: How far will you go if you have nothing left to lose?

So, I've been looking forward to this book since I read my first Gareth Crocker novel. Relying on his laugh-out-loud funny blog posts in the meantime.

This book was different, as I was expecting it might be. Although it still has his easy-going storytelling style, this was a sad story to read.

I'll be honest, as I finished the last pages, I had tears in my eyes. And I never cry in movies ... and only very seldom cry when I read books. Animals, they tug at the heart-strings, without question.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a heart-wrenching story, who wants to feel something, who hopes for the better lives of animals everywhere.

If you enjoyed this, you might also like A Lion in the Bedroom by Pat Cavendish O'Neill.

* This is one of my Featured Book Reviews, sponsored by Penguin Books. Read more here.