Bryan Christy

Larry Cox has named The Lizard King one of the best books of the year.  Cox reviews a hell of a lot of books so it’s a great capper on 2008:

“The Lizard King: The True Crimes and Passions of the World’s Greatest Reptile Smugglers” by Bryan Christy (Twelve, $24.99)

Christy, an attorney and freelance writer, exposes one of the most underreported fields of international crime - reptile smuggling. His fascinating book investigates this subculture filled with intrigue, shady characters and violence. Think “Sopranos” but with less of the charm. This no-nonsense, impeccably researched book is an example of exceptional crime reporting that is both impassioned and focused.

Best - and a Couple of Worst - Books of 2008, Larry Cox, Tucson Citizen, Dec. 31, 2008

It’s been a great year! The Lizard King hatched out in August and has grown like a reticulated python. You guys have made it a great success among true crime readers, reptile lovers, wildlife officers, and the broader conservation community. It has been chosen as a teaching tool for law enforcement in SE Asia, is being picked up by college professors for courses on environmental crime, has led to great discussions in the exotics veterinary community, and-if feedback I’m getting is representative-has deepened compassion for reptiles and wildlife agents among fans and phobics, alike. 

Through this website (just 3 mos. old) I’ve had a chance to interact with people in every state in the U.S. and in 66 countries!  I especially want to thank the teenagers who’ve written.  It means a great deal.  It has been my great honor to bring the story of Special Agent Chip Bepler and Mike Van Nostrand to light. Thank you all for becoming a part of it!    

Best wishes for the holidays to you and yours, 

Bryan

I received today this lovely review from The Nature Conservancy’s Idaho office, which named The Lizard King a conservation book to give this holiday (and I don’t toss the word ‘lovely’ around lightly):

The comparison has probably already been made, but Bryan Christy’s The Lizard King features a cast of characters, a plot and a setting that seem pulled from a Carl Hiaasen novel. This, though, is a true story. Christy delves into the little-known world of reptile smugglers, a world of organized crime, shady characters and obsessed reptile afficionados who pay exorbitant sums to own rare and endangered species. This is a page-turner, and the scope and extent of endangered species poaching is shocking. Christy, a reptile enthusiast, treats all the people involved (including the smugglers) with fairness and respect, which makes this a richer, more complex story. –Matt Miller