Q: You make Kat the daughter of a vet, would that have been your dream scenario as a child?Ī: I was already in a dream scenario as a child, in that I lived on a farm and game reserve in Africa and had a pet giraffe, two warthogs, six cats, eight dogs and eight horses for company, but I did spend years dreaming of becoming a vet. I particularly loved the idea of a pet-sitter who would have access to areas other people would never see. Q: Why did you decide to create a new young detective character and what is it about Kat Wolfe that draws you to her as a character?Ī: I loved writing my Laura Marlin mystery series, but I was excited about the idea of creating new characters, in particular brave, independent girls who were smart and skilled and not afraid to go where even policemen feared to tread. We asked author LAUREN ST JOHN to tell us more about KAT WOLFE INVESTIGATES: But when one of her clients mysteriously vanishes, Kat turns her skills to detective work to find out who, or what, is behind his disappearance. Kat is thrilled when her mum's new job takes them to live in a small town by the sea, where Kat takes on a part-time job as a pet-sitter. KAT WOLFE INVESTIGATES is the first in a new series by bestselling author Lauren St John (The White Giraffe, Dead Man's Cove) that follows Kat, an animal-mad child with a penchant for investigation. Working with the Born Free Foundation in 2009 for the launch of The Elephant's Tale was a life-changing moment for her: travelling to rescue Leopards from a failed zoo in Cyprus was an amazing experience and she has since set up and continues to fundraise for The Last Leopard fund, which aims to create a new wildlife sanctuary in South Africa. Dolphin Song and The Last Leopard (published in paperback in May 2009) continued Martine's story, which concludes in The Elephant's Tale.

Set in Africa, Lauren captured the bond between Martine, an English orphan, and a fabled young white giraffe named Jemmy.

In 2006 Lauren St John's debut children's novel, The White Giraffe, was published by Orion Children's Books. She currently lives in London - but she dreams of living in St Ives! Her memoir of growing up during independence in Zimbabwe, Rainbow's End, was published in 2007. St John has written biographies of sporting heroes and Nashville Musicians - golf and country music being two of her obsessions. After moving to England as a young adult, she worked as a journalist for several years and spent ten years as a golf correspondent for The Sunday Times. Lauren St John was born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and lived on a private game reserve until she was 16.

The last leopard by lauren st john