The Zoo Gang

Five veterans of the French Resistance fight crime on the Côte d’Azur in this spellbinding novel from the author of The Poseidon Adventure. 

During World War II, five men joined the underground French Resistance. They became known as the Zoo Gang thanks to their code names: the Tiger, the Elephant, the Leopard, the Wolf, and the Fox, their leader Colonel Pierre Roquebrun. Each had his own special skill, and together, they made life in the south of France hell for the Nazis.

Thirty years later, southern France is known for its luxurious resorts where the ultra-wealthy and aristocracy play along the sun-soaked beaches of the Riviera. In the shadows, a new threat emerges. A series of criminal capers begin to disturb the peace—a giant jewel heist, the theft of a millionaire’s collection of Renoir paintings, a cunning kidnapping, and a sinister drug syndicate. While the local chief police detective, Captain Claude Scoubide, is intelligent and fully capable of doing his job, the crimes are solved by the Zoo Gang. Back together again, they’re fighting for the sake of good, but not always on the right side of the law . . .

Originally published in 1971, The Zoo Gang was adapted into a six-part television series starring Brian Keith, John Mills, and Lilli Palmer.

“Outstanding Gallico. . . . Sophistication, wit, memorable characters, a glorious and glamorous setting!” —Beaumont Journal

“Sheer entertainment . . . a gem!” —The Columbus Dispatch