Francis C. Pengitore, a retired U.S. Army officer and adjunct university professor, has enjoyed teaching graduate and undergraduate students for over 20 years, and although he has numerous academic articles and papers to his credit, he is relatively new to young adult fiction, publishing the first book in this series, The Adventures of Lucky and Bud: The Rescue, in 2021. His interest and personal experience with animal rescue and rehabilitation, along with a love of mystery stories, served as inspiration for this story. His hobbies include military history, baseball, old movies, model railroading, the outdoors, and gardening. He lives in Virginia Beach with his wife, Diana, their beagle, Bennie, and Righty, their rescued calico cat.
