A fascinating story of the animal underworld   ***   On the heels of his acclaimedThe Dangerous World of Butterflies, investigative journalist Peter Laufer is back to chronicle his worldwide quest to penetrate the underworld of international animal smuggling. InForbidden Creatures, Laufer exposes the network of hunters, traders, and customers who constitute this nefarious business—which, estimated at $10 to $20 billion annually, is second only to illegal drug trafficking in the money it earns criminals.             Laufer asks: What is being smuggled, from where and why? Who is doing the smuggling? Who is doing the buying? What is being done to stop the illegal trading? What future awaits these endangered animals? In exotic and often lawless locales, meet brazen and dangerous traders and wealthy customers whose greed and mindless self-interest perpetuate what is now a crisis of survival for a growing number of wild species.             Woven throughout with riveting stories from law enforcement officials and federal prosecutors,Forbidden Creaturesis a compelling, first-person narrative written in Laufer’s hallmark conversational, entertaining style.