The Cat Sitter and the Canary

October 17, 2016
At the start of the Clements’ light-hearted 11th Dixie Hemingway mystery (after 2015’s The Cat-Sitter’s Whiskers), the Siesta Key, Fla., pet sitter and former deputy sheriff stops by the house of vacationing Caroline Greaver, who has left a cat and a rabbit at home. Accompanying Dixie is Charlie, a “fluffy-faced Lhasa apso who thinks he’s a much bigger, more athletic breed.” It’s Charlie who draws Dixie’s attention to a dead body lying in Caroline’s front hall. The detectives who subsequently investigate find a note on the body: “See you in hell, Dixie.” Despite the threat, Dixie maintains her normal schedule, including meeting the island’s so-called scarlet woman, Elba Kramer, who wants Dixie to care for her rare bird. A second body and a second note with a chilling message indicate Dixie is next. A near miss for Dixie sends her on the run. The surprise closing twist promises romantic complications for Dixie in the next installment. Agent: Al Zuckerman, Writers House.

November 1, 2016
A cop-turned-catsitter can't help but investigate when she finds a body at her newest client's place.A former police officer, Dixie Hemingway has found her happiness and true calling as a petsitter in her home in Siesta Key. Ensconced in this wealthy community, Dixie's found plenty of clients in neighbors like Caroline Greaver, who's hired her (The Cat Sitter's Cradle, 2014, etc.) to watch her cat and very spoiled bunny so she can go on a cruise. On her way to check in at Caroline's, Dixie is stopped by a man she's never met before--a rare occurrence in the little resort town. Rupert Wolff flirts with Dixie in a thick Scottish brogue. Though he seems nice enough, something makes her distrust him. She's still trying to sort out the root of her discomfort when real trouble hits: next time she checks in on Caroline's pets, she sees the body of what appears to be a mustachioed corpse. While the police investigate, Dixie's mind races, and she wonders if she could have been the intended victim, especially once a note found with the body hints just that. In spite of the investigation, Dixie is determined to keep her appointment with her most recent potential client, Caroline's neighbor Elba Kramer, better known as the Scarlet Woman of Siesta Key. Elba's indiscretion with a politician means the town can't stop talking about her. But Dixie tries her best not to judge Elba, maybe because her own feelings about former boyfriend Detective Jean Pierre Guidry can't be quieted even though his wedding is fast approaching. The Clements' blending of accessible procedural facts with their heroine's love of animals and the cozy small-town setting makes their latest a fun and breezy read.

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 15, 2016
Dixie Hemingway, catsitter in Siesta Key, Florida, was startled to find the dead body of a local teen in the hallway of a home where she takes care of pets. What's worse is that a note found on the body suggests that Dixie herself was the real target. She learns about another murder at the end of her driveway, with another note threatening Dixie. More mayhem and another murder leave Dixie thinking that running away is the only answer. While trying to elude the killer, Dixie is having trouble dealing with her emotions as her ex-boyfriend Guidry's wedding looms, and many friends are leaving to attend the New Orleans event. The Siesta Key setting, with its beachy attractions, adds a lot of appeal to this intelligently written, always entertaining series. The plot twists rapidly this time, and the authors leave readers with a tantalizing cliff-hanger. A must for fans of pet mysteries.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2016

In the 11th installment of the pet-sitting Dixie Hemingway mysteries, written since Blaize's death by her son John, Dixie and her Lhasa apso buddy Charlie cannot find the stunning mackerel tabby they're sitting. The next day, behind a parlor door, they find a dead body--with plenty of clues pointing to Dixie as the murderer.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.