What the Cat Saw

August 27, 2012
This appealing first in a new paranormal cozy series from Agatha-winner Hart (Death Comes Silently and 21 other Annie Darling bookstore mysteries) introduces unemployed investigative reporter Nela Farley, who can read catsâ thoughts. When Nelaâs flighty sister, Chloe, an employee of the charitable Haklo Foundation, suddenly decides to take a vacation, Nela comes to Craddock, Okla., to fill in for Chloe. Nela stays in the apartment of Hakloâs late chief operating officer, Marian Grant, who recently died in what seemed to be an accident, though Nela gathers from Marianâs cat that she was a victim of foul play. The suspense builds as everyone on the foundationâs small staff becomes a suspect, from trustee Blythe Webster, a powerful woman who expects to be treated with deference, to newly hired assistant curator Abby Andrews. Reporter Steve Flynn provides a romantic foil for Nela, while Det. K.T. Dugan believes Nela is up to no good. Traditional mystery fans will find a lot to like. Agent: Deborah Schneider, Gelfman Schneider Literary.

September 15, 2012
A fill-in job lands a young woman right in the middle of a murder case. Nela Farley's life is in ruins since the death of her fiance and the loss of her job as an investigative reporter. So it's easy for her to take her sister Chloe's place while she goes on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation. Chloe, who works for the Haklo Foundation in Craddock, Okla., has everything arranged for her sister, including a garage apartment behind the mansion of Haklo trustee Blythe Webster. The apartment was used by Marian Grant, who ran Haklo until she was killed in a fall over the apartment railing. When Nela looks into the eyes of Marion's cat Jugs, she reads his thoughts, which indicate Miss Grant's death may not have been an accident. She's barely settled in the guest room before an intruder enters the apartment, though her call to the police chases him off. Nela cleans up, buys a doorstop and makes the shocking discovery of a diamond necklace in Marian's purse. Nela's work at the foundation is easy, but things are not right there. Numerous incidents of vandalism have occurred, and staff members are at each other's throats. When more trouble dogs Haklo, the police suspect Nela and Chloe. Only Steve Flynn, who runs the local newspaper, believes in Nela's innocence and promises to help her discover the killer before she becomes the next victim. Veteran Hart (Death Comes Silently, 2012, etc.) launches a new series with a combination of red herrings, romance and what some readers will consider the bonus of a psychic cat.

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October 15, 2012
The award-winning Hart offers an intricate twist on the locked-room mystery. Nela Farley can read cats' minds, a talent developed after a personal tragedy. After losing her reporting job, she agrees to take her sister's place in the offices of the Haklo Foundation. She stays at the apartment of another employee, Marian, who just died after a fall. Marian's cat tells Nela that Marian fell because of a skateboard on the stairs. After someone breaks in during her first night at the apartment, Nela finds an expensive necklace. She then learns of several months of malicious vandalism at the foundation. After befriending a local reporter, she starts investigating. The locked-room aspect comes into play because only a handful of people have keys to the foundation. The cat-whispering angle turns out to be a relatively small factor in the story, yet paranormal-mystery fans will find it appealing, and Hart's audience will respond to the typically well-crafted plot.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)