Kittens Can Kill

January 5, 2015
At the start of Simon’s fluffy fifth Pru Marlowe mystery set in the Berkshires town of Beauville (after 2014’s Panthers Play for Keeps), pet trainer Pru arrives at the home of David Canaday to find him lying dead on his kitchen floor with a tiny kitten playing nearby. The wealthy lawyer appears to have died naturally, perhaps of a heart attack. Or could he have suffered a fatal allergic reaction to the kitten, named Ernesto, whom one of his three grown daughters had recently dropped off at his house? Pru’s own kitty, Wallis, grudgingly agrees to look after Ernesto, while Pru tries to prove the kitten’s innocence, despite the amused misgivings of her boyfriend, Det. Jim Creighton. The solution to Canaday’s mysterious death may be predictable, but cozy fans will enjoy spending time with Pru and her two- and four-legged friends. Agent: Colleen Mohyde, Doe Coover Agency.

January 1, 2015
Animal whisperer Pru Marlowe arrives at a client's house, only to find a kitten next to the owner's body. Pru's gift of being able to understand animals helps her decipher what the kitten knows about the dead man and his feuding family. While trying to sort out the issues behind the victim's deathWas it really just a heart attack?Pru must revisit her own past to find a pattern in all the human and animal activities. Simon's renderings of what the animals are thinking tend at times to push the boundaries of reason, but this quirky series has a devoted following among the Animal Planet crowd, and the unique premise has its own appeal.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)