Cat Me If You Can

June 22, 2020
James’s enjoyable 13th mystery starring rare books librarian Charlie Harris (after Careless Whiskers) takes Charlie from Athena, Miss., to Asheville, N.C., along with Charlie’s fiancée, bistro owner Helen Louise Brady, and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel, for a weeklong retreat attended by members of the Athena Public Library mystery group. Charlie and Helen Louise are hoping for a relaxing time, despite Helen Louise’s anxiety about giving a presentation on British author Elizabeth Cadell, and Charlie’s Jessica Fletcher–like habit of getting enmeshed in real-life homicide investigations. Sure enough, lightning strikes again, and Charlie winds up evaluating the motives of his fellow mystery readers after one attendee is stabbed to death with a hatpin at the hotel hosting the event. That murder leads to a reevaluation of a previous death at the hotel that was attributed to natural causes. James makes Diesel, whose amiable presence prompts some witnesses to talk more openly, a plausible assistant. This puzzle will be like catnip for feline-loving whodunit fans. Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary.

Narrator Erin Bennett deftly moves this appealing series from Mississippi to Asheville, North Carolina, where librarian Charlie Harris, fianc�e Helen Louise Brady, Diesel the cat, and the library book club retreat for a mystery week. Listeners will be as shocked as Charlie when he unlocks his door and finds a body in his room. It's entertaining to hear each club member share a Golden Age mystery recommendation until a real murder occurs. Bennett's spirited delivery features lively descriptions of the Biltmore Estate and luscious Southern fare. The Ducote sisters, sponsors of the event, add atmosphere with their courtly manners and strong opinions. The new setting, each character's involvement in the investigation, and Police Chief Kanesha Berry's appearance keep the series fresh. S.G.B. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine