Book Review: Six Cats a Slayin' by Miranda James (Cat in the Stacks Mysteries #10)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Christmas setting, strong mystery, great characters, cute cats

Cons: No cons hiding under this Christmas tree

The Bottom Line:

Litter of kittens

And a Christmas murder in

Strong seasonal book

Kittens and Murder at Christmas

Fans of the Cat in the Stacks series know these books are prime examples of the cozy mystery.  Even though the murders and plots can touch on some serious topics, the books themselves always have a warmth to them, thanks in large part to Diesel, the Maine Coon cat the series is named after.  Add in the Christmas season, and my expectations for Six Cats a Slayin’ were high for a pleasant book.  I was not disappointed.

Charlie Harris's feline family has grown quite a bit.  Someone has left him five kittens, bringing the total cats in the house to six.  As cute as the kittens are, Charlie doesn't think his household can support all five of them, but he is taking care of them until he can track down the owner.  Once he finds out the story behind the kittens, he will decide if he needs to find new homes for them or can give them back.  Fortunately, Diesel seems to be in love with the kittens, acting like a parent to them.

That's not the only thing that Charlie is struggling with this Christmas.  He's finding it hard to extend the Christmas spirit to his new neighbor, Geraldine "call me Gerry" Albritton.  Gerry has just moved in across the street, but she has rubbed Charlie and Diesel the wrong way from the moment they went over to introduce themselves.  Others in the neighborhood are having their issues with Gerry, but it's at a party Gerry is throwing that tragedy strikes.  Even though Charlie doesn't intend to get involved, he finds himself once again caught up in a murder.  Can he figure out what has happened?

If I'm making it sound like there are two storylines in this book, there's a reason for that.  The mystery of the kittens is more center stage early in the book, while we get some of the background we need on Gerry.  Once the murder takes place, the focus shifts to that being the main mystery, with the kittens becoming a sub-plot.  Honestly, I didn't mind because I suspected the focus would switch at the appropriate time, and I got caught up in the story of these kittens myself.

Fans of the series know to expect some good twists along the way to the ultimate solution, and this book is no exception.  The foundations for the mystery are laid down before the murder takes place, and once it does, we get plenty to keep us guessing until Charlie figures it all out.  The mystery definitely has a somber element to it, which contrasts with the Christmas setting, but it manages to pull it off without pulling the book too dark.  The suspects are real enough to make us fully invested in what we learn along the way.

The kittens help keep things from getting too dark, as well.  They are so cute!  Even though I'm not a pet person (mostly due to allergies), I couldn't help but smile at them and how Diesel was interacting with them.  And yes, he is still as much a character as ever in the series.

With the Christmas setting, we get to see plenty of Charlie's family and extended family.  I love these series regulars, so I was thrilled to spend time with them.  And yes, that includes Charlie's two grandchildren.

The book left me with Christmas carols in my head and tears in my eyes, the good kind, as I turned the last page.  Six Cats a Slayin' is sure to make Diesel and Charlie's many fans happy and will win this duo new fans as well.

Need to catch their other cases?  Here are the rest of the Cat in the Stacks Mysteries.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book.

Giveaway!

Thanks to the publisher, I have one copy of this book to give away.  Because it is a physical book, the contest is limited to residence of the US.

Just leave me a comment with your e-mail address so I can get in touch with you if you win.  I will pick the winner Tuesday October 30st, so please leave your comment before midnight Pacific Time on 10/30.  You will have until midnight on 11/4 to get back to me, or I will choose a new winner on 11/5.