Book Review: Careless Whiskers by Miranda James (Cat in the Stacks Mysteries #12)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong mystery, great characters, cute pets

Cons: Too distracted by the cute pets to list cons

The Bottom Line:

Some backstage drama

Sets the scene for mystery

Filled with pet cuteness

Murder Takes the Stage

I enjoy live theater.  I don’t go see it as much as I would like, but I always enjoy it when I go see it.  With backstage drama being the setting for Careless Whiskers, the latest Cat in the Stacks Mystery, I was especially excited to pick up this book.

This spring, Athena College’s theater department is debuting a new play from a local playwright.  Charlie Harris is looking forward to it since his daughter, Laura, is going to star in it, and her husband, Frank, is the director.  While most of the cast and crew are college students, the college is bringing in a big name for Laura’s co-lead.  Unfortunately, they’ve had to make a last-minute substitution, and Luke Lombardi will be starring opposite Laura.  Laura is not happy about this development.  She’s worked with him before, and he is arrogant, rude, and demanding.  And those are his good qualities.

Luke hasn’t changed at all, and soon he is irritating many people in town.  He is also the victim of some pranks, but when things turn deadly, Laura finds herself in the spotlight as a suspect.  Charlie has sworn off sleuthing after a recent close call, but with Laura’s reputation and freedom on the line, he and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel, begin searching for the real killer.  Will they be able to clear Laura?

As is usually the case in this series, the murder takes place later in the book than in most of the cozies I read.  However, that isn’t an issue since we are spending time getting to know the suspects and their motives.  We are also introduced to a sub-plot or two that only muddy the waters once the murder happens.  I never felt the book dragged once, either before or after the murder happened.  Yes, Charlie is able to resolve everything by the time the book ends, and the book kept me guessing until he figures it out.

Over the course of the series, we’ve gotten to know the characters well.  It’s always a pleasure to check in with Charlie and the rest of the regulars.  Yes, everyone is present and accountant for, and they brought smiles to my face once again.  This goes double for Diesel and the other four-legged characters in this book.  Make no mistake about it, the pets are just as important as the human characters when it comes to my enjoyment of the book.

I already mentioned that we get to know the suspects.  I really do mean that.  They feel real as we slowly get to learn more about them over the course of the book, making it easy to picture any of them as the killer.

I will admit to finding some of Luke’s behavior more funny than boorish, probably because I could picture myself saying some of his lines as a joke.  While I rethink my sense of humor, I will tell you that Luke does plenty that I did find over the line, arrogant, and rude as well.

I continue to love how the police are portrayed in this series.  I often feel like the police get a bad rep in cozies since the main character is often trying to prove a family member or friend isn’t guilty.  It’s a natural motive and conflict for an amateur sleuth, so I can understand why it happens so frequently.  Here, the police are portrayed as smart and doing their job.  While Charlie is discouraged from getting involved, he is quick to go to the police with any information he turns up.  It not quite a partnership, nor should it be, but it is a refreshing change.

Careless Whiskers is filled with twists and animal cuteness.  In other words, this is just the thing to please Charlie and Diesel’s many fans and even earn them new ones.

Not up to date?  Here are the rest of the Cat in the Stacks Mysteries in order.

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, January 28th, so please leave your comment before midnight Pacific Time on 1/28.  You will have until midnight on 2/2 to get back to me, or I will choose a new winner on 2/3.