Book 61, 2023

Claws for Concern by Miranda James

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Last night I knocked back the rest of Claws for Concern, which is the 9th "Cat in the Stacks" mystery by Miranda James. It features archival librarian Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel.

Charlie is keeping busy with his library work and babysitting his new grandson. When he's contacted by Jack Pemberton, an author of true-crime books who'd like to base his next book on some cases Charlie has helped solve, Charlie is at first reluctant to agree. However, a new library patron begins asking questions about the house Charlie inherited from his aunt, which turns up a possible connection to that man and a cold case from a nearby town. When Charlie learns that Bill Delaney may have been his uncle's son, he agrees to investigate the cold case with Jack. Things heat up when Bill is the victim of a hit and run and witnesses claim the vehicle swerved to hit him. Now Charlie and Jack are feeling the pressure to solve a 20-year old murder before anybody else gets killed.

I enjoy this series. Diesel is a huge draw, and I appreciate that Charlie seldom stumbles across a dead body or winds up in danger at the end of each book. His love interest isn't in law enforcement either. Bonus! LOL! Pacing was good, moving between Charlie actively investigating with Jack, going to work, and relaxing at home with friends and family. I had a good idea as to the solution, but it was entertaining to watch everything play out.

Favorite lines:
♦ "He usually has to put in his two meows' worth."
♦ He meowed three times to let me know how near starvation he was, then threw in a few sad chirps to emphasize his dire state.
♦ The older I got, the less I liked the high heat and humidity.
♦ "He just picked a lemon from the tree of life when he married that no-good woman."
♦ I felt rather foolish lurking in the bathroom like one of the Hardy Boys on a stakeout.

Very good, four stars