Book 87, 2023

Tabbies and Turpitude: A Port Blanchet Historical Cozy by Celia Kinsey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I finished an ebook last night--Tabbies and Turpitude by Celia Kinsey. It's the first book in the "Ruby Hobbs" historical cozy mystery series. The story takes place in a small town during the 1950's.

Widowed and in her 70's, Ruby finds herself slipping into ennui. Life was more exciting when her husband, Oliver, was alive. Oliver was the police chief in Port Blanchet, and he often discussed interesting cases with Ruby. Now, however, Ruby is reduced to volunteering with the book mobile, doting on her four cats, and helping her son, George (the current police chief) with his children. When Ruby learns that the town harridan was nearly killed by a toppled stack of newspapers at the PTA's paper drive, she begins to wonder if it was truly an accident. Hazel Potts had no shortage of people who may have wished her harm. After another person is shot dead in Port Blanchet, Ruby is convinced the two incidents are connected to each other, and possibly to a recent bank robbery in a neighboring town.

This was a fun story, even though it was out of my wheelhouse, both in the setting and with the main character. Ruby is sharp, shrewd, and an engaging character. Other characters were portrayed well, and the narrative moved at a good pace and made sense as it unfolded.

Favorite lines:
♦ Unless one discounts gothic novels, libraries are rarely crime scenes.
♦ She had a very hard time imagining the mayor waking up one morning and deciding it was a good day to rob a bank.
♦ If one was going to have a vice, being overly solicitous of feline welfare was better than many of the less savory ways humankind contrived to let off steam. Without her cats, she might be reduced to getting liquored up and making obscene phone calls.

Very good, four stars.