Book 30, 2020

[chez_jae]

Cars, Cats and Crooks by R.H. Carter

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I did not go to the office today, which gave me time to finish reading Cars, Cats and Crooks by RH Carter. This is the first book in the "Kimble Detective Agency" series of cozy mysteries. The main character is Peyton Kimble, who has recently lost his job and decided to pursue his dream of becoming a private detective.

Peyton's wife, Sherri, and his brother, police officer Arthur, think he's crazy for wanting to open a detective agency. His sister, Ros, is all for it, however, and she convinces Peyton to take her underachieving son, Jackson, on as an assistant. Their first case is one of a missing cat, but they take it seriously. When Peyton and Jackson solve the mystery, they gain some local notoriety, which they hope will boost their business. Their second case, however, hits close to home when the son of Ros' boyfriend is found dead at his home. The police rule it a suicide, but his father insists Gordon would not have killed himself. Peyton agrees to investigate.

Their questions and clues begin to unearth a scandal much larger than the death of one young man. Soon, Peyton is wondering whom he can trust, especially when Jackson ends up in mortal danger. Will they be able to crack this case without anyone else getting killed?

I originally got this book because of the "cats" element, but once that portion of the story wrapped up, I remained invested in the outcome of the book as a whole. Peyton is earnest and likable, and it was fun to see him 'learning on the job' as he launched his new career. Jackson was a perfect foil as he finally found a job he can enjoy. Not all characters were fully faceted, but the important ones were.

Favorite line: "Why would you spend your entire life doing something you didn't care about?"

Entertaining, if not remarkable. Average score.