Book 90, 2023

[chez_jae]

A Troubling Tail by Laurie Cass

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Finished reading A Troubling Tail this afternoon. It's the 11th book in Laurie Cass' "Bookmobile Cat" mystery series. Narrative is first-person pov of main character, librarian Minnie Hamilton.

Minnie is enjoying the first stirrings of Spring in Chilson, busy with the library and the bookmobile, and trying to plan her wedding to Rafe. All of that seems less important, however, when she learns that Whippy Henika, owner of the local candy shop, was murdered in his store. Who would do such a thing? Minnie wonders but isn't keen on getting involved, until a woman confesses to her that Whippy was her biological father and asks Minnie for help in finding his killer. While the police narrow their focus on one suspect (who'd confessed to a string of local burglaries), Minnie isn't convinced he's a murderer. She focuses instead on the more personal aspect of Whippy's long lost daughter. As Minnie considers and rejects suspects, she closes in on a killer. But, will she be in time to prevent another murder?

The plot in this one was certainly convoluted. I kept coming to conclusions and learning I was wrong, right along with Minnie. LOL! Still, she was determined to see justice served. There were also subplots going on: Minnie trying to introduce her cat, Eddie, to her BFF's twin infants, Minnie and Rafe trying to plan a wedding, and Minnie having to deal with the "book bike" that the president of the library board oh so helpfully donated to the library among them. It was refreshing, however, to read about her involved in things other than a murder investigation.

Favorite lines:
♦ "You look like someone knocked your ice cream into the dirt."
♦ "You know you've accomplished something when you've been dissed by a cat."
♦ "That's a lot of snark for so early in the morning."

Would love to award this one 4.5 stars. Hm. Since Minnie didn't find the dead body, I'll bump it up to 5.

Comments

[felaine]

I read that one. The relations and such finally left 1me thinking, "Who cares?"

I did enjoy them trying to find a hiding place for that bookbinding from hell.

[chez_jae]

It sure seemed an awful lot was going on. Guh.