[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
As Charlie and Diesel prepare for the holiday season, they have their hands – and paws – full.
Someone left five kittens on Charlie’s doorstep with a note saying someone would drown the cats if Charlie wasn’t able to take care of them. Diesel is all in for kitten-sitting while Charlie figures out what to do with the kittens.
Charlie’s new granddaughter is struggling with colic. Her mother, Charlie’s daughter-in-law, is beyond weary, but she is resistant to any offer of help. She seems to think it would mean she was a bad mother. Charlie longs to help them, but he also wants to respect their boundaries.
And finally, Charlie has a new neighbor – a pushy, flirtatious woman. Everything about her is the opposite of what Charlie would choose in a friend. And Gerry Albritton seems to want more than friendship. Hopefully, when Charlie brings Helen Louise to Gerry’s Christmas party, Gerry will get the hint that he’s not interested.
When Gerry dies at her own party, Charlie will have to add sleuthing to his busy to do list. He saw and heard too much at that party that could help lead the police to the killer.
Review
This was an absolute delight! I have been a fan of this series since the start. Charlie is a fantastic protagonist. He’s smart and personable and really cares about others. He recognizes his flaws and tries to learn from his past and the people he loves. Diesel is a hoot! I especially loved all the scenes with Diesel and the kittens. The author did a spectacular job with the descriptions for those scenes. That whole story line was precious.
I loved the family pieces, too. Not only did they expand on the characters from previous books, but they also showed the reader more about Charlie. The evolution of Charlie’s relationship with his son from the first book to this one, for example, has been so satisfying. And the things Charlie has learned helped out another character in this story.
The mystery was terrific. Lots of twists and unusual clues that had to be uncovered. The final solution didn’t come with a lot of punch this time – no last ditch effort to get away with murder or big showdown on the page. That might be disappointing to some readers, but I felt like it maintained the tone of the overall book. I was so charmed by the full story that I was satisfied with how all the pieces came together. This may be my new favorite book in this terrific series. You can read my review of other books from Miranda James/Dean James – including a couple Diesel stories – here. This is book 10 in the Cat in the Stacks series.