Monday, January 25, 2016

Review of A Cat on Stage Left



Book #4: A Cat on a Stage Left, by Alice Nestleton. Hardcover.

I found this series a number of years ago, after working my way through the Jim Qwilleran “Cat Who” series by Lilian Jackson Braun. It has been a while since I’ve read one, but not because I didn’t enjoy them. The library stopped acquiring the audio versions, and it has taken me a while to get around to tracking down print versions.

The series features actress Alice Nestleton, who supplements her income by cat-sitting, and occasionally dabbling in private investigation. In this book, a potential client is killed in front of Alice’s building, but she recognizes ability that something strange in afoot with the crime. The cat that the client was bringing her to “sit” was nothing more than a stuffed toy.

Along with her friend, mystery writer Sam Tully, Alice investigates the crime, which seems to involve some of their acquaintances from their early days on stage. The scheme ends up including money laundering, blackmail, and a bizarre weight-loss clinic.

The mystery is an interesting one, and the solution is unexpected. Nestleton and Tully make a good team in this one, and the character moments between them are strong. Along with Tully’s fictional detective character, Harry Bondo, they make a smart and streetwise detective team.

No comments:

Post a Comment