This is the newest Cat in the Stacks mystery and it was comforting to return to the small Mississippi town of Athena and the quiet family life of Charlie Harris and his wonderful Maine Coon cat Diesel. It is eerily possible that this work of fiction could have happened in real life and one of the main characters is a real life crime writer which is very appropriate.
It is high summer in the south and Charlie is just trying to stay cool and hang out with his baby grandson and enjoy his life when his Aunt’s husband’s son appears in Athena. He is a down and out character who looks up Charlie so that he can find out more about his Dad. This is all news to Charlie who knew nothing about his step-cousin’s existence and he dutifully gets involved and tries to help his cousin. Along the way the real life crime writer contacts Charlie and together they embark on unraveling a cold case from 20 years ago in a neighboring town. The common link is the cousin was the chief suspect but the police could not charge him with the crime because his alibi was so strong.
A hit and run accident is the chief clue that takes them back to the scene from 20 years ago when a farmer, his wife and two sons were shot to death in their home. Truly a horrible crime and as the story unfolds it unstintingly looks at the affects of a cruel and tyrannical father has on his family. The ending is plausible if a little over the top dramatic and the motivations are hidden very well but once understood the whole awful crime makes a kind of twisted sense.
To balance the darkness of this sad story there is Charlie’s wonderful coon cat Diesel who with this chirps and warbles is the most endearing cat in cozy mystery fiction and that is saying a lot!
I recommend this enjoyable mystery, the pace is leisurely, the characters believable and some of them (the baby grandson) are adorable.
Overall rating using elements in the story I give it 3 Iced Teas & an order of Fried Chicken!
Plot: ***
Characters: ***
Setting: **
Romance: **
Humor: **
Social themes: ***
Style: ***
Good review, the book sounds interesting.