Thursday, March 31, 2011

Classified as Murder-Miranda James

Classified as Murder
Miranda James
Berkley, May 3 2011, $7.99
ISBN: 9781101514351

In Athena, Mississippi elderly eccentric James Delacorte hires librarian Charlie Harris to catalogue his prized rare book collection. He explains to Harris that he has supported his extended family even allowing them residence in his vast mansion though they show little respect to him from the heart. However, he is upset as he believes one of his relatives is stealing his valuable books.

Harris begins his inventory while listening to the taunts of boorish family members. When one of them kills Delacorte, Charlie assumes the stolen books are the clue to who the culprit is. With the help of Diesel his Maine Coon Cat in the Stacks partner, Charlie seeks to uncover the identity of the ungrateful murderer.

The second Cat-in-the-Stacks amateur sleuth who-done it (see Murder Past Due) is an engaging whodunit due to the male lead whose detecting is suspect (and fun). However, Charlie’s relationships with his paw partner and with his adult son Sean make him seem real even with a sort of anthropomorphic dialogue between the two sleuths. Readers will enjoy this entertaining regional whodunit as the librarian and the cat work the case.

Harriet Klausner

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