Genre: Mystery
Hardcover; Mass Market Paperback; Audio CD; Paperback (LP); Digital Book
ISBN #: 9780425277744; 9780425277751; 9781515956488; 9781410494566
Berkley Publishing
304 Pages
Various; $7.19; $24.99; $25.64; $7.99 Amazon
February 7, 2017
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Mississippi librarian Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon cat Diesel are on their guard. Oscar Reilly, the new director at the Athena College library, is on a mission to cut costs and has set his sights on the archive and rare book collection. Reilly's also out to replace Charlie's fiery friend Melba with someone younger, but his biggest offense is declaring all four-legged creatures banned from the stacks.
With enemies aplenty, the suspect list is long when Reilly's body is discovered in the library, but incriminating evidence throws suspicion on Melba. Charlie is convinced that his friend is no murderer, especially when he catches sight of a menacing stranger lurking around the library. Now he and Diesel will have to read between the lines, before Melba is shelved under "G" for guilty...
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Charlie Harris doesn't like Oscar Reilly, the Athena College library's new director, and neither does anyone else. He's managed to offend everyone he comes in contact with, and has just called Charlie's friend Melba a liar. To make it worse, he's filed a complaint with HR that he's allergic to cats, and wants to ban Diesel from the library.
There have also been a series of pranks played on Reilly by someone, from writing 'Oscar the Grouch' on his car...with a lipstick that turns out to be Melba's, and several employees who were seemingly fired by him in a letter - a letter that had his forged signature. There have been other pranks as well.
Before he'll allow that to happen, Charlie vows to quit his job. But then he hears that Reilly wants to get rid of the rare book collection and the archives, which Charlie has worked on lovingly and carefully the entire time he's been there. But before anyone can do anything else, Charlie gets the news that Reilly is dead, and Melba's lipstick has been found near the body. He calls his son Sean to help her as he's convinced she's innocent, and realizes that whether he wants it or not, he has to get involved this time to save his friend.
But then Charlie is asked by the president of the college to take over as interim director. When he agrees, he doesn't realize that he's about to become the next victim of the pranks. Even the heightened security hasn't been able to stop it. Now Charlie realizes that the killer may very well be someone who works at the library, and he needs to figure out who it is before he becomes the next victim...
I have to tell the truth and say that I haven't been terribly fond of this series up until now. I actually enjoyed reading this book. I don't know whether it's because I've gotten used to the characters, but the plot was very well thought out and there was less angst from Charlie about his kids, his girlfriend, etc. It makes for a much better plot if we can concentrate on the murder, the reason behind it, the surrounding clues and such rather than what dishes he's going to wash next.
There were plenty of suspects to choose from, and even a few red herrings thrown in. It made for a nice change in that there was lots to sift through and find the right suspect. Although I didn't feel that it was difficult to do so - I am sure others, like myself, pretty much knew who the killer was for most of the book - it was still nice to see the interplay between characters.
When we come to the end and all is revealed, it is a reason that is age old but still quite believable, and that made it a nice read indeed. Recommended.
https://www.amazon.com/Cats-Allowed-Cat-Stacks-Mystery/dp/0425277755/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2304878931
More on Miranda James's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/j/miranda-james/
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