Friday, August 15, 2008

The Telltale Turtle-Joyce & Jim Lavene

The Telltale Turtle
Joyce & Jim Lavene
Midnight Ink, Oct 2008, $6.99
ISBN: 9780738712260

Mary Catherine Roberts is a pet psychic who can communicate with all types of creatures. She is world famous and has her own talk show on Lite 102 5 WRSC in Wilmington, Delaware. She has converted the building she owns into an animals shelter, which depends on donations to supplement the large amount of money she contributes.

One day when Mary Catherine was driving home she hears a noise as if a creature is in distress. She zeroes in on the anguished sounds until she finds a house. Inside is a woman whose throat is slashed. She takes Tommy the Turtle with her to her home, but is shocked to learn the victim was Ferndelle Jamison, her station manager Colin’s aunt. He immediately becomes a suspect because he is expected to inherit her fortune. Mary Catherine rejects the notion that Colin killed his aunt, but someone threatens her by injuring her beloved cat Balor and makes nasty calls to her show. When she gets injured after someone breaks in her home, former cop Charlie, now a private eye is hired to protect her. He is like a guardian angel after someone cuts her brake lines. However in spite of him, an unknown adversary plans to make Mary Catherine deceased number two,

Joyce & Jim Lavene always write a charming cozy that immerses the reader deep into the story line. THE TELLTALE TURTLE is no exception as the audience will enjoy middle aged Mary Catherine’s antics as the heroine does not slow down for a breather especially since her menagerie includes new guest Tommy, her cat Balor, a horde of canines, and some sly squirrels, etc. Plus she has a case to work as the cops focus on Colin while she looks elsewhere. The audience will enjoy this fine lighthearted tale and look forward to more capers in this delightful series.

Harriet Klausner