Sleight of Paw-Sofie Kelly

Sleight of Paw
Sofie Kelly
Obsidian, Sep 6 2011, $7.99
ISBN: 9780451234537

Owen and Hercules adopted the new Mayville Heights, Minnesota librarian Kathleen Paulson as their human crazy cay lady owner. Kathleen, now struggling with her first tundra winter, came to town after a lover’s spat in which he left and returned two weeks later with a wife. She had not planned to stay, but her feline family has her thinking of permanent residency.

Retired schoolteacher Agatha Shepherd is found murdered in the ally near Eric’s Place restaurant. Ruby who found the body is arrested as circumstantial evidence points towards her as the culprit. Kath does not buy her friend as the killer because Ruby loved Agatha who changed her life around from juvenile delinquent to model citizen changing her hair color every two weeks. Although she prefers to stay out of sleuthing after the perilous adventures in Curiosity Thrilled the Cat, she uncovers contrary evidence that points elsewhere due to her feline partners. The trio risks their lives to insure the real killer is placed in jail.

The two cats with their paranormal powers make Sleight of Paw a precious cozy with their telepathic communication and deep need to protect their Kath. Their human pet has adapted nicely to the Burl Ives picture postcard town as she has made good friends (and not just the cats) and is falling in love with a local detective though she keeps her distance having been burned once. The whodunit is super as there are several suspects including friends who could be the killer as the amateur sleuth and her two feline companions investigate the homicide of a highly regarded former teacher.

Harriet Klausner