Thursday, March 8, 2012

The Cat, The Wife And The Weapon-Leann Sweeney

The Cat, The Wife And The Weapon


Leann Sweeney

Berkley, Apr 3 2012, $7.99

ISBN: 9780451236470



After being away from her lake house in Mercy, South Carolina selling her home made quilts, Jillian Hart heads home worried about her boyfriend Tom Stewart who has not returned her calls to him. She learns from her stepdaughter Kara that he left town in a hurry. At Tom’s house Jillian meets Tom’s brother Bob Cochran, who offers no explanation as to where his sibling went. Instead he mentions Tom left his cat Dashiell behind, but the feline ran way two days ago. Stunned as Tom never leaves Dashiell behind; Jillian finds the cat and takes him to the vet for his diabetes shot. Jillian returns home to find a battered Tom there.



Tom explains to her that he rushed to North Carolina to search for his stepson Finn, but was in a car accident. Finn and Tom know the kid’s mom Hilary does not love him. Finn also looks battered but recalls little about being in a car accident too. This proves significant because Finn’s stepfather Nolan Roth is dead from a bullet to the head; his body in Tom’s car. In Finn’s knapsack is a gun that he has no idea how it got there. The police think he killed Nolan, but evidence proves contrary. His father comes to town, but is murdered. His mother comes to take him away while Jillian risks her life to uncover the killer’s identity.



The latest A Cats in Trouble Mystery (see The Cat, The Lady and The Liar) is an amusing and enthralling regional amateur sleuth tale starring an eccentric cast led by the likable peacemaking heroine. Readers will feel for abused Finn, unloved by his mom and stepdad but he also knows Tom has his back.



Harriet Klausner

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