About the Book
Cozy Mystery
Format
E-Book
Publisher
Berkley
Release Date
January 27, 2015
Synopsis from Goodreads:
In Athena, Mississippi, librarian Charlie Harris is known for his good nature—and for his Maine coon cat Diesel that he walks on a leash. Charlie returned to his hometown to immerse himself in books, but taking the plunge into a recent acquisition will have him in over his head…
Lucinda Beckwith Long, the mayor of Athena, has donated a set of Civil War-era diaries to the archives of Athena College. The books were recently discovered among the personal effects of an ancestor of Mrs. Long's husband. The mayor would like Charlie to preserve and to substantiate them as a part of the Long family legacy—something that could benefit her son, Beck, as he prepares to campaign for the state senate.
Beck's biggest rival is Jasper Singletary. His Southern roots are as deep as Beck's, and their families have been bitter enemies since the Civil War. Jasper claims the Long clan has a history of underhanded behavior at the expense of the Singletarys. He'd like to get a look at the diaries in an attempt to expose the Long family's past sins. Meanwhile, a history professor at the college is also determined to get her hands on the books in a last-ditch bid for tenure. But their interest suddenly turns deadly…
Now Charlie is left with a catalog of questions. The diaries seem worth killing for, and one thing is certain: Charlie will need to be careful, because the more he reads, the closer he could be coming to his final chapter…
My Review
Librarian Charlie Harris is given the arduous task of preserving and archiving a set of diaries written during the Civil War. It’s part of Mayor Long’s family legacy and she wants Charlie to help preserve it.
What seemed like an interesting job turns into a nightmare for Charlie. He finds himself caught in the middle of a political campaign with each side wanting to use the diaries to destroy the other.
When someone ends up dead, Charlie can’t believe the diaries are worth a person’s life. He is determined to get to the truth but instead finds himself getting deeper into danger. His Maine Coon cat, Diesel, is always the supportive one.
There are several different possible suspects. I couldn’t figure it out until the last couple of chapters. It’s a good mystery with a great cast of characters. Charlie and Diesel’s friendship and companionship are always so touching to me. Diesel always seems to know what Charlie needs. No, he’s not a paranormal cat. Just a very intuitive one.
This is the 6th book in the Cat in the Stacks mystery series. It’s an old favorite series of mine. This series is still going on and it’s up to #17. It never gets old to me. I’m always looking to catch up with one of my favorite fictitious cats and Diesel is a cutie.
This is such a great cozy mystery series - intriguing plot, small town setting, well-written characters, and an adorable cat. It checks all the boxes on my list.
The Purrfect Reading Challenge 2025
What An Animal Reading Challenge 2025
Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge 2025
Literary Escapes Reading Challenge 2025 (Mississippi)
Cruisin’ thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2025
This one is from my own book collection. All opinions expressed are my own.
I need to start this series.
ReplyDeleteIf it keeps you guessing most of the way through, it's a good one.
ReplyDeleteThis is a series that I really want to go back and read the earlier books. I've thoroughly enjoyed the most recent books and this one look so good!
ReplyDelete