“Meow if it’s Murder” By T.C. LoTempio
It’s always a whole lot of fun for readers to welcome a brand new series into their lives, and if the first book is any indication, this series will be highly enjoyed. Nick and Nora Charles are the main characters, although not the well-known duo. In fact, this is a lady named Nora who just happens to find a cat on her doorstep who she creatively names “Nick.”
In this tale, Nora has returned to her hometown of Cruz, California to take over the sandwich shop that was run by her mother. Previously, Nora had worked as a crime reporter for the Chicago Tribune, writing about the horrible things that happen in the big city, and is now ready to lead a much quieter life in Cruz making food for the locals and doing a little writing for a local magazine. But, of course, nothing is that simple.
She is soon pulled into investigating a story by the magazine publisher she works for in regards to the unusual death of a local woman, Lola Grainger, who drowned while on a cruise ship. During her investigation, she comes up with some questions that will prove that murder was the cause and not just an accident.
Nick appears in this small town, a black-and-white cat who shows up at the sandwich shop and decides to stay. However, this is no ordinary cat; his former master just happens to be a private detective who was working on the Grainger drowning when he suddenly went missing. The cat has already begun looking into the killing in his own feline way, and passes along clues to Nora using tiles from a Scrabble game.
Nick is a mystery that the author will more than likely explore in the novels to come. With lots of suspects and lots of fun, this is a great read and a very welcome addition to the genre.
Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion for Suspense Magazine