A Cat Named Brat

Lydia Adamson

Alice Nestleton has been out of work for many months. It is sweltering in New York City in August. When she is offered a job to cat sit, she quickly accepts it. It's not acting, but it pays and has air conditioning. The job is unusual. She will be watching Brat, the cat, in one room while his owner writes his book in the other room. The cat walker is late returning with Brat. Alice waits while Louis Morant writes. When the doorbell rings, he waves her to answer the door. The only thing Alice sees at the door, though, is a blotch of yellow before she is knocked out.

When she awakes the first time, she sees Morant hanging in a noose from the ceiling. When she wakes the second time, she is in the hospital. Morant and the cat sitter have been murdered. She is a suspect, but is able to clear herself - well, sort of. After her release, Morant's partner, agent, and the cat sitter's brother ask Alice to find the murderer.

Alice finds herself following an odd trail. She gets involved with Morant's ex-mistress, a bar fly, a restaurant manager, a Chinese pet store owner, and a pub historian. A man falls out a window in front of her. And she looking for a cat with six toes.

A Cat Named Brat is a fun novel. Alice's tale is told first person, so we understand the oppressing heat of the city in August, her bewilderment at times in her search, and her remorse at the death of a young man. Adamson has written a cozy mystery with an intriguing bit of history shaping it. Plus, the last line of the novel is a cliche that fits - and made me laugh out loud.

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A Cat in the Wings
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A Cat in the Glass House
A Cat with No Regrets
A Cat on the Cutting Edge
A Cat on a Winning Streak
A Cat in Fine Style
A Cat in a Chorus Line
A Cat Under the Mistletoe
A Cat on a Beach Blanket
A Cat on Jingle Bell Rock
A Cat on Stage Left
A Cat of One's Own
A Cat with the Blue
A Cat with No Clue
A Cat Named Brat
A Cat on the Bus