by Sandra Murphy

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of Fat Cat Takes the Cake and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

Quincy, the chubby kitty who lives with Chase, loves sweet treats and will go to any length to get them. Anna, Chase’s dessert shop partner, thinks Quincy would like to learn to walk on a leash. It would get him outside and burning calories. Chase is not so sure. She’s got other things to think about though, like the high school reunion that looks more like a political rally. Richard “Dickie” Byrd has arranged a fourteen-year reunion—who does a fourteen? Everybody is sure it’s a ploy to get votes for his mayoral run.

The reunion is not very successful. The punch is too-too sweet and the guys, Ron, especially, have flasks to add a little something to it. Really, grownups spiking their own punch? Ron’s drunk and going after all the girls he stalked in high school. He fancies himself an investigative reporter now but is still the smarmy stalker from high school. The principal and his friend are tipsy too and none too happy. Chase asked her vet/boyfriend to escort her, but he cancelled at the last minute so Chase is a third wheel to her friend Julie and boyfriend Jay. Dickie and his wife get into an argument. Everybody bails by 11 p.m.

When Chase and Michael walk Quincy the next day, neither of them notices Quincy’s harness isn’t fastened just right. That’s all the encouragement Quincy needs. He manages to escape in the park. Too bad he doesn’t like the screaming kids and hides under a particularly dense bush which also hides the very dead body of Ron.

It’s not so much a question of who would want Ron dead, but who wanted it the most. Unfortunately, Julie was one of Ron’s stalkees. He accused her of wrong doing over real estate deals, and then planted a big kiss on her at the reunion. It’s her scarf found wrapped around his neck.

Meanwhile, Anna has entered a baking contest and her main rival, “that Grace Pilsner,” seems to always win. Grace takes the opportunity to drop by and say how she’s going to get Anna disqualified — more than once. Anna’s busy working on her recipe after hours every night. It’s near Christmas, so the shop is busy from open to close. Dessert bars are flying out the door.

Keeping up with sales, baking, fending off “that Grace Pilsner,” and investigating while keeping Quincy out of trouble is about more than Chase can do. The investigating is at the top of the list because Julie is the number one suspect. She lied to the police in her first interview, it was her scarf used as the murder weapon, and well, she hated Ron. Seems like enough for the police! Ron’s coded notebook, hints about shenanigans from the school board, and the principal’s new career, make Chase think there’s a lot more to it than Ron’s obnoxious behavior.

This is the third book in the ‘Fat Cat Mystery’ series. Mallory and Ingrid work in the shop and are making themselves better known. We see the competitive side of Anna this time. Chase is finding what’s most important to her. Quincy—there’s no changing him and thank goodness for that!

Anna shares her blueberry muffin bars recipe. Chase shares tips on how to teach a cat to walk on a leash. Quincy doesn’t share anything!

To enter to win a copy of Fat Cat Takes the Cake, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “cake,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen May 14, 2016. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.

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Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch, in the land of blues, booze and shoes—St Louis, Missouri. While writing magazine articles to support her mystery book habit, she secretly polishes mystery books of her own, hoping, someday, they will see the light of Barnes and Noble and a Kindle. You can find several of Sandra’s short stories at Untreed Reads including her newest, “Arthur,” included in the anthology titled, Flash and Bang, available now. Look for Denali, in the anthology Dogs and Dragons.