by Sandra Murphy

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book, and a link to purchase it from Amazon and an indie bookstore.

Charlie and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel, are exploring the farmhouse Charlie inherited. He thought his grandfather sold the house many years ago but finds out the property was leased to Martin Hale for his lifetime only. Upon Martin’s death, which was a couple of months ago, the farm reverts to Charlie.

As Charlie and Diesel explore the attic, there’s a thump. Charlie finds Diesel has poked around and discovered a human skull. When the police arrive and investigate, they find the rest of the bones in an old wardrobe. The skeleton looks to be old but will have to be examined by experts to know more.

There are rumors of women who disappeared years ago. As is usual with small town gossip, there are two versions—she ran off with another man or her husband killed her. Now Charlie wonders, do the bones belong to one of the missing women?

With Helen Louise out of town, Charlie is on his own to discover more. Usually discouraged by his son and daughter, this time his attorney son, Sean, encourages him to research the family history. At least with an old murder, Charlie can’t get in any trouble, right? Don’t be too sure.

As always, Diesel is the charmer of the cast of characters. His new brother, Ramses, an orange kitten, isn’t quite a year old yet and wants nothing more than to be with Diesel and do everything he does—unless there’s a chance of food being offered elsewhere. I missed Helen Louise, but readers will learn more about Stewart and Haskell, Charlie’s immediate family, and his family’s history.

This is book fourteen of the enjoyable series. Charlie and Helen Louise make a great couple. It’s a pleasure to see romance between people who are older than thirty. Charlie doesn’t put himself in dangerous situations, at least not after that one time. Charlie didn’t know much of his family history, so readers will enjoy learning more as he researches at the historical society.

Book fifteen, Hiss Me Deadly, will be available in March 2022. I’m looking forward to it.

To enter to win a copy of What the Cat Dragged, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “dragged,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen September 25, 2021. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If you are entering via email please include you mailing address in case you win, it will be deleted after the contest. You can read our privacy statement here if you like. BE AWARE THAT IT WILL TAKE MUCH LONGER THAN USUAL FOR WINNERS TO GET THEIR BOOKS DUE TO THE CURRENT CRISIS.

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You can use this link to purchase this book from indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy, and KRL gets a portion of the sale:

What the Cat Dragged In (Cat in the Stacks Mystery #14)

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Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She’s editor for Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of the ’60s, with twenty-two cozy stories. She also edited A Murder of Crows, twenty-one stories featuring animals and crime (no animals were harmed). She also writes for magazines, newsletters, and the occasional guest blog. Both anthologies are available at the usual outlets, print or ebook.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.