Cat mysteries -- by Babson
I stumbled across a new to me author of mysteries -- Marion Babson (?? close if not exact, my memory is lousy these days). She's published 30 some-odd mysteries about 8 to 10 of them heavily themed with cats. They are 'cozies' with tons of humor and I enjoyed them very much. Are you familiar with her work? Do you enjoy them too? Which of the books do you prefer?
The first was "Murder at the Cat Show" -- read the reviews, but not the book itself.
"Nine Lives to Murder" -- singularly weird, but enjoyable. Someone has tried to murder the star of the show; he and the theater cat are injured and exchange consciousnesses. Can the star (in a cats' body) save his human body from the murderer?
"The Diamond Cat" -- a ransom of diamonds goes astray in a freak storm: one of the cat sitter's cats has eaten it. :eek: Good guys, bad guys, cops and killers -- Who's who and who's a cat-sitter to trust? Will our heroine ever learn if the handsome (widowed) policeman's precious Siamese is an apple-head or a wedgie? Will truth and justice triumph, and if so, how? I liked all the ones I read, but think this one's my favorite!
"Canapes for Kitties" -- mystery authors and pet-lovers in a small English village. Are they losing their minds, or is evil a-foot? Will their respective sanities be saved by their four-footed pals or driven over the edge? Some excellent laughs here mixed into the mystery!
"The Company of Cats" -- the eccentric billionaire prefers his cat to his family. Who can blame him? A killer's loose in the family mansion. Will the heiress feline live to collect her fortune? How many lives will she lose? How many imposter kitties can the family attempt to substitute? Again, very enjoyable mystery with lots of humor.
"To Catch a Cat" -- her usual 'cosy' mode slips to the edge of "Mary Higgans Clark" territory. A young lad accepts a dare to 'catnap' the local Cat Show star and is in the house when kitty's owner is murdered. Can he keep himself and the cat alive as the crafty murderer comes after him? I think this was my second favorite of the bunch, but enjoyed them all.
"Whiskers and Smoke" -- haven't read this one. Has anyone here?
There are a couple of other titles in her cat themes, but I'm not sure what they are. Does anyone here have others they'd like to suggest? Discuss?
I'm a bookaholic -- especially MYSTERIES!
I loved the Lillian Braun series, too. I read and reread (most of) them many times. May have missed the latest one(s).
Isn't it great how many mysteries have cats in them these days?
Re. the Midnight Louie series
The author of the 'Midnight Louie' cat mysteries is Carol or Carole Nelson Douglas.
Blessings on LoudLou and Cynthia!
Last trip to the library I stocked up on the newest in the Mrs. Murphy series. I'd forgotten how much fun they are to read. This last week we've been 'entertaining' the customer from ... well, I'll not go into details :rolleyes: :eek: :o but dipping into this series was a wonderful relief. Thank you for reminding me of it.
I can't remember the author of "The cat who went to Paris" book -- that was the first of three book about a Scottish Fold cat written by a former cat-hating absolutely smitten cat owner. I can't quite think of the cat's name either, but he was a cutie (Norton? I associate it with one of Jackie Gleason's associate's characters???). Adored the first book, had trouble with the second book cause the cat died, have seen the 3rd book but not read it... Real life adventures of a cat owned by a script writer who jets back and forth between Europe and NYC, mainly -- who in the arts adores the cat and just adventures of a first time cat owner told wittily.
9 authors using "The Cat Who ..." in their titles!!!
:eek:
Dear Karen/Marius' Mom/Wolflady,
So glad you've gotten new books in the Lilian Jackson Braun series to read. What fun. Do let me know how the one you've gotten is. I believe you are thinking of Cleveland Amory's The Cat Who Came for Christmas and ?? it's sequel. As I recall Cleveland used the books to reminese (sp?) about his cat and as a clarion call for animal care/rescue work reform.
The one I was thinking of is Peter Geters' "The Cat Who Went to Paris", ?2nd in series, and "The Cat Who Will Live Forever". Personal memories and show biz discussions.
I looked up "The Cat Who ..." at our local library and there are 9 authors with titles starting like that. Most prominent is Lilian Jackson Braun who began her series in the 1960s. The earliest I found was Elizabeth Joan Coatsworth who wrote a children's book in 1958 called "The Cat Who Went to Heaven". Lloyd Alexander wrote a children's book in 1973 called "The Cat Who Wanted to Be a Man". Most of the others seem to be written in the late 80s or later on when Ms. Braun's books were already popular. The most interesting to me was one called "The cat who cried for help: attitudes, emotions, and the psychology of cats" by Nicholas H. Dodman in 1997.
Happy reading, all!
