Once again, intrepid librarian Minnie and her cat Eddie come across a dead body on their bookmobile run. This time the body is lying in the middle of the road. Minnie’s attempt at resuscitation are futile, but there is the question of how he got to be in the road in the first place. A bicycle is found nearby, but it begs the question of why it was left in the woods. Was it a hit and run? And did that speeding car that nearly hit the bookmobile just before they saw the body have any role in the death?
It’s a puzzle and one Minnie is determined to figure
out, but she has a lot going on at the moment.
Or rather, she doesn’t have a lot when she should. She and Rafe are now engaged, but so far no
ring. This doesn’t bother Minnie, but it certainly raises a lot of comment from
family and friends. Also, winter is
coming quickly, meaning that Minnie needs to move to land from her beloved
houseboat, but Rafe is far from finished with the renovations on what is to be
their house and Minnie’s aunt no longer has her big B&B for a winter
refuge. Last but not least, Minnie’s
library director is very enthusiastic about the bookmobile. This is a good thing, except that he keeps
adding more stops for Minnie to make, making the bookmobile run an all-day plus
endeavor. Her helper Julia is at the end of her rope, and so is Minnie.
However will it all work out?
This is the ninth in the Bookmobile Cat Mystery series which has seen Minnie through several
romances, at least three directors, and a lot of murders. Plucky Minnie brings her love of books and
her willingness to help to every situation, be it library or murder
investigation. There’s a good supporting cast, and the author is willing to
have situations change. The series is
set in Michigan, and there’s a strong sense of place. Mostly a cold place, it seems, so I’m not
planning a trip anytime soon!
This particular entry in the series was a bit heavier
on personal problems but still had an interesting solution to the crime. I
thought the motive was far-fetched, but the clues were fair so I’ll give that
aspect a pass. By the way, I especially liked the hints Eddie the cat dropped
along the way, hints that Minnie ignores but that readers latch onto. It’s not giving anything away to say that
there is a feel-good ending. I’ve been around for the first nine books, so it’s
pretty safe to say I’ll be on the looking in October when book ten is scheduled
to come out.
Books in the series:
Lending a Paw
Tailing a Tabby
Borrowed Crime
Pouncing on Murder
Cat with a Clue
Wrong Side of the Paw
Gone with the Whisker
Checking Out Crime
The Crime that Binds (2022)
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