Mary Catherine Roberts, renowned pet psychic, hosts a
popular radio show in North Carolina giving advice to pet
owners. Traveling home one day after her show, she picks up
a distress call that leads her to Tommy, a small turtle
whose owner has been murdered. When the victim turns out to
be the aunt of Colin Jamison, manager of the radio station
where she works, Mary Catherine knows she has to help solve
the murder before Colin is convicted of a crime he didn't
commit.
Unfortunately, when your one witness to the crime is a
turtle, proving Colin's innocence may be a bit more
difficult than Mary Catherine first realizes. Being a pet
psychic leads to a bit of disbelief on the part of the
local police force, and Colin's past isn't all that pure.
Someone, however, believes Mary Catherine and Tommy may be
able to solve the case and sets out to discourage their
involvement. With the support of her friends and a sidekick
cat named Baylor, Mary Catherine is determined to find the
person who made Tommy the turtle an orphan.
THE TELLTALE TURTLE is the first Pet Psychic mystery by
Jim and Joyce Lavene and it's a winner. Full of the
Southern flavor the Lavene's are known for, this mystery is
well-written with local color and a collection of
supporting cast, both two- and four-legged, that will
entertain the reader from the very beginning. Mary
Catherine is an excellent heroine, savvy and tenderhearted
and no one's fool. Baylor the cat is hilarious with his
moods and sulks and his devotion to Mary Catherine is
endearing. The mystery will keep the reader hooked. Fans of
the Lavene's will enjoy their latest foray into the world
of whodunit!
Mary Catherine has a rare gift - she can talk to animals.
A flamboyantly dressed four-time widow, Mary Catherine
pulls top ratings for her pet psychic radio show and helps
run an animal shelter. Then one day Mary Catherine hears
pitiful thoughts of anguish coming from a house. Rushing
inside to help, she finds an injured turtle crying bloody
murder - and the dead body of his owner, a society
matriarch with a fortune, lying nearby.
By tuning into
Tommy the turtle's thoughts and memories, Mary Catherine
becomes a vital, if ridiculed, resource for the
detectives. But now a psycho caller is threatening the
lives of Mary Catherine and Baylor, her haughty and
overprotective tabby cat, while dangling clues in front of
her like bait. Despite the annoying charms of PI Charlie
Dowd - aka, potential husband number five - can Mary
Catherine use her talent to find a killer more cold-
blooded than the star witness?