Uncle Oscar's death leaves his niece the owner of his
rundown antique shop and the mystery that goes along with
ownership. Set in current San Francisco, the story takes
the reader back to the days of the Gold Rush and ties it in
with the odd happenings at the antique shop in current
times.
HOW TO WASH A CAT by Rebecca Hale is a confusing
collection of mismatched clues held together by eccentric
characters with two cute cats thrown into the odd mix. I
had as much trouble as some of the characters (including
the unnamed-until-the-last-page lead character) actually
identifying the mystery, let alone caring if it was solved.
I felt the author had some solid ideas but didn't bring
them together in a cohesive way. Ms. Hale does a beautiful
job with the descriptions of San Francisco and fleshing out
the odd collection of characters, but it didn't jell
together. By the culmination of the story, I simply felt
confused and glad I'd reached the end.
A deceased uncle and a
surprising inheritance propel a woman and her two very
curious cats into the mystery surrounding his death.
An investigation that starts amid the curios and
novelties of a San Francisco antiques shop follows a
twisted trail of dangerous deception that leads all the
way back to the days of the Gold Rush itself.