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.