"A clever murder mystery with plenty of southern charm"
Reviewed by Auriette Lindsey
Posted February 6, 2017
Mystery Cozy
Charlie Harris and his cat Diesel are about fed up with the
new head of the library. Oscar Reilly acts like he's on a
mission to make enemies. That creates a long list of
suspects when Oscar turns up dead. When Charlie moves into
the office, to fill in temporarily, he finds something that
could make him the killer's next target. NO CATS ALLOWED is a fantastic small-town cozy mystery.
Author Miranda James's takes her time introducing all the
characters and laying out the situation. Her precise writing
makes it easy to visualize the quiet Athena College campus
and Charlie's old family home. When Oscar Reilly is murdered
in the library, we already know why half a dozen people
might want him dead. Coming from a long line of southerners myself, I especially
appreciate the uniquely southern touches James weaves into
the story, from the foods served for dinner to the way the
native characters talk. Each book is a real taste of the
region. I also appreciate that the tone and language is such I feel
comfortable recommending NO CATS ALLOWED and James's other
Cat in the Stacks novels to anyone who loves a good
mystery, from my old-fashioned mom to young adult readers.
SUMMARY
In the latest mystery in the New York Times
bestselling Cat in the Stacks series, librarian Charlie
Harris and his Maine Coon cat Diesel must clear a friend
when the evidence is stacked against her… Springtime in Mississippi is abloom with beauty, but the
library’s employees are too busy worrying to stop and smell
the flowers. The new library director, Oscar Reilly, is a
brash, unfriendly Yankee who’s on a mission to cut costs—and
his first targets are the archive and the rare book collection. As annoying as a long-overdue book, Reilly quickly raises
the hackles of everyone on staff, including Charlie’s fiery
friend Melba—whom Reilly wants to replace with someone
younger. But his biggest offense is declaring all
four-legged creatures banned from the stacks. With enemies aplenty, the suspect list is long when Reilly's
body is discovered in the library. But things take a turn
for the worse when a threatening e-mail throws suspicion on
Melba. Charlie is convinced that his friend is no murderer,
especially when he catches sight of a menacing stranger
lurking around the library. Now he and Diesel will have to
read between the lines, before Melba is shelved under “G”
for guilty…
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