by Clea Simon

The second book in the Theda Krakow series finds the free-lancer involved in money problems as well as romantic ones. Her new cat companion, Musette is sympathetic but not much practical help.

 While researching a story Theda finds some old friends who have also hit tough times, including a cat-show judge and breeder of Angora cats, and a musician friend who has a lot to hide. Both women reveal they have been victims of either blackmail or coercion, and Theda feels she just HAS to investigate.

 Her punky friend Violet, who inherited a cat shelter and the money to run it, is perplexed when someone drops off three sick kittens, two of whom are almost immediately catnapped. There’s been a rash of this lately and when Theda starts investigating, she is almost killed. Not so lucky is her friend the cattery owner, Rose, who is murdered, leaving behind a plethora of questions not to mention a house full of cats.

Suspicion has been tossed on Rose as being part of the theft ring, but it doesn’t add up—no one who really knows Rose believes it, including her sister, who is not happy to find she is heiress to a houseful of expansive cats.

The music scene takes center stage as Theda’s friends work through their issues and Theda herself tries to decide what man she wants in her life (if any) and how her love of the music scene and cats will affect her choice.

Complicating everything is an annoying female photographer who just has to be in everyone’s face and with whom Theda is forced to work. Once again things are not what they seem and a daring cat rescue almost goes up in smoke. A twist ending that you really don’t see coming winds this story up nicely.

  SJ Wolfe