The Literate Kitty

Small towns. Unless you’ve lived in been a regular visitor to one, they’re kinda hard to wrap your head around. Like realizing your neighbors know  so much  about you... stuff which  everyone   else in town eventually winds up knowing, too. (Small towns, they do love to talk.)   But gossip is rarely truth—at least, not the full truth—which means all sorts of misunderstandings can happen.   And, when the veracity of such isn’t questioned (or refuted)? Hurt feelings, disappointments, and resentments can linger for  years ... as in Rachel Louise Adams’s debut thriller,  No Rest for the Wicked .     Dolores Hawthorne fled Little Horton, Wisconsin (aka “Halloween Town”, thanks to its lavish celebration of the seasonally-macabre) nearly two decades ago... and didn’t plan on returning.   Ever.   But, when someone from the FBI calls her in L.A., saying her father, ex-mayor of Little Horton and former U.S. Senator, has gone missing—and ...

There are lots of self-proclaimed “dog people” out there (like everyone walking their very own Rover, Benji, or Miss Precious between, say, 6 and 7pm), who are allowed to do all sorts of things with their BFF (best furry friend). There are dog parks, sure, and they can go to PetSmart together… but they can also go into a surprising number of other shops, restaurants, and businesses, with Lola the Labradoodle or Sam the Shih Tzu, in tow.   The thing is, that only accounts for about half of the “pet pawrent” population… which begs the question, what about everyone else … namely, the “cat people”? There’s still something of a societal disconnect— I mean, where’s the canine equivalent to “crazy cat lady”, hmm? —about sharing your life with one (or more… no judgement! ) fluffy feline(s), unlike there is with dogs.  As a proud “catmom” (hmph), I’ve heard it all.  They’re so aloof and anti-social! [Baloney. They just have no incentive to interact with you, especially no...

A reclusive heiress in the prime of her life is found murdered at home. The news is tragic, shocking, and (though it says nothing particularly flattering about them ) quite titillating, as far as the remainder of small Jamesville County’s residents are concerned.  When Detective Shawn Danger (yep, his real name) goes to the Sylvain mansion to investigate, though, it’s a whole different sort of excitement for him.  Given the notoriety surrounding the mysterious Haviland Sylvain, Shawn is keenly aware the police department--the whole community, for that matter--will be placing top priority on solving this one.  A lot of pressure? Sure, but that’s just the start of it, because things are about to get weird... very, very weird, in Nina Post’s sublimely-quirky spin on the standard police procedural mystery, Danger in Cat World . Most people--plenty of cops included--would be pretty annoyed by a phone ringing off the hook at 4:44 a.m. Shawn isn’t exactly a “nor...

Scary movies and spine-tingling tales... everyone craves a few chills this time of year. But what to choose... When it comes to movies, it all boils down to how serious or campy you like your horror, plus your tolerance for gore (none at all, stick with the classics; the bloodthirstier the better, anything since the late-1970s should work). Add some popcorn, a significant other or a few friends, and you’re set.  If you’re in the mood for snuggling up under a pile of blankets, alone in the dark, with nothing but a small lamp, a mug of cocoa, and your cat or dog by your side, though, only a good book will do. All the usual names--Poe, Lovecraft, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, or some Stephen King if like your monsters on the modern side--are there for the choosing, of course.  But what if you crave something a little... different? That’s how I was feeling, so a little digging around on Amazon later, and I’d found the “purrfect” tale for a blustery night with my boyca...

A vintage-attired, high-heel-clad little dynamo... a hunky ex-priest-cum-radio-personality superstar... a mysterious and rakish magician (in desperate need of finding his lost memories)... and one sleek-yet-stout, green-eyed, black-as-night feline... those four components can only mean one thing: it’s time for a return trip to Vegas, baby! Hold the phone--and pack an extra bag--though, because this time out Midnight Louie is up to more than just his usual Sin City sleuthing-and-shenanigans; in Cat in a White Tie and Tails , he manages to squeeze in a visit to the Windy City, as well. ~^.,.^~   ~^.,.^~   ~^.,.^~ When suddenly-in-demand radio star Matt Devine receives yet another all-expenses-paid trip to Chi-town--where a group of network bigwigs will again attempt to cajole him into accepting their offer for a major TV gig--it seems like the perfect opportunity to knock out a pair of birds with one stone; he can take Temple Barr--plucky Vegas hotel PR consultan...