When librarian Charlie Harris’ daughter is falsely accused of murder, he and his faithful feline Diesel must leap forward to crack the case in this all-new installment in the New York Times bestselling series. Charlie Harris has sworn off investigating murder and mayhem after a recent close call. Instead, he’s delighted to cheer on his daughter, Laura, who’s starring in a production of Careless … a production of Careless Whispers. The theater department at Athena College is debuting the play written by a fledgling playwright with local connections and Charlie’s son-in-law, Frank Salisbury, will be calling the directorial shots.
Laura is upset to learn that Luke Lombardi, an overbearing actor she knew from her time in Hollywood will also be taking part in the production as a guest artist. Lombardi arrives with an entourage in tow and promptly proceeds to annoy everyone involved with the production. When he collapses and dies on stage, after drinking from a glass Laura handed him, she becomes the chief suspect in his murder.
Charlie knows his daughter is innocent, and he’s not going to let anyone railroad his little girl. So, despite his intentions to put his amateur sleuthing days behind him, Charlie has to take center stage, and with Diesel’s help, shine a spotlight on the real killer.
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Careless Whiskers is the 12th book in the Cat in the Stacks cozy mystery series written by Miranda James. I’ve previously read all of these books plus another full series in the author’s canon. It is one of my favorite series, and I’m thrilled to share my thoughts on this latest one. The series revolves around librarian Charlie Harris, who lives in Athena, Mississippi and has two grown children. He’s dating a woman who runs a bistro in town, and he works on a college campus. Between his cat Diesel and a few other friends, they usually figure out who killed the victim in each book. Sometimes, they get a little too close for their own good too.
In this caper, Charlie’s daughter is acting in a theater performance with a famed Broadway actor she used to know. Her husband is the director, and when the new star’s entourage arrives, all craziness breaks loose. The star aggravates a lot of people, and he has a connection to several folks in town. When the playwright shows up… I mean when all of them show up, things get even more confusing. It’s up to Charlie to help protect his daughter, as she looks way too guilty. We all know she didn’t do it, but the story takes us all over to figure this one out!
This series is just as strong as it was in the beginning. The characters are fleshed out nicely, and we have visits from my favorite Ducote sisters (they always steal the story). Charlie’s friendships are tested, and he must balance what he wants to do versus being an overprotective father. As the mystery unfolds, we see lots of side arcs, but figuring out which one is pertinent to the murder is definitely difficult. I loved the French theme included in this book, and the ending is quite a nice surprise. Only… what does it mean for the future?
I highly recommend this series, and this book is one of the stronger ones. Although the murder doesn’t happen right away, things keep you very focused on the drama, and when it does occur, it’s a shocking place. Can’t wait to see what others think!
This spring, Athena College’s theater department is debuting a new play from a local playwright. Charlie Harris is looking forward to it since his daughter, Laura, is going to star in it, and her husband, Frank, is the director. While most of the cast and crew are college students, the college is bringing in a big name for Laura’s co-lead – Luke Lombardi. Unfortunately, he is arrogant, rude, and demanding. And those are his good qualities. Soon he is irritating many people in town. He is also the victim of some pranks, but when things turn deadly, Laura finds herself in the spotlight as a suspect. Charlie has sworn off sleuthing after a recent close call, but with Laura’s reputation and freedom on the line, he and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel, begin searching for the real killer. Will they be able to clear Laura?
Fans are in for another great ride with this book. As if often the case, the murder takes place later in the book, but the time it put to good use introducing us to suspects, motives, and red herrings. I was never bored, and kept turning pages until Charlie figured everything out. All the characters we love are here, both two legged and four legged, and they are a delight as usual. The suspects are strong as well. I continue to enjoy watching how the police are portrayed in this series as smart and competent. This book will please Charlie and Diesel’s many fans and even earn them new ones.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Charlie Harris is enjoying his life and is excited that his daughter, Laura, has a starring role in a local play at Athena College. Careless Whispers is a new play written by a young man with a local connection, Finn Zwake. Laura’s husband, Frank is directing the play. The college has brought in an actor of some fame to boost sales for the event. Laura has worked with Luke Lombardi before and she is not looking forward to playing opposite him in this play. He along with his entourage rub almost everyone involved in the production the wrong way.
Rehearsals have had their up and downs with Laura trying to keep Luke in his place. There have also been some incidents/pranks against the Hollywood actor. With a “show must go on” attitude the show opens to a full house. All the actors hit their marks until Luke drinks from a glass at the beginning of the second act and he collapses and dies. The glass was filled and handed to him by Laura. Charlie rushes to the stage to be sure his daughter is okay. It is then that he realizes she is going to be the prime suspect.
Charlie had a close call recently with a case and vowed to let the police handle any future investigations but that was before his daughter was in the middle of a case. He knows she had nothing to do with Lombardi’s death. So he flips the script and dives right into another murder investigation with his loyal sidekick, Diesel in the quest to catch a killer.
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One of the best things about this series is the genuine characters. They are strong in their values, have huge hearts, and are full of southern charm. I could easily imagine sharing a glass of sweet tea and catching up on all that is happening in their lives. Having Diesel and his new buddy Ramses chirping right along is just icing on the cake. Ms. James’s characters continue to grow and evolve. Their dialogues are realistic and crisp. I love the way Azalea keeps everyone in line and their stomachs filled. As always Diesel is my fave. I just can’t get enough of that Main Coon Cat!
I really enjoyed that Laura and Frank were featured in this story. It gave the perfect excuse for Charlie to jump into another investigation. It was a twisted investigation too. Mr. Lombardi’s entourage, his dresser, and his lover, formerly husband and wife, really made things very interesting. A playwright conundrum also adds to the mystery.
With a perfect pace, this story unfolds with the mysteries entangled with everyday life. The family dinners, Charlie spending time with his grandchildren every week to give their moms a little break, Helen Louise and Charlie’s late-night calls as they try to keep their romance going while she devotes so much time to her bistro, all give the story definition and keep it based in reality. While the number of murders and mysteries pushes the reality the Harris family and friends are always up to the task of solving them. This time Melba, Miss An’gel and Miss Dickce are along for the ride.
Careless Whisker is an excellent addition to this series. The author takes the time to add background so new readers can jump into the series at any time. It is one of my favorite series and I highly recommend all 12 books.
Careless Whiskers by Miranda James is the twelfth A Cat in the Stacks Mystery. It can be read as a standalone courtesy of the background information provided by the author. Charlie Harris and Diesel are back along with the adorable Ramses. Charlie has sworn off investigating after a close call, but, when his daughter is in the line of fire, he must dive in once again. Luke Lombardi is the guest actor for the performance of Careless Whispers written by a local playwright using the name Finn Zwake. Luke has an ego the size of Texas and an insufferable attitude to go with it. Laura and Luke have a series of altercations during the week of rehearsals with Laura stating more than once that she would “kill” him if he did such a thing again (she was frustrated). When Luke ends up dead on the stage after drinking from the glass handed to him by Laura, she finds herself at the top of the suspect list. Charlie knows his daughter is innocent and begins nosing around searching for answers. There are several suspects from Luke’s paramour to his understudy. I liked following Charlie’s investigation. There are good clues and misdirection to distract readers from the solution. In addition, there is the prankster in the theater and two men who both claim to be the playwright Finn Zwake. I thought Careless Whiskers was well-written with steady pacing. I appreciated the addition of my what my father termed ten dollar words (sangfroid and inamorata are two examples). The words suited the education of the characters. I thought that the characters were developed and realistic. The authors descriptions allowed me to visualize each one especially Finn Zwake with his shaggy mane of red hair and ridiculous mustache. Charlie continues to develop as he grows older. It is nice to see him slowing down at work and enjoying time with his grandchildren. I especially love the scenes with Charlie at home with Diesel and Ramses. I find Diesel’s little chirps and trills delightful. It is cute that Ramses tries to imitate his older brother. I laughed often while reading Careless Whiskers thanks to the abundance of humor. The ending was very special and left me smiling. Careless Whiskers is a diverting cozy mystery with an arrogant actor, a frisky feline, disquieting disputes, a phony playwright, and puzzling pranks.
Like this series, I just started on it and like the author and characters!
There’s a murderer on the stage and Charlie’s intent on saving the day!
I like the Cat in the Stacks mysteries. They’re comfort food in book form. The writing is good and drew me right in, plus there are cats. The pacing was a little uneven at times, but I could overlook it because I wanted to know what happened.
Charlie is a sweet older man. I’m not entirely sure how old he is, other than he’s a widower and has an adult child, but I never really got a good picture of him. I did get a great picture of his cats, Ramses and Diesel. I’d love to live somewhere that allows cats that readily around town. Then again, I’d love a Ramses and Diesel of my own, as these cats literally follow him everywhere like a pair of dogs. I’ve never had a cat that would listen to commands and wasn’t so headstrong that commands didn’t mean anything. These cats are different. Then again, this is fiction, so it’s okay.
The mystery is interesting and I had no idea whodunit. I had to read through and it was quicker pacing near the end when the ending is revealed. I did like that the story picked up that way. I do have to admit I got a bit tired of the various meals Charlie ate, but again, it could be overlooked because the mystery was interesting.
If you’re looking for a comfort style story, something to pass an afternoon and that involves cats, then this might be the one for you.
This author writes I guess you’d call cozy mysteries. They are just fun to read. Not terribly complex or very poetic in writing.
Fantastic as usual! An actor that Charlie’s daughter, Laura, has worked with is in Athena to be in the play at the college. He is not well-liked and soon a couple pranks occur. When he dies after drinking from a glass during the play, Laura becomes a suspect. Lots of possible suspects ranging from both men who claim to have written the play, the actor’s understudy, and the actor’s valet and mistress. Some interesting twists as the police work to find the killer. Charlie tries to stay out of it, but doesn’t do the greatest job. I hope there will be many more adventures with Charlie and his loveable Maine Coon cat, Diesel. Highly recommend this fantastic series!!
Miranda James has done it again with a wonderfully entertaining story. But I like most is that I always feel good after reading these stories.
Having sworn off investigating murder, Charlie Harris changes his mind when his daughter, Laura, is accused and may have been killed herself. Laura’s husband, Frank, is directing a college play in which Laura plays the female lead. The male lead is being played by Broadway star, Luke Lombardi, who’s down on his luck. His poor attitude precedes him and it seems that he’s not liked as someone plays pranks on him. Then on opening night of the play, Luke is poisoned through the drink his character had to drink. Laura was also supposed to drink. To protect Laura, Charlie is drawn into the investigation which has several twists and turns.
This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series and this book is a prime example of why. I love Charlie and Diesel. Their interactions are great and realistic. The book’s well-written with wonderful characters. I was hooked from beginning to end and highly recommend both book and series which I suggest you read in order.
Miranda James does it again! I think these books gets better and better. I love books that have more than one story line going at a time, and this is one. I was surprised by the ending. I can’t wait until the next book to see how things are going to play out.
I love this series! Yes I recommend this book and this series!!
I love the klepto car Rags! What a character and his family is wonderful also. They help animals and those around them.
I really enjoyed this latest Cat in the Stacks mystery – Miranda James has done such a wonderful job with the series! I have read all 12 books via Audible, narrator Erin Bennett is a fantastic narrator. A+