Review and Giveaway: How to Catch a Cat

How to Catch a Cat (Cats and Curios - Book 6) by Rebecca M. Hale

Publication Date: 03/03/2015
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Prime Crime
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 352
ISBN-10: 
ISBN-13:

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Prime Crime)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound, itunes

Rebecca M. Hale on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series:

Cats and Curios

1. How to Wash a Cat
2. Nine Lives Last Forever
3. How to Moon a Cat
4. How to Tail a Cat
5. How to Paint a Cat
6. How to Catch a Cat

Coverart:

Excerpt from How to Catch a Cat, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature

Synopsis:

In the latest novel from the New York Times bestselling author of How to Paint a Cat, there are choppy waters ahead...

A serial killer with a peculiar penchant for City Hall interns is on the loose in San Francisco, and it’s up to me—and my two cats, Rupert and Isabella—to put a stop to the spree. Unfortunately, worrying about my uncle Oscar’s failing health and assisting with the interim mayor’s America’s Cup regatta doesn’t leave me with much opportunity to chase down clues.

Could the key to apprehending the killer be found in San Francisco’s sailing history? The first European vessel to pass through the Golden Gate contained a familiar cast of human—and feline—passengers as well as an elusive killer who used a similar murder weapon. Will the past catch up to the present in time to crack the case?

Thoughts:

Rebecca M. Hale returns to her Cats and Curios series with her latest book, How to Catch a Cat. Rupert and Isabella are back with another adventure, this time centering around the sailing history of San Francisco. Hale's unique way of writing might be a little confusing for some, but she always creates a tale that is complex and satisfying and this one is no exception. The unnamed main character is trying to find a killer in her own time and one in the past, which takes the reader on a journey through time as well as through a good mystery. Readers who love this series will find this one irresistible. 

This series is a mystery within itself. The idea that the main character is never named in the series, took a little bit of getting used to. At first I found that hard to digest, but the idea has grown on me. It is a really unique concept and Hale certainly makes it work for her in this series. Readers are fascinated as much by Rupert and Isabella's "person" as they are by whatever is going on in the story. I wonder every time I read one of the books in this series, if we'll ever really find out her name. 

I loved the sailing history theme of this addition to the series. Hale always does her homework and ensures that no two books she has written are anything alike. Her themes are distinctive and often take the reader into areas they never considered before. San Francisco is obviously a sailing town. I have to wonder how much of the historical stuff that Hale gives us in this book is based on real fact. It makes me want to go beyond the book and do a little research of my own. That's a hallmark of a good author. 

Essentially, the lead character, along with her uncle and her two cats are trying to pinpoint not one but two killers, separated by time. The present day killer's nickname is the Knitting Needle Ninja due to her choice of weapon. It was a little hard to distinguish whether you were in the past or the present at times and it was one of those books you had to really think about and concentrate on. But I think that was part of the beauty of it. I didn't want a mystery I could solve easily. I wanted to work for it and Hale delivered on that aspect.

Bottom Line:

Rupert and Isabella once again steal the show. We still don't know the main characters name and Uncle Oscar is still alive unbeknownst to most of the characters in the book. This was a somewhat complicated tale that took a lot of twists and turns. I loved the sailing history. I liked the fact that you had a mystery within a mystery to solve and the way the story skipped from the past to the present. A very unique and satisfying addition to this popular series.

How to Catch a Cat is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

NY Times bestselling author REBECCA M. HALE worked for almost ten years as a patent attorney in the San Francisco Bay Area before taking time off to write her first novel, HOW TO WASH A CAT. She is now the author of nine Penguin titles and a growing list of ebooks released under her own imprint Green Vase Publishing. She writes fiction, typically in the form of quirky mysteries that reflect her travel experiences and the people she meets on her journeys.

Rebecca lives in Western Colorado with her feline writing associates, that is, when she's not off researching future books set in San Francisco, the Caribbean or wherever else her wandering spirit takes her.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of How to Catch a Cat by Rebecca M. Hale.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, April 9th.

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