Reviews

Careless Whiskers by Miranda James

theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition

4.0

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.

iread2much's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

For a cozy mystery, this is well written and not easy to guess who the murderer was. It has some surprising twists and turns but doesn’t go off on tangents. It’s the only book I read in the series and I think it’s fine to read out of sequence as other book plots are referenced but not critical to the plot. I bought for the title and it was very fun. 

cindifer20's review against another edition

Careless Whiskers

git_r_read's review against another edition

5.0

This is one of my favorite series and definitely a favorite author. I can identify with Charlie and his love of his family and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel. I would love to be as smart as Charlie [and Diesel for that matter] but I can share the adventure with them as I read. The premise, setting, and characters feel so real that it's not difficult to immerse.
This one felt more intricate, but not confusingly so. I was able to keep up with the many possible suspects and the action. I like that Charlie wants to please his family and friends and not get involved in the investigation, but I don't think he can help himself. Especially when a loved one is in danger.
The crappe-weasels definitely felt real. So much so that I wished I could reach inside the story and smack them upside the cranium. I like when I feel that strongly about a character.
I can definitely recommend this book, series and author.

lizzardimus's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

georgann's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

jessann235's review against another edition

mysterious

4.25

betcei's review against another edition

3.0

Charlie and Diesel have stopped sleuthing, at least they think they have stopped. Then Charlie's daughter Laura comes too close to murder and Charlie wants the perpetrator found. The theatre is the background with a drink laced with something. Will there be another death before this one is solved?

sarahthereader's review against another edition

4.0

Such a fun cozy mystery series and the newest entry did not disappoint.

linda48's review against another edition

4.0

This was a decent whodunnit, but it seemed a little contrived towards the conclusion. Charlie, as always, was the consummate gentleman - so much so that he was a little irksome. Somehow gentlemanliness seems to translate as lack of emotion. Nonetheless, the read was quick, fun and easy to digest.

A good thing: the artist FINALLY looked at a photo of a real Maine Coon cat and his cover art reflects it. No longer does Diesel look like an obese tabby, but more like a Maine Coon. Now, just a little more ruff, bigger ear tufts and hair tufts on the paws that peek out from under the feet and they'll have it!