Clea Simon Cattery Row

Cattery Row

Clea Simon

Poisoned Pen, Aug 2006, $24.95

ISBN: 159058306X

Freelance journalist Theda Krakow is having a rough time of it lately. The reporter, who has had many of her articles published by the Boston Morning Mail, had a major blow up with her editor Tim and walks out in a tiff, which leads to her current financial crisis. She wonders whether her relationship with Bill, a Boston homicide detective, should go to the next level; finally she is further confused when her former ex-boyfriend comes back to Boston wanting to see her.

Her friends aren't doing much better. Her cattery pal Rose is being blackmailed for $20,000 which she insists she does not have but must pay otherwise they will kill her cats. Another pal Violet has had some sick cats stolen from her shelter. When Theda goes to interview Rose for a story she finds the woman murdered and believes the blackmailer committed the crime while the police think she was killed because of her involvement in stealing purebred cats. Theda investigates not realizing she may need as many lives as the cats possess.

CATTERY ROW is much more than just a great mystery; it is a story of a woman's life. Through her eyes the audience will adore the quirky and culturally rich Cambridge protagonist who deals with failure responsibly while also enjoying her relationships with her lover and her friends, all with distinct differing and distinct personalities. The whodunit is fantastic as Clea Simon brings her heart and soul into CATTERY ROW.

Harriet Klausner