There seems to be a new trend of talking animals in mysteries, and this is true with Cats and Other Calamities, the first of the A Case for the Master Sleuths books by Alex Wagner. The twist here is that while the animals can all talk to each other (and we, as the readers 'hear' that), the humans just hear animal sounds. So, how do the animals communicate what they've found? To complicate that, the main character inherited Athos (a Malamute) when her father dies. This is her first pet ever so she is not good at picking up on animal body language. She is at a reunion when a friend and former class mate is killed. This friend came with her cat, who bonds with the dog and they become the master sleuths in the series title! A great start, the second book is already on my TBR pile.

I wasn't sure about this book at first ... The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco, by Michelle Chouinard, but then at least two reviews called it 'quirky' and I decided to give it a try. Capri earns money giving just such tours of the area, taking the curious on tours of where murders happened, or the victims lived and so on. It doesn't hurt that she is the grand-daughter of a serial killer, did I mention that? (She's always thought he was innocent). Then there is a murder ... and a second ... that copy cat her grandfather's methods ... who? and why?

Reading Hermit With Dog