The Persian Always Meows Twice

August 28, 2017
At the start of Watkins’s delightful first novel and series launch, cat groomer Cassie McGlone, newly moved to Chadwick, N.J., finds her best customer, wealthy George DeLeuw, dead on his study floor. Her taking temporary custody of George’s Persian, Harpo, lands her in the middle of a fierce squabble over the feline. Another problem is Cassie’s old boyfriend Andy, whom her interfering mom tells where to find her, oblivious to Cassie’s very good reason for dumping him. Andy’s arrival is followed by a suspicious fire at Cassie’s combination store and residence. With George’s sister, ex-wife, and several business associates in town, there’s a passel of suspects for both crimes, but Chadwick’s Det. Angela Bonelli has her sights on Cassie’s handyman, Nick Janos, and his introverted computer-nerd son, Dion, who claims George stole an encryption code he created. The calm in the storm is veterinarian Mark Coccia, fresh from his own broken relationship but showing a definite interest in Cassie. Happily, Harpo and the loads of other cats in this welcome debut don’t overpower the story line. Agent, Evan Marshall, Evan Marshall Agency.

August 1, 2017
A cat groomer boarding the cat of a slain millionaire suspects her feline tenant may be the missing piece in solving the murder.After moving to Chadwick and opening her own cat grooming and boarding facility, Cassie's Comfy Cats, Cassie McGlone is feeling pretty comfy herself. She's happy to be around friends and out of the sight of Andy, the recent ex whose anger issues upset her almost as much as his treatment of her three feline companions. Cassie is delighted that she's been recently hired by George DeLeuw for the regular grooming of Harpo, a cream-colored Persian with a tendency to mat. Not only is DeLeuw a generous and loving owner to Harpo, a purebred who proved a worthless financial investment; providing routine services to such a well-heeled client has become a dependable income stream for Cassie. This time, however, Cassie shows up for her customary service call only to find DeLeuw's body and realize that he's been killed. Though she doesn't have a background in investigating, it's easy for her to do enough digging to figure out who might have reason to murder such a kind man. At first her poking around isn't welcomed by the detective on the case, Angela Bonelli, but eventually the two are able to coordinate their efforts to learn about DeLeuw more efficiently, and Cassie offers to care for Harpo until the will is settled. When other people from DeLeuw's life suddenly show an interest in Harpo's well-being, Cassie suspects that learning more about the cat may provide the key to DeLeuw's death. Fans of felines will appreciate Cassie's demonstrated attachment to the master species, which Watkins successfully integrates throughout her debut, a deft blend of mystery and cat love.

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