I Read: Lending a Paw

Lending a Paw by Laurie Cass

(Book one in the Bookmobile Cat Mysteries)

Of course I picked this up because cat. And books. How could I resist?

The cover is cute and tells you what you need to know about the story - if you don't like book stories, and cats, then there's no point in reading. The cover is what initially got my attention. Of course. 

Working my way through the story was a little more difficult than the cover might give the impression of. It feels simplistic, but there are complex and honestly just silly moments that throw the story off track. 

For example, a character trying to get loose from tape around her wrists. Her mouth is already free - she's listing everything she can think of that might be sharp enough to help with the tape. Never does it cross her mind to use her teeth. Serious oversight, I think. Or just an example of how ridiculous the character can be. I found it quite unrealistic. There are a number of examples I could give but this is the most recent so is top of mind. 

I found the whole story, plot and characters, very similar to Charlaine Harris' Aurora Teagarden mysteries. I can't imagine Laurie Cass hasn't had some exposure to them. The main character is a single thirty-something who's looking for love. She works in a library, and gets caught up in figuring out odd happenings (murders or mysteries) in her small town. This character - Minerva "Minnie" - is even short, with an unusual name just like Aurora "Roe" Teagarden.

This doesn't mean that I'm not enjoying the story, but I am finding as I read that I have to remind myself that it's not a Teagarden mystery. They're not in the South - these stories are set in Michigan, so I can relate to the weather and area a little more, but I do have a tendency to forget that's the case. 

Anyone who hasn't read the Teagarden mysteries wouldn't have a problem at all. Be willing to suspend disbelief for a time, and maybe even get rid of some of your own common sense or logic. But the novel is a cute, fluffy mystery. And I'll likely read others in the series when I need something to cleanse my palate from something that's heftier in content. 

On a personal note, this is my 100th book of 2020. Mainly because of less social engagements this year so more time to read. And also because it's easy to get lost in a book when reality kind of sucks. 

#100-2020