Leann Sweeney’s The Cat, The Professor and The Poison is second in her Cats in Trouble series. As an inveterate cat-lover, I particularly appreciate Sweeney’s well-constructed cat mysteries. Sometime sleuth Jillian Hart is, by profession, a quilt-maker who frequently donates her handiwork to shelters and friends to comfort traumatized cats. Not surprisingly, Jillian is a cat aficionado, as well, and lives with three remarkable felines of her own. Alas, Jillian is often drawn away from her work in order to rescue hapless cats, and this book demonstrates her innate kindness and concern for needy animals.

Initially, Jillian is puzzled when a neighbor’s cow mysteriously disappears, and the culprit, a mad professor sort, is cornered. He explains that he “borrowed” the cow in order to provide milk for his cats. Eventually, Jillian discovers that he is housing multitudes of seemingly neglected cats on his farm. Why?

You will need to immerse yourself in this book—ideal for animal-lovers—to answer this question. Trust me, you will not casually guess the answer. At times, cats may be in trouble, but, happily, Jillian Hart is on the scene to rescue them.