The latest Black Cat Bookshop Mystery by Ali Brandon (aka Diane A.S. Stuckart) is A Novel Way to Die. Once again, series protagonist and Texas transplant Darla Pettistone dominates the action, as she continues to acclimate to Brooklyn, New York, and the bookstore she inherited from her aunt. Managing a bookstore is challenging, but Darla’s real nemesis is Hamlet, the huge and fearsome black cat who was an additional and unexpected bequest. Luckily, though, Hamlet possesses magical powers that enable him to pull books from the shelves, thereby revealing cryptic passages that assist Darla in solving mysteries. I won’t divulge the particulars of the plot, but suffice it to say that Darla courts danger for both Hamlet and herself because she has extremely—and I mean extremely—poor taste in men. But the truly significant question: can Darla ever bond with her fractious feline? Stay tuned for the surprising result. I, for one, am very curious about where this quirky series will travel next.
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