Review: How To Tail A Cat by Rebecca M. Hale

How to Tail a Cat
(Cats and Curios Mystery)
4th Book in Series
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group (September 4, 2012)
Published by The Penguin Group
Cozy Mystery
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages ISBN-13: 978-0425251294
Cover Illustration by Mary Ann Lasher
Cover Design by Diana Kolsky

Never a dull moment in San Francisco. The mayor is headed to Sacramento as Lieutenant Governor and an interim mayor needs to be selected by the board. But much more exciting is the albino alligator that is on the loose and been sighted in many places from Fisherman’s Wharf to Nob Hill.

Oscar’s niece and her cats Isabella and Rupert don’t have time to tail an alligator. Her uncle has left her more clues to chase and this adventure starts at Lick’s Fried Chicken and has something to do with the Steinhart brothers. This is where the alligator connection begins as in the 1900’s the brothers were the benefactors who provided the original funding for the alligator’s aquarium.

So which trail to follow? Hunt for Oscar’s hidden treasure if there even is one? Or follow the aspiring mayor, Monty Carmichael, around town as he tries to capture the alligator? It would be bad if Monty became lunch for the pale reptile but Isabella seems set on following Uncle Oscar’s clues. What to do? Maybe both!

Dollycas’s Thoughts

I love these cats and these stories. Rupert and Isabella are two awesome cats, even if they just want fried chicken for dinner like Uncle Oscar used to make. One is very opinionated and inquisitive, the other much more laid back, both are very entertaining. They are the main characters of these stories.

I also love these stories because they have real settings and true adventures. There really is a Steinhart Aquarium and they really do have an albino alligator, his name is Claude. He is definitely the inspiration for Clive in the story right down to an injury and bad eyesight. You can even see him here. The California Academy of Sciences looks like such a cool place and Rebecca M. Hale takes us there on a mini escape. She takes real happenings and places and creates a mystery around them. Sometimes you really wonder what is real and what is fiction and that just keeps those pages turning. Her previous book in the series How to Moon a Cat, was my choice for Best Cozy Mystery in 2011 for just that reason. You find yourself drawn into the story, following the clues, down in the tunnels, out on the streets, and all around San Francisco. CHOMP! The story just grabs you and hold on tight.

It has to be hard to write for cats, alligators, and humans but this author seems to do it with ease. Oh Rebecca, where will you, Rupert and Isabella take us next? I can’t wait for our next adventure.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”