The Pawful Truth
(Cat in the Stacks #11)
by Miranda James

Kindle Edition, 288 pages
Expected publication: July 16th 2019 by Berkley



Goodreads synopsis:
When Charlie Harris decides to go back to school, he and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel, find themselves entangled in a deadly lovers quarrel on campus in the latest installment of the New York Times bestselling series.

 In addition to his library duties and his role as doting grandad, Charlie has enrolled in  an early medieval history course offered by young, charismatic professor Carey Warriner. Charlie feels a bit out of place- his fellow classmates are half his age- except for Dixie Bell Compton, another ‘mature’ student. When Charlie hears an angry exchange between her and their professor, his interest in piqued. He’s even more intrigued when she shows up at his office asking for a study partner. Charlie turns her down and is saddened to learn just a few days later that Dixie has been killed.

 Charlie wonders if Professor Warriner had anything to do with Dixie’s death. Warriner is married to a fellow professor who happens to be a successful author. There are rumors on campus that their marriage was on the rocks. Was Dixie's death the result of a lovers’ triangle gone bad? Charlie soon discovers that the professor’s wife may have some secrets of her own and his suspect list is only getting longer. 
  
As he and Diesel step further into the tangled web of relationships, someone else is viciously killed. Whose jealousy finally erupted into murderous rage? Was it a crime of passion or is there another  more sinister motive? Charlie  races to unravel this mystery: and to draw out the culprit, he may just have to put his own life on the line…

***

3.5 Stars

This is the eleventh book in the Cat in the Stacks series. This is the first time reading this series and author.

I had nearly made it twenty percent into the book before I realized that the main character Charlie was indeed a male and not a woman like I assumed. Many cozy mysteries have main characters with names that could pass for either gender. This is one of those.

There was quite a bit of what I would call filler story in the beginning half of the book. Not too much seemed particularly relevant to the main thrust of the storyline. Because of this I began skimming in order to find the real meat of the story. The murder finally happened between forty and fifty percent through. And after that, the book flew. The read was effortless.

The story starts with Charlie taking a medieval history course. There he meets the instructor Carey Warriner and a student named Dixie Bell Compton. It is obvious the two know each other and Warriner is upset Compton is taking his class. Charlie tries to stay out of the stress he feels coming off of them both. Then he is introduced to Carey’s wife who is also a teacher and a third teacher, Dan, who is helping the wife with research for her Regency area book of which he is an expert. There is a lot of conflict between these people and the local police detective asks Charlie to keep his ear to the ground concerning them. This brings him and his trusty Maine coon cat, Diesel right in the middle of the action when the body of Dixie Bell Compton is found dead.

The mystery really kept you guessing and I had an idea whodunit thanks to the cat who didn’t seem to like that particular person. But I wasn’t for sure of the culprit till the end since there were so many threads to the mystery that had to connect perfectly.

Good book once the murder happened. But a little too much filler story in the beginning for me.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

3.5 STARS rounded up to 4 STARS

This is #11 in this cozy Cat in the Stacks series, but worked fine for me as a standalone.

A mystery and some adorable cats made this one enjoyable. I liked the protagonist, Charlie and his main coone cat named Diesel (he also has a new kitten). This mystery revolves around a campus setting where Charlie is taking a history course. Charlie has an uneasy feeling when he hears a confrontation between the professor and a young, female classmate.

Things get complicated and Charlie's spidey senses are heightened as he tries to unravel the crime. Of course, Diesel is by his side!

Fans of cozy mysteries, cats, and kittens will enjoy this light mystery read.
Out July 16, 2019

Holly and her faithful pets are at it again, this time when some TV royalty roll into town for a social media documented vacation. Fast paced, humorous, and filled with a cast full of fun characters. Trixie has her own brush with fame, which may have their own consequences as her past comes back to haunt Holly, while the canine darling of TV is keeping everyone on their toes in Wagstaff.

3.25 stars

Mostly retired librarian Charlie and his affable feline sidekick Diesel are fun to spend a little time with. This series probably isn't for everyone -- it's a pretty gentle cozy series, Charlie is getting pretty fusty and usually acts about 20 years older than his calendar age, and he's particularly moralistic and judgmental in this one. But the ensemble cast is always interesting and these are easy and pleasant reads. It's an appealing Southern small town setting with a bit of the academic world thrown in.

Charlie is auditing a college history class just for fun when a fellow student is found murdered. And the charismatic instructor also is killed soon after. Charlie has one of the key figures staying at his house temporarily so he's involved up to his eyeballs which doesn't sit well with his family and friends.

Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Charlie Harris has decided to take a class on early medieval history. He's only going to audit it. He's a bit uncomfortable with students half his age, but he meets another older student so it'not so bad. He hears the teacher talk to her after class, asking her what the hell she's doing in his class. Then she asks Charlie to be her study partner. He declines since he is not a student.

Shortly after that he learns that she has been murdered...

Berkley and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published July16th.

When he tells the detective what he heard the teacher say, the teacher becomes a suspect. As he picks up on the college gossip, it appears the teacher was having affairs. More discussion leads to a suggestion that his wife, another teacher, might be doing the same. Her husband sure hates having a French Canadian around her. He's made public scenes with him twice. Then he ends up dead.

Did the wife kill him or did one of the two men she was seeing to get info for her next book?

The cops are working hard to get an answer, but Charlie finds it first. And he is suddenly attacked by the killer and almost dies. I like who saved him and I bet you will, too.

College Librarian Charlie Harris decides to audit a class in medieval history because he has long been interested in the topic. He is one of two mature students in the class which is taught be a handsome, charismatic teacher. He is surprised to overhear the professor - Dr. Warriner - speak in an angry manner to the other mature student - Dixie Belle Compton. Not wanting to be rude, he leaves before he hears very much.

He's surprised when Dixie Belle stops in his office and asks him to be her study buddy. Since he's only auditing the class, he doesn't need a study buddy. When he next hears about Dixie Belle, she's a murder victim and Charlie's involved in another murder investigation.

Dixie had something of a reputation as a home wrecker. Was she trying to come on to the married Carey Warriner? He makes a great suspect until he is found murdered himself. Now Charlie busies himself helping the police by concentrating on the relationships among the faculty at his college which yield a number of suspects.

Among the suspects are Warriner's wife who is a professor in the English Department and who has a second career as an author of Regency Romances. Another suspect is Armand d'Arcy who is a professor in the music department and who has been spending quite a bit of time with Mrs. Warriner. Maybe Dan Bellamy, another professor in the History Department and a friend of the couple, has something to do with the murders. Coincidentally - or maybe not, Bellamy is a new roomer in Charlie's house while his home is being remodeled.

This was a fun Southern cozy. I liked that the main character was a librarian. It was also nice that he was also a doting grandfather to two infant grandchildren. I liked the part Charlie's large Maine coon cat Diesel plays in the story.

I am a fan of this series so grabbed the chance to get an ARC from NetGalley of the latest addition. This continues to be one of my favorite series starring Charlie and his Maine Coon cat Diesel. In addition to his library duties and his role as doting grandfather, Charlie has enrolled in an early medieval history course offered by young, charismatic professor Carey Warriner. Charlie feels a bit out of place- his fellow classmates are half his age- except for Dixie Bell Compton, another ‘mature’ student. When Charlie hears an angry exchange between her and their professor, his interest in piqued. He is saddened to learn just a few days later that Dixie has been killed. After hearing and arguement between Dixie and the professor, Charlie wonders if Professor Warriner had anything to do with Dixie’s death. Warriner is married to a fellow professor who happens to be a successful author. There are rumors on campus that their marriage was on the rocks. Was Dixie's death the result of a lovers’ triangle gone bad? Charlie soon discovers that the professor’s wife may have some secrets of her own and his suspect list is only getting longer. As he investigates, someone else is viciously killed.

I really enjoy this series! The characters are likeable and real. I'm glad that Charlie isn't as obsessed with leaving his cat at home as he was in earlier books (but it is still a little annoying). I look forward to the next adventure.

After a long time I picked up a Miranda James title and I was immediately reminded why I always enjoyed his writing. His style is light, engaging and manages to keep you guessing. This time it won't take me long to dive into another one of his mysteries.

Charlie is excited to head back to school for the first day of ancient Medieval History, a course he is auditing. While he thoroughly enjoys the lecture from professor Warriner, he is surprised to later hear an angry confrontation between the professor and a student in the class as he is leaving. "What the hell are you doing in my class" is the last thing Charlie hears from the professor as the door clicks shut. When Dixie Bell Compton, the student at the receiving end of Warriners comments is later found dead, Charlie finds himself in the middle of another mystery. Charlie shares his concern involving the conflict between the now deceased Dixie and Warriner however soon after, Warriner turns up dead as well. Now Charlie has two mysteries on his hands, but how are they connected? Charlie works with Kanesha to report any comments he overhears among the students in his class pertaining to the student and teacher who were murdered in an effort to help flesh out the killer.
I really enjoyed the latest adventure in this fun loving series featuring Charlie, a retired librarian and his extra large Maine coon cat. All of the characters featured in the previous books in this series are back in all their glory to help aide Charlie in his detection. There was plenty of side adventure and back and forth between the supporting characters to keep the story flowing and the mystery was as always well thought out till the end. I sincerely hope there are more adventures featuring Charlie and his feline companion in the future.

Charlie and Diesel do it again. While dealing with babies and kittens, Charlie finds himself in the middle of two murder investigations. Being a Librarian helps Charlie find some facts that help direct the case, but it is Diesel who saves the day in the end.

"What the hell are you doing in my class?"

Those are the last words that Charlie Harris hears before charismatic professor Carey Warrinerhe closes the classroom door, probably speaking to Dixie Belle Compton. Auditing Warriner's class as a mature student was supposed to be a treat for Charlie, whose full-time gig of cataloging old books at Athena College had kept him too busy to follow his academic curiosity. He didn't plan to be involved in finding a murderer or two, but - of course - he never did plan those things...

Charlie and Diesel, his enormous and personable Maine Coon cat, are back, along with many of the others with whom readers of this series have become friends: Azalea and Kanesha Berry, Melba, Helen Louise, and even Miss Dickcee Ducote (from James' spin-off series, Southern Ladies Mysteries). We get to know Carey Warriner and his professor wife, Irene, whose academic specialty in Medieval English literature is supplemented by a fellow historian, Daniel Bellamy when she writes her bestselling, pseudonymous Regency romances as Lucy Dunne.

Melba, as usual, is filled with local gossip. Has Irene been stepping out with Daniel? Is it true that Dixie has been "involved" in two divorces? The stage is set.

Charlie, who loves finding annotations and marginalia in the old books he catalogs, also cherishes the connections he was made as a longtime resident of Athena. When Dixie and Warriner are murdered - separately - will his eye for detail and gossipy hints from friends be enough to solve the case?

This series is a treasure. It completely lacks stereotypes, and all of the characters are both complex and true - including Diesel, who, despite his vocalizations and love for walking on a harness, is a very real cat. Pour yourself some sweet tea and treat yourself to a visit with these friends.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me an ARC to review.

The Pawful Truth is book eleven in the Cat in the Stacks series by Miranda James. Charlie Harris Librarian at Athena College had decided to go back to school and learn about medieval history. However, Charlie did not expect that he will become involved in a murder case of one of his classmates. The readers of The Pawful Truth will continue to follow Charlie Harris to find out who murders Dixie Belle Compton.

The Pawful Truth is the first book I read of Miranda James, and I love it especially the cover and her use of animals within the plot of this book. I will have to go back and read more books in this series. The Pawful Truth is well written and researched by Miranda James. I like Miranda James portrayal of her characters and the way they interact with each other throughout The Pawful Truth.

The readers of The Pawful Truth will see the problems mature age students have in going back to University. Also, the readers of The Pawful Truth will learn about lovely breed of cat called Maine Coon.

I thank NetGalley and Berkley Publishers for my free ARC copy of The Pawful Truth for an honest review. I recommend this book.

f you have a love for libraries or cats, this is a great series.

One thing I appreciate about the Cat in the Stacks series is that the "Cat," a Maine coon named Diesel, while a fully developed and integral character, is NOT some kind of supernatural device for solving cases for main character, college librarian Charlie Harris. Charlie does the lion's share of the sleuthing on his own.

In this one, it appears that there is some professorial hanky panky going on campus, culminating, perhaps, in the death of a young woman who had approached Charlie to be her study partner. The mystery is multi-layered and not easily solved. Of course, Charlie's family and friends are back to add support as their lives and relationships continue to evolve along with Charlie's.

An absorbing series entry!

Full Disclosure--Net Gallery and the publisher provided me with a digital ARC of this book. This is my honest review.

In the eleventh adventure of the Cat in the Stacks series, Charlie has decided to head back into the classroom by auditing a class on Medieval England. There he meet the charismatic teacher and finds a possible scandal. Charlie must rely on his southern charm and curious friends to help him solve this new set of puzzling murders.

While these books border on a little too sweet sometimes, the characters and personalities make up for that slight flaw. Charlie's relationship with his friends and family are ultimately at the heart of these books and that makes them worth returning to time and again. Of course the mysteries help as well. Each little clue brings you and Charlie to the exciting end - one more exciting than all the previous books. And excellent addition to the cozy mystery genre.

Diesel returns with his own retired librarian Charlie to solve another mystery in their hometown. Why was a university student killed? What about the professor? Fun read for an afternoon

This is another terrific book in this series. I love Charlie and Diesel. Charlie always does a fantastic job figuring out who did it and his working relationship with Kanesha Berry, Chief Deputy of Athena County is developing positively. Once again I wasn't able to figure out who did it, probably because I hadn't read the book used as a hint. We did get a visit from the Ducote sisters.

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review. - I hope this series continues for a long time. It is one of my favorites.

Another highly enjoyable book by Miranda James. Couldn’t put it down. Love Charlie and Diesel and the rest of the Cat in the stack gang

Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel, are back and in fine form. Charlie is auditing a course in Early Medieval History, given by Dr. Carey Warriner. He is excited when the first lecture is a rousing success, except for the part where another, older student has a confrontation with Dr. Warriner right after class. When the older student turns up dead, Charlie worries she might have been killed by Warriner. He shares his worries with the local police force, but then Warriner turns up dead. What ties these two murders together? Will Charlie have to put his own life on the line to find out? Filled with the usual cast of fabulous characters, I was surprised to learn I am a character in the book, along with my friend, Jeanette Larson! This series is utterly charming and deserves to be on everyone's list.

Another mystery solved, this time with the police asking for Charlie Harris' help. Charlie has signed up to audit a class in early medieval history and shortly after, the professor teaching the class is murdered along with a fellow student. Since Charlie is a librarian at the university and knew the victims and all the suspects, detective Kanesha Berry asks him to keep his eyes and ears open to anything that might help in the investigation. Of course, Charlie gets a little more involved than that! Charlie and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel, always make a good pair for a good cozy mystery.