If you like your cozies with a cast of eccentric characters in a charming small Southern town, than the Cat in the Stacks series is for you. This latest mystery focuses on a a college production of an unknown playwright. The lead actor, Luke is brought in from NYC, and he is not a likeable guy. Trouble ensues for Charlie, his daughter Laura who is playing opposite Luke, and Charlie's son-in-law directing the play. Of course, Diesel must play an important role in the book.

The Cat in the Stacks series always provides a fluffy read with a twisty mystery and time spent with the larger than life cat Diesel. In this entry, main character Charlie is excited for the opportunity to see his daughter, Laura, act as the lead in the university's play, entitled "Careless Whiskers". But when her rude and demanding co-star becomes the victim of escalating pranks, he points the finger at her. When he dies on stage, the police also begin to suspect Laura. Despite previous assurances that he will stop playing detective, Charlie must again put himself in danger to figure out who did it and keep his daughter out of jail.
As the series goes on, Diesel and his new kitten brother Ramses have begun taking a back seat for the author to further develop Charlie's other relationships. While his plot remains solid and relationship development never detracts from the mystery, some readers might begin missing some of the feline magic of earlier titles in the series. I was also missing the time spent with Charlie in the university archives that serves as the "stacks" in the series' name. Despite these aspects, The Cat in the Stacks series is always a satisfying read for cozy mystery fans who appreciate Charlie's southern charm and some entertaining glimpses of feline antics.

James delivers another charming installment of his long-running Cat in the Stacks series. This time the unfortunate victim is a semi-famous actor coming to grace Charlie Harris’s small town with his presence on stage for the debut of a new play. The best part of long series is spending time with characters one has known for several years, and this series is no exception. A truly cozy mystery, this is a sure bet for fans of Berkeley’s other cozy offerings.

I'm glad that Charlie isn't focusing too much on Diesel and is able to leave him alone now. I do like the characters. I thought Laura came off a little rude at times. I liked the mystery and it did keep me guessing until the end. I look forward to the next book in this series!

Another great read for a Charlie and Diesel adventure. The characters are interesting and people you'd like to know. This is book 12 in a series and seems like it would be fine as a stand alone as the author doesn't refer too much to prior happening. That being said, it is a fantastic series and is well worth getting the previous books and reading in order. .

Thank you to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review. - Please keep these books coming! Just such great cozy mysteries.

I love this series and have read all the previous ones. When I had a chance to get an ARC from NetGalley, I jumped at the chance and was not disappointed. The main characters, as well as the secondary characters, continue to be developed with a surprise happy ending.

Charlie is delighted to cheer on his daughter, Laura, who's starring in a production of Careless Whispers in the theater department at Athena College. The play written by a fledgling playwright with local connections and Charlie's son-in-law, Frank Salisbury, will be calling the directorial shots. Laura is upset to learn that Luke Lombardi, an overbearing actor she knew from her time in Hollywood will also be taking part in the production as a guest artist. Lombardi proceeds to annoy everyone involved with the production. When he collapses and dies on stage, after drinking from a glass Laura handed him, she becomes the chief suspect in his murder. Charlie knows his daughter is innocent, and he's not going to let anyone railroad his little girl. So, despite his intentions to put his amateur sleuthing days behind him, Charlie has to find the killer with Diesel's help.

Thank you @netgalley for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Careless Whiskers is book 12 in the Cat in the Stacks cozy mystery series. Release date is set for 1.21.20.

Charlie is definitely not going to sit by quietly when his daughter becomes involved in a suspicious death. Laura and her husband are hard at work on directing and staring in a play. When a well known, pompous, actor joins the cast as a lead role, you know drama will surely follow. Pranks begin occurring on set until one day, the actions are taken too far and the actor is killed very shockingly during the productions. Charlie must sort through the numerous clues, help identify who the real playwright is and clear his daughter’s innocence all while keeping out of the way of the detective.

I’m new to this series, having only read The Pawful Truth earlier this summer. I rarely jump in reading the latest books, but I’ve had no problem distinguishing the character and following along with their storylines. It’s clear that Diesel, the cat, is by far the star of this series. His antics make me smile each and every time he appears in a scene. I’m quite fond of Charlie too. As I’ve stated before, I don’t typically read books where the protagonist is a mature, male sleuth, but I really love his perspective. His actions and responses show his wise experience. I love how he dotes on his family and friends. He did seem to doze off a lot throughout this story though, lol.

The chapters are fairly short and the storyline was very engaging. There were definitely a lot of characters involved so the reader really had to pay close attention to everyone - especially when several were going by the same identity. It was enough to keep me guessing because I didn’t figure out the culprit until close to the end.

Talk about a sweet ending too!!! Can’t wait to see how the characters will handle these new, exciting changes as the series progresses.

We always buy Miranda James for our library. Great mysteries with wonderful characters. Purrfect for cozy book lovers.

There is nothing like family and Charlie Harris and his daughter find themselves plunged into another mystery on the Athena college campus. Their sleuthing at the production of a new play bring all the characters together again, including Diesel, Charlie's Maine Coon Cat. Lots of fun and a surprise ending.