Another great Charlie and Diesel story. In this one they are part of a group that goes to Asheville, NC. A tour of the Biltmore Estate is described and it made me want to visit it.
The story has a few interesting twists. The ending was satisfying but a little sad.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

The wonderful Ducote sisters have planned a bookish vacay to Asheville, North Carolina for the Athena Public Library’s Mystery Readers Book Club to discuss Golden Age Mysteries. They are staying at the Hindman Hotel and because the sisters know the owners they have taken over the hotel and Charlie has been given permission for Diesel to tag along. They plan to see some local sights including the Biltmore Estate and each member will give a talk about their favorite Golden Age authors. In addition to the sisters, their ward Benjy, Charlie and Diesel, Charlie’s lady love Helen Louise, Ellie Arnold, Zac Ryan, Johnny Ray Floyd, Burdine, and Elmore Gregory, Melba and her beau Paul Brown, and Celia Bernardia have all arrived for the event. Denis Kilbride later crashes their party claiming to be Ellie’s fiancee. She is just a surprised as the rest of the group. It isn’t long before Denis is dead and Ellie seems to be the only one with a connection to the man. Charlie thinks there is more to the story so he, Helen Louise, Diesel, and Miss An’gel start investigating on their own.

I have enjoyed this series from the start and Diesel is my favorite literary animal. I enjoy the stories even more Miss An’gel and Miss Dickce Ducote make an appearance. This time a narcoleptic maid shakes things up when Charlie and Helen Louise think they have found yet another dead body. Thankfully she wakes up and walks away . . . at least this time. All the supporting characters are cleverly crafted and knowing one of them may be a killer keeps everyone on their toes.

Taking the characters on the road to a special place like Asheville was a great twist even though most of the time was spent at the hotel. I did enjoy the visit to the Biltmore Estate but it would take days to see everything the place has to offer. It is a place I would love to visit.

The mystery was more complicated than I thought it would be. We needed to do a deeper dive into the book club members’ backgrounds to open up the pool of suspects and things were made more difficult because the local police were not as forthcoming with information as Kanesha is back at home. I applaud the author for taking on some lifestyle topics within the mystery. There were also some corkscrew twists and misdirections that really blew each theory I had out of the water so I was totally surprised at the end.

I really enjoyed this story. This is one of the books that came out during my cancer treatments and I am mad at myself for not reading it sooner. I am excited about the next book in the series, What the Cat Dragged In. Its release date is August 31 and it is prominently noted on my reading calendar so I will read it right away.

Cat Me If You Can has everything I look for in a cozy mystery and I am truly invested in these fabulous characters. You really can’t go wrong with anything written by Miranda James.

Murder and cats and suspects aplenty! This series is one of my coziest comfort zones. I don't know if it's the levelheadedness of Charlie or the constant companionship of Diesel. But I do know that when I dove into this story it was enjoyable and fast paced enough to stay intriguing the whole time. I had no idea what was going to happen next and I was very surprised by the ending. The characters are well described and I got a pretty good feel for all the suspects and the victim. I loved the travel theme included in this story and am now tempted to go see the Biltmore Estate myself one day. We also got to see more of Helen Louise, whom I really adore. All in all a very enjoyable cozy mystery.

This is one of my favorite cozy series. This is book 13 in the Cat in the Stacks and it's another great addition. Set in Asheville, NC the book club with all your favorites present are having a weekend getaway to discuss their favorite authors. Charlie, Helen Louise and Diesel their Maine Coon cat are enjoying the stay until one of the groups boyfriend is murdered at their small hotel. The Ducote sisters want Charlie to help solve the crime so they can get on with the gathering. A good mystery to solve and good catch up with all the previous characters. Can be read as a stand alone but having the background of the characters helps keep things clear. Looking forward to 14. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Charlie, Helen Louise, and Diesel are on their way to Ashville, North Carolina, to meet the Ducote sisters and the rest of their book club members for a week long discussion of favorite authors. The Ducote sisters reserved every room in the hotel for the group.

The first thing amiss is finding what looks to be a dead woman on the couch in their suite. It turns out to be, Cora, the maid, who says has narcolepsy. If she sits down, she falls asleep. Several guests are shocked to find her reclining in their rooms. Charlie’s relieved to find out she’s fine if a bit silly.

Ellie is one of the members. When her boyfriend, ex, she says, fiancé he says, shows up uninvited, he causes a scene. At the request of the Ducote sisters, he’s allowed to stay if he behaves. However, his body is found the next morning, in his room.

Charlie has helped solve murders a few times, but he’s at a disadvantage in Ashville. He doesn’t know anyone, has no rapport with the police, and realizes, this is close to a locked room, Agatha Christie style murder. In a hotel with no outside guests, the killer is among them.

The group is a mix of ages, marrieds and singles. The Ducote sisters are older, wealthy, and a force to be reckoned with. They’re traveling with their ward, Benjy. Zac is young, rather arrogant, and good looking. Paul Bowen is Melba’s date for the event. He’s few years younger than she is but doesn’t seem to notice. She seems smitten. Johnny Ray Floyd with his family, Ellen, Burdine and Elmore, and Celia round out the group.

When a second body is found, Charlie and Helen Louise are determined to help find the killer before another murder happens.

This is book thirteen in the popular series. Diesel, a Maine Coon cat, steals every scene he’s in, as it should be. Charlie and Helen Louise are a delight as an older couple who are deeply in love. This time Charlie has to solve the murders with only the help of Helen Louise and the Ducote sisters, no help from convenient gossip. His main problem is he likes the members of the group and has a hard time picturing who among them is a killer.

Another enjoyable addition to the series, this story is slightly different than usual in that the setting is away from Charlie’s hometown, adding an extra layer of suspense. Warning first time readers—you’ll fall in love with Diesel…oh yeah, and all those people with him, too.

4 stars=Great, might re-read
I enjoyed the fresh setting for this story. There are tons of scenes with Diesel, which is always fun. I missed some of the usual characters, but overall this was a nice, fresh outing for the main characters. The mystery was twisty and kept me guessing to the absolute last moment where everything was laid out. I was disappointed that there wasn't more content on the mystery retreat which was the reason for the change of scene. There was one "session" for the retreat before the deaths derailed things, and I loved it. I would have liked more of that content on the Golden Age of mysteries. Overall, I enjoyed this latest addition to the series.

A 36-pound Maine coon cat and its inquisitive owner take a classic approach to crime-solving in “Cat Me if You Can,” the latest novel by Miranda James. It is the 13th installment in the New York Times best-selling author’s “Cat in the Stacks” series.

Miranda James is the pseudonym of Dean James, a seventh-generation Mississippian who returned to his home state after 30 years in Texas, according to his website (catinthstacks.com). Whether writing under a pen name or his own, James has fans eager for mystery and suspense with down-home heart and humor.

Charlie Harris is a librarian at a small college in fictional Athena, Miss. The widower is passionate about his family and friends, justice for all, fiancé Helen Louise Brady, and an arrogant cat named Diesel. The cat goes everywhere with Charlie, including a boutique hotel in Asheville, NC., where Charlie and Helen Louise are spending a week with a group of fellow classic mystery novel lovers and patrons of the Athena public library. They all plan to tour the local sites in addition to discussing their favorite authors and characters.

The Athena mystery lover and his cat soon are caught up in their latest adventure, even though Charlie has again promised Helen Louise to stay clear of crimes. With Diesel in tow on a leash, the couple and their friends visit Biltmore Estate the morning after an evening book circle. It was an eventful night – an uninvited guest intruded on the group’s “Golden Age” of mysteries talk, harassed a member, and got knocked down by another. They all hoped the Biltmore excursion would be a nice distraction.

Charlie and Diesel again walk into a crime scene. The arrogant man is now a dead man in his hotel room. The body count begins to mount when a maid known for falling asleep on the job is found dead. A group member soon is headed to the hospital after possible poisoning. Only one member of their group seems to have a grudge against the man, but as Charlie and the detecting Ducote sisters (senior sleuths also in James’ Southern Ladies series), a good whodunit always has unexpected twists. The cozy murder novel also includes discussions about several sensitive subjects, but they are handled with respect.

James keeps readers entertained with an easy-flowing dialogue and well-developed characters. Readers can identify with the southern cast and settings. As befitting a well-educated character, Charlie has a way with words and literary references. Recurring characters and developing relationships between humans and pets bring home the small-town feel of neighbors and family dinners. Diesel is front and center as always, complete with trills, warbles, and furry arrogance.

And although this novel is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone with easy-to-follow throwbacks to earlier stories. The series began with “Murder Past Due” in 2010, and a new novel has been released each year since then.

This is one of the coziest of cozy series. I love Charlie and the Ducote sisters and all the other quirky residents of Athena, Mississippi. And of course Diesel is my favorite. If Diesel was a real cat I'd be seriously tempted to catnap him and I've never considered myself a cat person! In this book Charlie and a few friends (and Diesel of course) take a roadtrip to Asheville, NC. While I missed the characters who weren't along for the ride it was fun for a vacation type mystery. Even better Asheville is a place I've really enjoyed and would love to go back and visit so I thoroughly enjoyed their visit to the Biltmore and just their time around Asheville. I also loved all the bookish talk - especially since it involved classic mystery authors.

This was a really fun locked door mystery. There's something extra fun about a murder in an inn - it's got a nice Murder, She Wrote vibe but in this rendition involves a fabulous cat, a librarian with a wry sense of humor and his practical and kind fiance. The mystery didn't exactly have me guessing but I did enjoy the ride and watching how everything unraveled. This wasn't my favorite in the series but it was a thoroughly enjoyable read and was a nice escape.

This is my second cozy mystery this month where a significant part of the plot wraps itself around a literary genre and runs away with it. Earlier this month, Peachy Scream was set at a Shakespeare festival, involved a troupe of actors, and used Shakespearean plot devices in both the crime and especially its solution.

Cat Me If You Can is set at an extra-special meeting of the Athena Mystery Book Club, one where the Ducote sisters, Miss An’gel and Miss Dickce, take the entire club on a trip from Athena Mississippi to Asheville North Carolina, to a historic Bed and Breakfast near the famous Biltmore Estate, to get to know each other better, discuss their favorite Golden Age mystery writers, and get an insider tour of Biltmore.

But in the middle of this private little mystery convention, murder breaks out. When the ex-lover of not one but two members of the mystery club is murdered in the B&B, followed by the murder of one of the B&B’s staff, the mystery lovers are confined to the city by the local police.

It feels like they have found themselves in the middle of one of those Golden Age mysteries, and they’re all a bit worried that it might turn out to be Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. Not a comfortable prospect for any mystery fan – or possibly any guest of the inn.

But Charlie Harris, professional librarian and very amateur sleuth, is in the midst of the action – as usual. And on the case, also as usual. But in this city far away from his usual haunts, it takes the assistance of both the formidable Miss An’gel and the surprise appearance of Chief Deputy Kanesha Berry straight from the Athens PD to keep Charlie out of the official soup and on the track of the killer.

Escape Rating B+: This series is a comfort read for me, and I was VERY comfortable reading this book. The cat on my lap was even apropos to the story!

But seriously, this is a series to read because you want to find out what’s up with the cast of characters – especially Diesel – and want to see what they’re up to since last you met. That was certainly true for me with Cat Me If You Can as it brought me up to date with all of the recent goings on in Athena. (If the sound of the series appeals, start with Murder Past Due. You don’t have to read them all to get into this one, but you do need to have read some in order to care enough about the characters for this latest entry to truly appeal.)

It also, at least temporarily, dealt with one of the major issues in ongoing, small town cozy mystery series. No one in their right mind would move to Athena, as the homicide rate must be well above the national average. In a small town like this one, that would have to be noticed.

I loved the shout-out to Cabot Cove and another series of small town mysteries that stretched this particular point of credulity. Charlie Harris and Jessica Fletcher of Murder, She Wrote would have a lot to talk about – including any possible stratagems for keeping their fellow townsfolk alive!

It was good to see Charlie – and the Ducote sisters, who also solve mysteries in the author’s Southern Ladies series – get away from their usual haunts while still bringing murder along for the ride.

It was also great fun to see the way that the group’s increasing confinement to their hotel began to resemble one of those cozy, small town Golden Age mysteries that they had come to discuss. A case of art imitating life imitating art – or something like that.

And while it was lovely to see Charlie and Helen Louise finally talking about getting married – I was a bit surprised that they didn’t just elope while in Asheville – it did strain credulity a bit that Charlie brought Diesel to Asheville.

Admittedly, I love the series FOR Diesel, but the logistics of dealing with a cat, even one as well-behaved as Diesel, often seemed intrusive. Although it was even more of a stretch when Athena’s Chief Deputy Kanesha Berry showed up. The point of getting the protagonist detective, whether amateur or professional, away from home in most stories is to take them out of their setting and away from their usual support group.

That the small, understaffed Athena Police Department was willing to second their only homicide detective to Asheville – a bigger city with more resources – was either a testament to the power of Miss An’gel Ducote, a bit too much of a stretch for the long arm of coincidence, or more than a bit of both.

The best part of this one wasn’t the mystery or its solution, but the book discussions that managed to take place between bodies, interviews, gossip and speculation. That part of the story was both a mystery reader’s and a librarian’s dream. I was particularly gratified to see a shout-out to two of my old favorites, Josephine Tey’s marvelous The Daughter of Time and it’s slightly more recent (1974 vs 1951) counterpoint, Elizabeth Peters’ The Murders of Richard III.

This is a book where I came for the comfort read. Conversely, I found the story even cozier than usual because they were able to travel where real life is still in the situation where it is just not advisable. I’m always happy to see how Diesel is doing, even if he was uncomfortable during a lot of this story and probably shouldn’t have been along for this ride. I wish there had been more of the book discussions, but that might not be most readers’ cup of tea.

And I’ll be looking forward, as always, to my next visit with Diesel and his human, in What the Cat Dragged In, just in time for my 10th Blogoversary next April!

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

It was pure delight to join Charlie, his fiancée Helen Louise, and his beloved Maine Coon cat companion, Diesel, on their bookish trip to Asheville, NC! The Ducote sisters, An’gel and Dickce, set up the Athena Public Library mystery club members for this week away to get to know each other better in a relaxed setting and discuss the Golden Age of mysteries. The sisters reserved the Hindman Hotel, from where they also hope to see some tourist attractions, including the Biltmore. An’gel ensured that Charlie could bring Diesel, as he rarely goes anywhere without him. The mystery kept me guessing and is, as are the other novels in the series, is written with excellence.

Charlie Harris, whose career has spanned years in a public library in Houston and now in his hometown of Athena, Mississippi at Athena College, is a wordsmith, expert now as an archivist and rare book cataloger. He also loves mysteries and has often been involved with helping solve murders in Athena. Well, with the help of Diesel, a fine, handsome Maine Coon, who walks on a leash while wearing a harness. He and Helen Louise are a perfect match in many ways. She doesn’t like Charlie risking his safety when looking at potential murder suspects, yet she isn’t going to stop him. She loves Diesel almost as much as Charlie does, and Diesel clearly adores her.

When they are leaving for dinner, they see Denis trying to check in, the guy that one of the club members, Ellie, is dating. He claims that he is her fiancé, which is news to Charlie and Helen Louise. After dinner, Denis came in the meeting and threatened Zac, a younger man who has been a member of the group for a short time. Zac returned the threat, another man punched Denis, then Ellie led Denis away. The next morning, Cora, one of the housekeepers, found Denis dead in his room. The group is shocked, and assume that even though he is relatively young, he has health concerns that may have caused his death. After all, they couldn’t be out of town for the week only to have someone be murdered at the hotel!

Or could they? Stranger things have happened and still do. The next morning, Cora, the housekeeper, is found dead in their meeting room by Charlie and Helen Louise. Cora was murdered, stabbed in the heart with a valuable hatpin that she claimed to have lost the day before. Later, they learn that Denis was murdered. This week is not simply about the Golden Age of mysteries. The group gathered seem to be living some of the primary elements common to mysteries written in the Golden Age.

The author gifts us with a unique gathering of engaging friends and mystery lovers! Each are defined as necessary according to their roles. Helen Louise and Charlie are perfect for each other; it will be fun to watch them going forward with their lives together. Since we aren’t in Athena this time, we don’t see Charlie’s adult children, but part of Athena is there in person with Diesel and the couple.

This novel could be read as a standalone, as the author gives sufficient background. However, one will probably enjoy this so much that going back to read the earlier mysteries will follow; I have appreciated this series for several years. Plot twists and turns kept me on my toes, and I was unable to figure out who the real culprit could be. I was quite surprised with the resolution, and very satisfied with it, regretting only that it will be a while before the next one is released! I highly recommend Cat Me If You Can!

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review as part of their ongoing blog tour*

Charlie, his fiance Helen Louise, Diesel (the cat) and the other members of the mystery readers club from the Athena Public Library are headed to Asheville, North Carolina for a week long retreat. On the itinerary is a group discussion of their favorite mysteries from the golden age as well as a tour of the Biltmore estate. Not on the agenda is murder however wherever Charlie and Diesel go, murder is soon to follow. When an uninvited guest crashes the group's discussion on mysteries from the golden age, tensions rise and a few altercations take place. When the same individual is found murdered in his hotel room, Charlie conducts an investigation with some help from unexpected sources. When a second murder occurs and a third is attempted, Charlie and the gang kick their investigation into high gear before the body count rises farther.
Cat Me If You Can is the thirteenth in the southern cozy mystery series featuring college librarian Charlie and his sassy Maine Coon sidekick Diesel. Their newest adventure takes place away from Athena in scenic Asheville, North Carolina, with a visit to the gorgeous and historic Biltmore estate, adding a nice change of pace to the series. The mystery was well paced with plenty of clues and suspects to sort through right alongside our amateur detective. Mystery lovers will delight in the fascinating discussion centered around mysteries of the golden age, providing many new and rediscovered authors for their reading lists. I highly recommend Cat Me If You Can along with the rest of the books in this charming series.

Cat Me If You Can by Miranda James is the 13th A Cat in the Stacks Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to this feline cozy mystery series. I thought Cat Me If You Can was well-written with developed characters. Charlie Harris and Diesel are back. They are heading out of town with Helen Louise Brady, Charlie’s fiancé, for Asheville, North Carolina. A chance for their mystery’s reader club from the Athena Public Library to get to know each other and talk about their favorite mystery authors. The group also gets a private tour of the Biltmore Estate and a chance to visit other sites in Asheville. Their plans are soon derailed when an uninvited guest is murdered. Charlie along with Miss An’gel do a little investigating on their own. Of course, Diesel gets in on the action. They learn some surprising information and uncover a clue or two. Then comes the reveal reminiscent of Mrs. Fletcher. There are multiple suspects, good clues, and misdirection. I enjoyed solving this whodunit. It was a nice change of pace for the story to take place outside Athena. It gives Charlie and Helen Louise some alone time which they rarely get back home. I enjoyed the groups discussion on the Golden Age of mysteries. I wrote down several authors that I am looking forward to exploring. Diesel was his usual adorable self with his cute little trills and chirps. Miranda James has created a great cast of characters for this series. They are likeable and relatable. There were some discussions along with attitudes about a sensitive subject that were realistic (I could imagine similar thoughts and actions happening around the world). I enjoyed the humor scattered throughout the book. Cat Me If You Can was an entertaining cozy mystery and I cannot wait to read What the Cat Dragged In next spring. Cat Me If You Can is a charming tale with the beautiful Biltmore, a Golden Age gumshoe expose, mystery meetings, a sleepy servant, a painful pin, and the darling Diesel.

Charlie Harris, his fiancée, and his cat, Diesel, are heading to Asheville, North Carolina for a week of tourism and talking about favorite mystery authors with the members of the Athena Public Library mystery group. Unfortunately, an outside member has crashed the trip and picks a fight with several members. When he turns up dead the next morning, Charlie feels the obvious suspect couldn’t have done it. Can he figure out what really happened?

Pulling off a vacation mystery in a series can be tricky. In this case, it works well since we have several of the supporting players on the trip and we get updates from some of the others. Of course, the series really belongs to Charlie and Diesel, and we get plenty of both, but I was happy to see more of Helen Louise than usual, and I enjoyed spending time with the other regulars on the trip. Unfortunately, some of the suspects could have been stronger, but that didn’t stop me from getting involved in the mystery. As usual, the tension is high and the twists are plentiful. While the climax does answer all our questions, I felt a few lines made it more preachy than it needed to be. Still, this is a strong book that fans of the series will find hard to put down.

A great addition to the adventures of Charlie and Diesel. It's nice to see them in a new setting and yet among old friends. A lovely mystery that comes to a nice conclusion.

A delightful cozy mystery that pays homage to the golden age of mysteries. The thirteenth book in the series and readers will enjoy spending time with Charlie and his friends, but will especially enjoy curling up with Diesel the cat who cracks the case wide open.

Cat Me If You Can, the latest in the Cat in the Stacks mystery series, goes on the road--to Asheville, North Carolina, where Charlie and Diesel get caught up in yet another whodunnit. The main suspects largely stem from their own mystery lovers reader's group so there's an extra sense of trying to find the right killer and achieve justice. The series typically takes place in Athena, Mississippi, so the different setting is a nice change of pace. This is one of the few long-running cozy series that also has its characters evolve over time and expand the story-verse. However! new readers will find that they can easily get up to speed and enjoy the book as a standalone.

This was a quick read and I'm glad to see that Charlie isn't as focus as he was about leaving Diesel alone. I liked the setting and the mystery was pretty good. I felt the subject matter (mom not being okay with son being gay) was appropriate with current events. I look forward to the next Charlie/Diesel story!

This is the 13th book in the Cat in the Stacks mysteries, I have not read any of the books in this series before. What drew me to this book was that the Ducote sisters were featured in it. As i mentioned I have not read this series but I have read and enjoyed Miranda James' other series Southern Ladies mysteries with the Ducote sisters as the sleuths.
I think that this book works well as a standalone. I appreciated all of the nods to the Golden Age of mystery. There was a lot of heart and humor in this book. Miranda James did a great job with the characters and Diesel maybe my new favorite animal companion.

Cat Me If You Can by Miranda James. Although Diesel has ventured out the stacks in his 13th book for a bookish holiday with the Athena Library Book club to Asheville, NC, he and Charlie discover murder does not take a holiday. Another delightful cozy mystery, it does touch on an alternative life style that may be controversial to some.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

This is the latest in a long and wonderful series featuring librarian/ book lover Charlie Harris along with his special Maine Coon cat Diesel. Invited by the Decote sisters, Charlie is driving to Asheville with new fiancée Helen Brady, because they’re spending the week in a hotel to participate in a mystery readers club. Of course there’s a murder which they all band together to solve, with enough twists and turns to keep a reader happy. A solid addition to the series which never grows old.