Miranda James continues her Cat in the Stacks series with Requiem for a Mouse. Librarian Charlie Harris and his cat Diesel get involved in murder by car of his temporary library helper. The story involves multiple identities of the victim and of her sister; money was embezzled and gone missing. Maybe a Swiss bank account. Clues left in library books. The case entangles Charlie and his fiancee in the story. Will they solve the murder?
Competent but not the best of the series.

Dollycas's Thoughts

Charlie and Helen Louise's wedding day is getting close. As they work on all the final details Charlie receives a large collection of books to catalog at the archive. He is happy to have an assistant to help him but Tara Martin is an odd duck, shy, quiet, and standoffish. She also has taken a part-time job working at Helen Louise's restaurant. Then one day Charlie sees a whole new side of the young woman when she steps out of the office to take a phone call. She yells at whoever she is talking to and throws and breaks her phone. Helen Louise's restaurant was catering Charlie's son Sean's new home and Tara was working the party, but she suddenly left looking scared of something or someone. Charlie finds her and she feigns a panic attack.

Later Tara is the victim of a hit and run or was it a deliberate attack? Charlie knows now someone was after her. Someone at Sean's party? Soon he and his handsome feline, Diesel are finding clues that make him delve deeper into Tara's past with surprising results. Working closely with the police he strives to get justice for his former assistant.

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Some of my favorite cozy mystery characters are Charlie, Diesel, and all the folks in their world. I love catching up on what is going on with all of them and am delighted that we are getting close to Charlie and Helen Louise's wedding. After 16 stories these characters are like old friends and I get a comfortable feeling from the moment I start to read.

In Requiem for a Mouse, Charlie wants to stay out of the investigation but he keeps finding clues in his office and suspects keep stopping by. Melba Gilley, his longtime friend and co-worker does her best to run interference or alert the authorities as needed. Helen Louise also had an interesting visitor at her restaurant. Sheriff's deputy and Charlie's friend and boarder Haskell makes several trips to the archive to pick up Charlie's finds and getting statements regarding those finds. They also have some kitchen table discussions with Haskell's life partner Stewart and their housekeeper Azalea, who happens to be Sheriff Kanesha Berry's mother. I love how everyone gets in on the investigation including Diesel with his well-placed chirps and reactions to the strangers he meets. Everyone connected to the case seemed to have an alias and secrets. I always have a great time following all the clues and interactions. This time I had part of the puzzle figured out and loved the surprise ending when most of the clues fell into place.

I enjoy that the author blends normal everyday happenings in the characters' lives seamlessly with the things to move the mystery along. The story has a nice flow but there are some repetitions to get all the information to the key players.

Requiem for a Mouse is a captivating addition to this long-running series. I look forward to the big event in Book 17 and Charlie and Helen Louise's exciting adventure. They have to take Diesel with them, right? It should be a blast.

"Librarian Charlie Harris and his ever-intuitive feline friend Diesel must catch a killer in a deadly game of cat and mouse where no one is who they seem to be..."
This is a good mystery. I liked the concept but had problems getting into it at times. I received this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book.

Requiem For A Mouse is the sixteenth book in the A Cat In The Stacks Mystery series by Miranda James.

It’s always a joy to visit Charlie, Diesel, his Maine Coon cat, and Charlie’s friends and family.

Athena College recently acquired an extensive collection of books for Charlie to catalog. Tara Martin has been hired to help Charlie catalog the collection. Tara is a young lady who could be more talkative. In fact, at times, she can be rude. But her work is excellent, so Charlie accepts her shortcomings. Tara also works part-time at Helen’s, Charlie’s fiance, bistro.

Sean, Charlie’s son, is having a housewarming party after having the family's old farmhouse renovated. Helen’s bistro will cater the party, and Tara will work there. Things are going well until Tara gets a panicked look on her face and takes off at a run. Charlie heads outside to look for Tara, and after a while, he finds her hiding in the root cellar. Tara tells Charlie that she had a panic attack but offers no explanation as to what caused the attack. A couple of days later, she fails to report for work and is notified by the police that she was killed in a hit-and-run accident.

Charlie will ask Melba, a library employee, to help him look into Tara's death.

This book is well-written and plotted and tells an exciting story. The characters are well-developed, engaging, and believable. Once again, Diesel will help Charlie solve the mystery.

I’m looking forward to the next book in this exciting series.

Charlie Harris’ life is about to change for the better as his wedding to his longtime girlfriend Helen Louise is right around the corner. His faithful feline companion, Diesel, is right by his side. With the wedding so close, Charlie promises his family he will stay out of any mystery investigations and simply do his job as a librarian.

Of course, things don't always go as planned. Charlie’s new assistant, Tara Martin, is very strange and quiet. She even attends a party at Charlie’s son’s house, but she leaves after having a sudden panic attack. Charlie worries about his assistant and wonders if there is something going on that he should know about.

When Tara doesn’t show up for work and is the victim of a hit-and-run accident, Charlie is on the case. He and Diesel plan to get to the bottom of this and find out who would do something so awful to Tara.

This is the 16th book in the Cat in the Stacks series. I’ve been reading this series for years. There are a few I missed along the way, but I plan to catch up. As a cat lover, this is high on my list of favorite cozy mysteries. Diesel, of course, is my favorite character and as much a part of the story as any of the humans - even if he doesn’t speak. He does manage to get his point across.

The story is fast paced. The ending was a surprise to me. I could not put this book down. I was reading late into the night.

Although this is a continuing series, the mystery is solved in this book. It can be read as a standalone, but I think the true fun is starting this series from the first book and getting to know the characters. It’s a total joy for me to watch Charlie’s growth as a character and a family man. I feel as if I’m part of the family, too. It’s very much like visiting old friends with this book.

I’m looking forward to the next one. I’m hoping Charlie and Helen Louise will finally tie the knot.








FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Enjoyed meeting up with Diesel and the gang. I love the characters and the town and is a place I'd like to visit. I sort of figured out who did it, but not the why.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review

After the Athena College receives a large collection of rare books, Charlie Harris hires an assistant to help him catalogue them in a timely manner. Tara Martin keeps to herself; in fact, she’s almost antisocial. Charlie begins to think there is something more to it after she ducks out of a party with hardly any excuse. Then someone runs her down. Can Charlie figure out what is going on?

The plot of this book is fine. Charlie’s investigation makes since given his job at the college archives, and he keeps encountering the suspects and gaining more insight from them. One thing was left dangling from an otherwise logical climax. However, there are several things that needed a good edit to resolve, including timeline issues among others. The saving grace is the characters. All the regulars, both human and animal, are present and their normal charming shelves. I do enjoy spending time with them. Fans will feel the same way, but if you are new to the series, don’t jump in here.

Life is good for Charlie. His wedding date is fast approaching , his children and grandchildren are thriving and his work in the archives of the local college library is fulfilling. The only fly in the ointment is his new part-time assistant, Tara. While Tara is an excellent worker her social skills seem non-existent. She speaks to Charlie only when absolutely necessary and her personal interaction border on rude. She also works part-time at Helen Louise's bistro and exhibits the same behavior there. While helping at a catered event Tara suddenly flees the room and .is later found by Charlie. Her excuse is a panic attack. When she's the victim of a deadly attack Charlie realizes how frightened she was - but of what? That's a job for the police but Charlie's inquisitive mind wonders what she was so afraid of and why. He knows attempting to solve the murder won't set well with the local detective so he keeps a low profile while subtly exploring possible clues.
This is number 16 in the Cat In the Stacks mystery series and it's one of the best . The familiar characters are still part of Charlie's life ; his housekeeper, Azalea is cooking delicious meals and wedding excitement is building. Yet the side stories never overpower the mystery that moves along at a fast pace and kept me turning the pages late into the night.
On a side note, I read lots of cozies that feature older protagonists and I've noticed recently that there's a tendency to mention the frequency of their visits to the toilet. While that may be a reality for older adults , I find it annoying. It adds nothing to the story or to the characters. I hope the trend passes(no pun intended)quickly.
Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC.

I feel like it's been awhile since I checked in with Charlie and Diesel so I was so excited to catch up with all the fun characters that inhabit the world of Athena, Mississippi (which I'm pretty sure is loosely based on Oxford, MS - home of Ol' Miss). Ramses, the younger much more mischievous cat, is in fine form terrorzing toddlers and providing some comic relief when he appears on the page.

The mystery is one of my favorite kinds of mysteries. Yes, Charlie and crew are investigating who would have wanted Tara dead but they're also investigating Tara. Who is she and what is she hiding? In the time that they've known Tara she's been a closed book and to figure out who wants to hurt her they have to figure out who she is. I love digging into the past and once the mystery got going I was hooked. There is a bit of a slower start and the mystery is definitely a "slice of life" so there's lots of talk about food, what the cats are up to and Charlie's day. This could feel a little frustrating for new readers but if you're a fan of the series it feels like catching up with friends.

If you're looking for a cozy relaxing bookish series with cats this is a fun series to try!

I began reading Miranda James' cozy mysteries a few years ago and have enjoyed getting to know Charlie, Diesel, Stewart and all of the other wonderful characters as the stories progress over the years. I appreciate that the characters are decent human beings and they all look after each other. I will say, however, that in this particular book I was disappointed in how much time the main characters spent gossiping rather harshly about Tara before she was murdered. I get that she was standoffish but wow, they seemed really mean about it. That said, as usual, this was a fun little mystery to read and I enjoyed the story. Melba is my favorite character, she's the only one with any common sense. I would love to see a spin-off book series about her.

Princess Fuzzypants here: I love Diesel and look forward to each and every book in this series. It has been fun watching Charlie and his family evolve both the family related to him and his family of friends. His wedding is coming up fast and his son, daughter in law and granddaughter have moved into the renovated farm house he inherited. Things are looking good. He even has an assistant helping him catalogue a new bequest to the library. Tara is, to put it mildly, an odd fish. Her behaviour screams of social ineptitude and she rejects any attempts at interaction but she does the job well.

She also works at the bistro who are catering the housewarming party. That is until she spies someone and beats a fast retreat out of the house. Charlie finds her cowering in the root cellar and takes her home. Or so he thinks. After she is killed in an intentional hit and run, the gang learn that nothing she told them was the truth and she is involved in some very shady dealings. As they try to learn more about Tara and the situation that got her killed, they meet new people who may or may not be involved. The problem is everyone is claiming to be someone else. It is a cat and mouse game but then that is something at which we Maine Coons excel. Trust Diesel to suss out the bad guys.

The mystery had lots of twists and turns but it is always the relationship between the characters that brings me back to this series time and again. I look forward to the next one. Five purrs and two paws up.

Another solid entry in this well crafted series! This time librarian and archivist Charlie Harris and his Maine coon cat Diesel are trying to solve the hit and run murder of a mysterious young woman who had been working not only with Charlie but also with his fiance Helen Louise at her Bistro.

Calling herself Tara Martin, the young woman is close-mouthed and not easy to work with, and, as it turns out, is on the run prior to meeting her demise. Charlie discovers that Tara has left behind clues to her identity and reasons for being in hiding in volumes in the rare book archive.

As always, the Cat in the Stacks family of supporting characters is on hand for this visit and experiencing major life events, including Charlie's upcoming wedding to Helen Louise--all in all, a pleasant visit with likable characters.

The mystery unravels itself as clues unfold in a steady and, for a cozy, realistic fashion--a hallmark of this series that also eschews violence. Book and library nerds will be in their element.

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

As usual Miranda James nails it with an unusual approach in her latest Cat in the Stacks Mystery. Please see my complete review at www.reviewingtheevidence.com.

Every opportunity I get to read a Cat in the Stacks novel is a real treat. I love getting back into the world of Charlie and Diesel. This installment was fun and fast-paced.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-copy.

3.75 stars

This is a gentle and appealing cozy series featuring semi-retired librarian Charlie and his Maine coon cat Diesel and an assorted cast. Set in a small southern town, Charlie's girlfriend, grown kids, housekeeper, boarders, and co-workers are part of the appeal.

Charlie has a new archive assistant and can't figure her out. She has no social skills, is brusque and secretive and sometimes enraged. Before he can find out what her problem is, she is run down in a hit and run. There are a couple other shady and suspicious characters around town and it seems this is all linked. But when the young woman dies, they can't even come up with an identity as she used fake names and addresses.

Charlie is less aggressive than usual in pursuing this mystery, maybe because his son doesn't like him putting himself in danger and maybe because Charlie's wedding to Helen is mere weeks away. But we enjoy watching him puzzle things out and the interaction among the familiar and appealing cast of characters. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I enjoyed this book more than the previous one. Charlie doesn’t take as many chances with his life as in some of the others in the series.
It has an interesting plot with suspects showing up at various parts. The big plot twist was a total surprise. I read it pretty quickly.

I do love Diesel. He is a fascinating creature. The title was a bit confusing, but this was a wonderful addition to the series.

A sister seeks refuge in her hometown when an embezzlement scheme turns south.

Charlie Harris is an archivist and rare cataloger. He hires Tara who is a hard worker with a less than desirable personality. Tara works with Charles fiancé and assists with a housewarming event. The event draws many people, one of whom sends Tara into panic mode. Charlie finds a code after Tara's death, leading to the unraveling of a double life.

I highly recommend this book.

I like this series, but some of the internal dialogue of the main character is strange and unnecessary. I feel like he's telling the reader too much of his actions and thoughts. I did enjoy the mystery and thought there was enough going on to keep it interesting.

Charlie Harris has a new assistant. Tara Martin is kind of rude and more than a little anti-social, but she's a good worker and Charlie is willing to overlook her odd behavior as long as she continues to do good work at the archives for him and at the bistro for Helen Louise. But when a catering job goes wrong and Tara is subsequently found murdered, Charlie decides to dig a little deeper into who Tara Martin really is.

This series hit a bit of a funk a few books ago but it is going strong again! I love Diesel and though I'm still not super crazy about the rascally Ramses, he is growing on me. Charlie and Helen Louise are sometimes a bit sickeningly sweet but I know a few couples who are exactly like that, it's adorable. The investigation in this book focuses mainly on the archives and I thought that was interesting. We do finally get to see the fully remodeled Harris family farmhouse but apart from that Charlie sticks close to home.

The ending was a bit disappointing at first read, but when I thought more about it I realized that it relates back to Agatha Christie, which Charlie reads in this book. So though it might have been a bit of a let down when viewed as a regular, current-day cozy, it's actually kind of perfect considering the references made in the book.

This series is a classic and a must read for cozy fans.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.