From Publishers Weekly
Annabel Hinchly-Smythe, who makes a living selling hot items to gossip columns, is worrying about money during a particularly dry social season when a chance encounter with wealthy computer magnate Arthur Arbuthnot leads to the promise of a lucrative job. Arbuthnot, mistaking Annabel's profession, wants her to redecorate his dreary flat, and Annabel, though more accustomed to collecting tidbits of scandal than swatches of fabric, decides to give it a go. Meeting the ghastly assortment of staff and family surrounding Arbuthnot, Annabel observes that only the tycoon's cat, Sally, seems genuinely fond of him. When Arbuthnot meets an apparently accidental death, it looks as if Annabel will have to go back to the columns. But then the tycoon's officious secretary attempts to lure Sally to her death, and Annabel sneaks the feline safely off the premises and is drawn into dastardly doings. After Arbuthnot's will truly puts the pigeon among the cats?by naming Sally as his chief heir?Annabel must sniff out the truth behind his death in order to keep Sally from using up her nine lives. The humor is playful rather than clawed in this slinky feline extravaganza from veteran author Babson (Canapes for the Kitties, etc.).
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Whereas Lydia Adamson's cat-titled novels (see above) have definite appeal beyond cat-crazy readers, Babson's cat capers are best recommended to feline fans only. In the case of this tale of murder and mistaken identity set in London, the cats are the most entertaining part of the story, while the mystery itself is relatively flat. Annabel Hinchby-Smythe, who feeds gossip tidbits to a tabloid, agrees to redecorate billionaire Arthur Arbuthnot's flat. When he is murdered, his faithful feline companion, Sally, suddenly is in danger. Annabel kidnaps Sally to protect her, and the fun begins. Readers who love cats will enjoy the Annabel/Sally relationship but will certainly hate Arbuthnot's family and employees, most of whom want to kill Sally. On that score Babson loses, as the very audience who will like this book must, by rights, hate the supporting characters, would-be cat killers all. Her portrayal of the kindhearted, martini-swigging Annabel is a winner, however, as are the descriptions of various feline characters. Jenny McLarin
About the Author
Marian Babson, born Ruth Stenstreem, is an American mystery writer. Her first published work was Cover-Up Story (1971), and she has written over forty-five mysteries. Babson served as secretary of the Crime Writers’ Association and was awarded the CWA Dagger in the Library in 1996.
