Curiosity Killed The Cat Sitter (2005) - Plot & Excerpts
Two of my favorite things in the whole wide world are: 1. Kitty cats (I have 3) and 2. Murder mysteries, especially of the old-school variety. For people like me, we have an embarrassment of riches in any given library or bookstore, with cat-themed mystery series beyond counting. The problem quickly becomes sorting out the good from the bad, with plenty of cat-themed murder mysteries that are just not good literature. You can't redeem a bad book by simply mixing in a cat. Reading others' reviews, several folks say that the series does get better. I'm willing to read at least one or two more of the books to find out, though I will likely lose patience if something doesn't go right very soon. In this book, I liked none of the characters, with the obvious exception of the cats and dogs. Even the cat-loving sleuth was annoying, boring, and not real sympathetic. While I didn't necessarily think that the two murder victims deserved it, I had little real sympathy for them, making it less fun for me to cheer for justice for them. The killer was a flat caricature, as were several others, mostly serving as a means for the novelist to preach political correctness. And boy does she preach it! Even though I didn't necessarily disagree with her opinions, I found the lecturing tiresome. The whodunit puzzle is uninspired, and readers will find no real shockers in the dénouement. Finally, as other reviewers have pointed out, the book is not the "PG" rated cozy that the average reader bought or borrowed the book expecting. Hard-boiled detective stories are fun, too, but sticking to the informal rules of the cozy would have been appropriate here, I think.
I wasn't as fond of this book as I thought I might be. The plot is simple and fits the cozy mystery genre, but I got tired of all of the posturing the author does throughout the book. Dixie was a Sarasota Sheriff's Deputy until her husband and daughter were killed and she became emotionally unstable. She gets embroiled in an investigation when one of the cats she cares for is found cowering in a corner and a man is found duck taped to the cat's water bowl. Dixie has an uneasy feeling about the whole set-up and she has a hard time explaining to Lieutenant Guidry what is going on. The part I got very tired of was Dixie's gay brother, Michael and his partner. It is very heavy handed to make all the gay people incredibly handsome, mature and wise and the people who are uneasy about the relationship stupid, intolerant and homophobic. Enough, all ready! This is exactly like the old morality plays except the roles have been reversed and the PC proponents are just as prejudiced and sanctimonious as the people they vilify. Wouldn't it be better to just treat people, gay and straight, as simply people, sometimes bigoted and sometimes wonderful, sometimes handsome, sometimes plain etc.? Isn't that what being inclusive is all about. Just because you are gay doesn't make you handsome, wise and charming and everyone else jerks.
What do You think about Curiosity Killed The Cat Sitter (2005)?
Entertaining, but not fantastic. The story of Dixie Hemingway, a Sarasota, FL Sheriff's Deputy turned cat sitter. One early morning Dixie discovers a clients house ransacked and a man dead in the cat's water bowl. Dixie finds herself smack dab in the middle of the case--as a prime suspect and uninvited investigator! I have to be honest, I had the murderer wrong and that doesn't usually happen in books of this ilk so I definitely enjoyed the surprise! While this was not a fantastic read, it was easy, quick and entertaining and I will likely read the rest in the Dixie Hemingway series because that's just what I do, but if you'd prefer a better read of this type check out the Rita Mae and Sneaky Pie Brown mysteries or the first couple of Cynthia Baxter Reigning Cats and Dogs Mysteries.
—Samantha
The only reason this book didn't get one star is because I save those for books I can't finish and the last 40 or so pages saved this one a little. I thought the author tried WAY to hard to make this book likable. There were so many parts that was like, "Really?? Was that even necessary?" that I just couldn't enjoy the story. I do tend to pick out the small parts of books and I did just that with this. Two of the parts that come to mind are when she gets out of the car and the author writes something along the lines, "I pulled into the driveway to meet him and got out of the car. I started walking up the drive but not before I pulled my shorts out of my crotch." That and "he put a pickle the size of a man's dick in my bag". I have no problem reading erotic books and whatnot, but this book was not that and these two sentences definitely did NOT belong in this book. They were just thrown in there so randomly that I just kept asking why. Then you get to the last 40 pages (I think 40, it was after she brought the cat home) and the story was a little better. I still don't feel like some questions were answered. It was more of the main character saying she knew that's what happened (without any verbal conformation from anyone) and I guess we're just supposed to believe it. Overall, I only finished this book because it was for a book club and I will NOT be continuing the series.
—Jennifer Brown
This series is enjoyable, light reading. The main character is a pet-sitter who happens upon murdered people and plays a major role in solving the mystery of the killer's identity. The setting is Florida, so it makes the backdrop to the story sunny, light-filled and peaceful. I tire a bit of the main character "forgetting", "not getting around" or for any variety of reasons postponing informing the authorities of her observations, discoveries and information regarding the case. Seems to me, she could on a number of occasions, be charged with obstruction of justice, but she is not, of course.Other than that, it's an entertaining enough read that I will turn to another in the series when I want something truly light to read.
—Susan
