Cat Sitter Among the Pigeons: A Dixie Hemingway Mystery

In Clement's sharp sixth Dixie Hemingway mystery (after 2010's Raining Cat Sitters and Dogs), the pet-sitting sleuth and former Sarasota, Fla., sheriff's deputy bonds with Ruby Carlyle, the estranged wife of celebrity drag racer Zach Carlyle, as soon as they meet at the Siesta Key home of Ruby's crusty granddad, Mr. Stern. Ruby has sought shelter with her grandfather while waiting to testify against her one-time boss, Ponzi schemer Myra Kriegle, Stern's next-door neighbor. Dixie's job is to look after Cheddar, Stern's American shorthair cat bequeathed to him by Ruby, but she's also concerned about Opal, Ruby's baby girl. When kidnappers snatch Opal from Stern's house, Dixie, Zack, and Zack's beefy best friend, Cupcake Trillin, embark on an exciting rescue mission. The decision of Dixie's fiancé, homicide detective Jean-Pierre Guidry, to move to New Orleans, adds some romantic tension. (Jan.)