The Pawful Truth: A Cat in the Stacks Mystery

James’s entertaining 11th Cats in the Stacks mystery (after 2018’s Six Cats a Slayin’) finds Athena, Miss., librarian Charlie Harris auditing a history course taught by movie-star-handsome professor Carey Warriner at the local college. After the first class, Dr. Warriner calls Charlie over and proposes he take the course for credit. As Charlie is leaving the room, another student, 30-ish Dixie Belle Compton, pushes past him and approaches Dr. Warriner. “What the hell are you doing in my class?” he hears the professor exclaim. The next day, Dixie stops by Charlie’s office to suggest that they, both being “mature” students, become study partners. He rebuffs her, but not before confirming that she and Dr. Warriner have a fraught relationship. When Dixie takes a fatal fall a few days later, Charlie turns amateur sleuth with Dr. Warriner, the prime suspect. Plenty of dishy gossip helps propel this tale of love and deceit. This entry reinforces James’s place in the front rank of cozy authors. [em]Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary. (July) [/em]