The Cat Sitter's Nine Lives

At the start of the breezy ninth Dixie Hemingway mystery (after 2013's The Cat Sitter's Cradle), the second written by Blaize Clement's son, John, after her death in 2011, the former Sarasota, Fla., sheriff's deputy turned professional pet sitter saves a stranger from his burning car after a major pile-up on the secluded island of Siesta Key. This brave deed makes Dixie not only a good Samaritan but also puts her front and center for a chain of sinister events, starting with the disappearance of Siesta Key's elderly bookseller, Mr. Hoskins. Of course, Dixie was the last person to see him%E2%80%94and his cat, Cosmo%E2%80%94alive, and she's determined to find Mr. Hoskins before it's too late. Complicating matters is the man she pulled from the car, who's convinced Dixie is his wife, along with a strange summons from the island's resident crazy cat lady, the reclusive Mrs. Silverthorn. Dixie is a feisty heroine who's as dedicated to animals as she is to crime solving, and it's a comfort to know that Blaize Clement's series will continue courtesy of her talented son. Agent: Al Zuckerman, Writers House. (July)