The Cat Sitter's Nine Lives (Dixie Hemingway Mysteries, #9)

by Blaize Clement and John Clement

"Dixie Hemingway is back in this ninth installment of Blaize Clement's beloved cozy mystery series, now written by her son John using Blaize's extensive notes and outlines for future books. This book starts off with a bang -- literally. Dixie is driving alongside the beachside road that runs through the center of her hometown when she's witness to a terrible head-on collision. Ever the hero, she springs into action and pulls one of the drivers from his car just before it explodes in flames. A little shaken but none the worse for wear, Dixie proceeds to her local bookstore where she meets Cosmo, a fluffy, orange tomcat, and Mr. Hoskins, the store's kind but strangely befuddled owner. The next day, the driver whose life she saved claims that he is Dixie's husband, both Cosmo and Mr. Hoskins disappear without a trace, and a mysterious phone call from a new client lures her to a crumbling, abandoned mansion on the outskirts of town. Soon Dixie finds herself locked in a riddle of deception, revenge, murder, and mystery"--

• ISBN10: 1250009332
• ISBN13: 9781250009333
• Publish Date: 8 July 2014
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 31 May 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[MurderByDeath]

I've never felt strongly about this series, but I always read it because it takes place in Siesta Key, where I grew up.  It's almost like being back home myself.   

Unfortunately the author died a few years ago. The writing of the books was picked up by her son, John Clement and at first I thought he not only did an admirable job, but maybe even added a bit of oomph.  This book though, left me flat.  It's not bad, but it's not great.  I recognised immediately the clue, the slip-up, the murderer made that should have revealed all to our intrepid sleuth, but of course didn't; at least, not until that final scene 100 pages later.     

On the plus side, this book fits the "Beach, sand or sun on the cover" square for book bingo, and I believe gives me a four-corner BINGO! ?  I'm sure Moonlight Reader mentioned what constituted Bingo in one of her posts, but now I can't find it.  Fingers crossed...