Customer Reviews

Cries and Whiskers (Theda Krakow Mysteries, No. 3)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The third book in Clea Simon's Theda Krakow mystery series is a treat for cat lovers, as well as those of us waiting for further developments in Theda's life. Over the course of three books, Theda has matured and developed important relationships.

Those relationships with friends, and her boyfriend, are threatened in this book, in which Theda feels as if her friendships are going "horribly wrong." Even her strongest relationship, that with her beloved cat, Musetta, is threatened when Musetta disappears.

Once again, Simon has injected a dose of reality into a mystery featuring a cat. Unlike many mystery writers, Simon understands the relationship between a human and their cat, and doesn't try to introduce cats that solve mysteries. Instead, her cat plays an important role in the life of the character, and, in this case, in the mystery itself. Simon's character, Theda Krakow, is thrown into two confusing situations, one involving the world of animal protection, and the other the world of a music. Simon masterfully combines the two into a fascinating mystery.

It is a holiday treat that the intrepid Theda Krakow is back in another feline mystery from Clea Simon. This time Theda takes on the drug culture and animal rights activist in this fast paced, suspense filled story.

The Top Ten category of who should read this book:
1. Anyone who likes a mystery with a well written, strong, female main character.
2. Anyone who likes a mystery with varied plot lines that are deftly meshed into one seamless story.
3. Anyone who likes well thought out suspense that keeps building to an ending that is compelling and complete.
4. Anyone who likes a work that looks at relationships- human, feline, men and women.
5 Anyone who would enjoy the setting of the Boston music scene.
6. Anyone who would enjoy a carefully developed mystery that entertains and enlightens.
7. Anyone who would enjoy a good book.
8. Anyone who feels strongly about animal rights or welfare (the issue of feral cats is interestingly explored.)
9. Anyone who is a cat lover.
10. All mystery lovers!

Clea Simon has written the third entry into the Theda Krakow series starring the cat loving journalist. It is another testament to her talent as an author that she can make a unique mark in the crowded cat mystery market. She should not be mixed with the cozy crowd. This mystery has fangs and teeth, more like the feral cats it describes than any domesticated house cat.

It's hard to know where to begin with the plot summary here since there are so many things taking place. The centerpiece is the death of an animal rights activist, an apparent victim of a hit-and-run accident. The activist was trying to trap feral cats to remove them from a warehouse site for their own protection, and Theda Krakow, a devout ailurophile herself, realizes that if there are cats in the normally humane traps, those cats might well die in the bitter Boston winter. So Theda and her friend Violet go in search of traps that might have been left behind.

At the same time, there is a new band on the scene. Somewhat superciliously named Swann's Way, the band is scheduled to perform at a prominent venue but does not have the track record to justify this show. Theda, as a music critic, is scheduled to interview the band and review the show. The problem, though, is that the band seems averse to publicity, and Theda's questions only grow. What is the mystery behind this band, and why is it so darned hard to get an interview with them?

At still the same time, a new designer drug seems to be making the club rounds. This drug, an apparent variant on GHB, the "date-rape drug," is causing a variety of problems. As an habitué of the clubs where she reviews many of the local bands, Theda is worried about this drug and starts asking questions there, too. Then there is the ongoing relationship with her cop boyfriend, who is laid up in his apartment with a broken leg. Add to this a friend who appears to have had a minor car accident and then told two contradictory stories about what happened, and now you have pretty much all of the plot elements in the story.

With so much going on, it is not surprising that there are hits and misses. Among the hits is Theda's career as a reviewer and her knowledge of the music and club scenes. It's no surprise that this part of the story works so well; the author herself has been a Boston music critic for quite some time, and she generously lends her expertise to her protagonist. The cat element of the mystery is both a hit and a miss. Unlike Lilian Jackson Braun's "Cat Who..." series, "Cries & Whiskers" does not delve into woo-woo elements. The cat here is just a cat--an integral part of Theda's life but just a cat nonetheless. Theda's devotion to her pet is understandable but perhaps a bit overdone, at least for my tastes. A cat-lover myself, I thought that too much of Theda's life revolved around her cat. At the same time, I would make the same criticism of Robert B. Parker's characters and their dogs. These are minor criticisms.

The true strength of "Cries & Whiskers" is Theda's passion. Her cat is family. Her career is a vital part of who she is. Her love of animals is real. (One senses these statements are true of the author, as well.) Thus, since her actions are motivated by her passions, they are legitimate. She searches for the animal traps because the idea of a cat being trapped and exposed to the elements is intolerable to her. She probes the music scene because it is essentially her home. She keeps poking around about the new drug for the same reason. Finally, she keeps us reading because passion is contagious, and we--or I, at least--end up caring about what she cares about.

Cozy? A mystery with a cat set in Cambridge? I'll curl up on a comfy soft sofa with a sherry, or maybe a cup of tea, or I'll maybe go hang out at a library or coffee house and feel intellectual while I read it.

But that's not the right approach to Theda Karkow, freelance journalist, music critic, hanger out in "clubland," and major cat lover--Musetta, the companion cat and all cats in this tale especially the feral ones. I should have known when I saw the cat and a derelict building on the book cover. Theda is smart, clever and kind and doesn't spend much time in the library, except the one at the Morning Mail where her friend Bunny is the librarian.

In this third of the Cambridge-set series by Clea Simon, Thea gets an early-morning alarm call from her punk friend, purple-haired Violet. (When Violet isn't performing, she runs a cat shelter.) Animal rights activist Gail is the victim in a hit-and-run. Gail had been hunting feral cats in an abandoned bottling plant. Thea takes up the hunt, both for the cats and the killer.

Simon takes her riveted reader through issues of animal rights, taming feral cats (hard if not impossible--I know, I'm taming one named Ginger), urban renewal, and the entire Cambridge music scene, from sleazy, drug-filled backrooms to a jazz concert at Tech. Add a touch of romance (Bill the laid-up homicide cop) and lots of journalist-life hassle, especially deadlines and the raging editor. And then there's the Swann's Way, the band from nowhere whose members manage to involve Thea in a couple of cataplexic incidents.

Cozy? Try jazzed-up. Pour another cup of coffee. Turn up the volume. You won't want to put this one down.

by Patricia Nordyke Pando
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

Clea Simon's sharp, edgy heroine Theda Krakow is back in a well-plotted tale with a colorful support cast. While the mystery tales some surprising turns, Theda herself is a delight; with her survivor's instinct and knack for being in the right place at the wrong time. Her freelance life, her love for a great rock band, some borderline-scary animal activists, high-tech types, and a touch of romance all figure into a story that keeps you hooked. Ahd yes, felines are integral to the plot as well, but this is no typical "cat mystery": The four-legged creatures are always a welcome presence but never overwhelming-- just as they should be in any household.

Freelance reporter Theda Krakow's life is going well: she has a weekly newpaper column which not only brings in a steady income, but she gets to review the active Cambridge music scene which she loves; she has a steady beau in Bill, the cop and jazz aficinado; she has a strong network of friends; and she has Musette, her adorable feline companion. Then Gail, an animal activist, is killed in an apparent hit and run, and Theda finds herself on a rescue mission to find the feral cats the woman had been trapping. Her life is further complicatedby a rush assignment to profile an up and coming band whom everyone knows but nobody seems to have heard play, the emergence of some new recreational drug that's marring the club scene, some possible real estate hanky panky involving the bottling plant and the growing evidence that Gail's death was no accident but a case of murder.

This is the third in the Theda Krakow series. The first book, Mew is For Murder, was good, but had a tenative feel about it. Theda was at a crossroads in her life and floundering a bit. Cattery Row had a somewhat more assured heroine, but the mystery elements weren't too complex. Cries and Whiskers is where it all comes together. It is by far the strongest entry yet, with clever plotting and polished writing. Simon delftly juggles a number of story lines, weaving threads together with a sure hand, and plays fair with the reader. She does an exellent job of bringing the club scene to life, and effortlessly weaves in information about the business of music, animal rights philosphies, and police procedure. Theda is an independent woman, strong and believable, with an interesting circle of friends. The plot is complex (summarizing was quite a challenge!) yet it never feels forced and the ending is logical and satisfying. I sat up far too late, trying to read "just one more chapter."

While Cries and Whiskers is a natural for those who like rock music and cats, it's a good enough book to stand on its own as a mystery. (Note: there are no talking cats-- unless "meh" counts-- or other paranormal bits. A friend refuses to read any "talking animal" books because she can never suspend disbelief enough to enjoy the book. While Musetta is a character in her own right, she is very much a real cat.) I look for Simon's books to cross over into the general mystery reading population.

If you've read one of the other titles and felt it not to your taste, I urge you to try Cries and Whiskers. For those who haven't met Theda, this would be a good introduction. This is a series to watch and I look forward to Probable Claws in December.

"Cries and Whiskers (Theda Mysteries, No.3)" tells another exciting story! The characters continue to develop and grow in this series, and the situations seem realistic. I do hope Clea Simon is writing No. 4 in this excellent, CATastic, series!

Theda Krakow is a freelance journalist that covers the music scene in the Cambridge-Boston area. A new designer drug has become popular and is endangering both musicians and patrons. While Theda is making inquiries about the drug, a local animal-rights activist is killed in a hit and run. The cops believe it wasn't an accident. The autopsy reveals dangerous toxic levels of strychnine in her blood.

Theda's friend, who is pregnant, appears to have been drugged at the club they frequent. Bill, Theda's boyfriend and a homicide detective, is recuperating from a broken leg. Musetta, Theda's cat, starts showing signs of resenting the time Theda is spending with Bill.

Theda helps her friend Violet investigate when they discover that the animal rights activist was rescuing feral cats during a winter storm.

As Theda gets more involved, she finds out there is a lot of tension within the animal-rights group. Plus she is learning more about where the dangerous drug is from. She may have the biggest story of her career. But can she get that story without it being her last?

Theda is such a great character. I really enjoy the music scene she is involved in as well as the fact that she is such a cat lover. It goes well together. Bill is great as well. He tries to keep Theda from getting herself in trouble, but that doesn't always work.

I have read the whole series and have enjoyed each and every book. I highly recommend this book and that you read the complete series. Can't wait for the next one.

Clea Simon's CRIES AND WHISKERS may be her best yet. Theda Krakow is really an investigative reporter and a darn good one, in spite of her editor's dismissing her as "just a columnist." In CRIES AND WHISKERS, she follows a trail of crime that involves feral cats, animal rights activists, club drugs, a mysteriously hyped new band, and real estate development issues to tie it all together at the end, but not without some danger to herself and (horrors!) the beautiful and talented Musetta. I know Ms. Simon is working on a new book and I will be looking forward to it.

Theda Krakow covers the Cambridge-Boston music scene. The freelance Boston based journalist has noticed at her favorite club, a new designer drug has become popular.

At the same time she begins her inquiry into the latest music drug helix, over the top animal rights activist Gail Womynfriend, who championed wild animals and detested pets, is killed in a hit and run that the cops believe was no accident. An autopsy revealed that the victim had dangerous toxic levels of strychnine in her blood. Theda's pregnant friend who is careful about taking anything is drugged at the club that they frequent. When her beloved cat Musetta vanishes an upset Theda goes berserk searching for her feline only to receive a threatening call. None of these incidents seem linked except in Theda's mind although she has not found the connection between any two let alone all of them. On top of all this, her friends are acting strange as if they are involved with one or all of strange happenings and her boyfriend Bill the homicide cop wants her to drop out of the music scene.

The third Theda Krakow investigative tale (see MEW IS FOR MURDER and CATTERY ROW) is an entertaining mystery as the heroine's seemingly unrelated incidents are for the most part personal in nature. Theda's mind is full of anxiety over finding Musetta safe and sound, and her concern for her friends especially Tess who are acting strange. Although Bill's demands seem unreasonable as music reporting is what Theda does, animal lovers will appreciate this fine thriller as Theda looks for the string that ties everything together with the only nebulous link being animal rights extremism.

Harriet Klausner