A Cat on Jingle Bell Rock (Alice Nestleton Mystery) [Hardcover]

Lydia Adamson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Alice Nestleton Mystery | Publication Date: October 1, 1997

Once again everyone's favorite actress, catsitter, and amateur sleuth, Alice Nestleton, finds herself in the middle of a not-so-merry mystery when she agrees to help an old friend track down his charity's anonymous benefactor. When the generous one is found dead, Alice soon becomes the target of a murderous scrooge determined to keep the "Bah! Humbug!" in Christmas and Alice away from the truth.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

When a Manhattan homeless shelter's generous annual anonymous donation fails to arrive, board member Jack contacts popular series sleuth/actress/cat-sitter Alice Nestleton for help. Two behind-the-scenes manipulators steer her in different directions?one away from the truth, the other toward it?so she jumps to several embarrassing conclusions before connecting the donor's murder with the suicide of another board member. Several cats and Alice's lover, Tony, inspire Alice and amuse readers. No padding here?just smooth prose and a clever plot.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Out-of-work, cat-loving, part-time sleuth, hardly-any-time actress Alice Nestleton is on the prowl again. Her excuse this time is a call from Jack Bigow, the driving force behind the Rep, a highly respected theatrical company. Jack is also on the board of Sustenance House, a shelter and soup kitchen for the homeless. The biggest support for the charity, for the last 12 years, has been a pre-Christmas donation of $81,000, in the form of postal and bank money orders, sent anonymously. This year, with Christmas only days away, it hasn't arrived, and Jack wants Alice, in her sleuthing mode, to track down the donor. She agrees to attend a Sustenance House board meeting that very night, and, along with the members, is witness to the suicide of travel writer and board member Will Holland. It's all catnip to Alice, who promptly enlists the aid of off-on lover Tony Basillio and old friend bistro-owner Nora. Alice figures out the donor's name and tracks him to his run-down apartment building, only to find that he had been killed four months ago--the culprit still unapprehended. There are connections to Will Holland; to Will's collaborator Austin Walters; to a couple of so-called grief therapists, and eventually, even connections with Sustenance House. Alice ferrets them out in her usual in-your- face style, using disguises, and unlawful entries where needed. Fun for a bit, until common sense intrudes, but cat lovers will no doubt exult in the 15th of this series (A Cat Under the Mistletoe, 1996, etc.), adorned, as usual, with charming sketches of the species. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult (October 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525943757
• ISBN-13: 978-0525943754
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,006,043 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars If I were this cat, I'd be embarrassed!, October 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: A Cat on Jingle Bell Rock: An Alice Nestleton Mystery (Hardcover)

Wooden characters, absurd plot (what there is of it!), pretty bad writing....this book makes even the last few dreadful books in "The Cat Who..." series seem preferable!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good, December 28, 1998

By 

Jennifer L Ruhl (Atlanta, GA.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Cat on Jingle Bell Rock (An Alice Nestleton Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

I love to read Lydia Adamson's books because of the cats. This book's story line surprised me. As usual, "Swede" and Tony run around in circles, not trying to make any kind of commitment. "Swede" also hooks up with an old friend and talk about the old days. "Swede" makes a wrong accusation and makes a total fool of herself. She isn't perfect after all! Overall, I enjoyed the book, finishing it in a couple of hours like the rest.

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun breezy read: a delightful pick-me-up, August 18, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: A Cat on Jingle Bell Rock (Alice Nestleton Mystery) (Hardcover)

. Unemployed actress and cat sitter Alice Nestleton thinks that her prayers have been answered when she receives a call from Jack Rugow, producer and director of the last legitimate repertory company in New York City. To her mind, it could only mean the great man wants her to perform in one of his plays. When she meets Jack, Alice is disappointed to learn that he wants to employ her detective skills rather than her acting skills. A charity that he is involved in is in financial trouble because an anonymous donor who sent a donation every year for twelve years to Sustenance House has not made a contribution this year.

Rugow and the other board of directors want Alice to track down the anonymous benefactor to ascertain whether the contribution was lost in the mail. Alice has very little to go on, but quickly discovers the identity of the mysterious patron. When Alice and her friends go to check out just what the situation is, they discover that the donor is dead, apparently a victim of murder by a street gang. Alice, who cannot drop the case, digs deeper for the truth. This brings her to the attention of someone, who does not want the intrepid sleuth to upset the status quo.

This is the best work in the Alice Nestleton series to date due in large part to the antics of the endearing and special cats, Tiny and Tim, and the line drawings that turn this welcome mystery into a holiday gift. Lydia Adamson has infused the spirit of the holiday season into the story line, a device that demonstrates how special her female protagonist is. While A CAT ON JUNGLE BELL ROCK is not complex novel, it is a fun cozy that should garner Ms. Adamson a lot of new friends.

Harriet Klausner ------