Paws For Alarm (Dead Letter Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Marian Babson (Author) "We had flown out from Logan Airport in the middle of a scorcher that showed no sign of abating..." (more)
Key Phrases: house swap, soccer hooligans, cat flap, New Hampshire, Reading Room, Invisible Man (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Inventive in its muted, muffled presentation of terror, which throbs like a heartbeat throughout the novel's core."-- Chicago Tribune

"A spiffy mystery."-- Ocala Star-Banner
-- Review

Review

"Inventive in its muted, muffled presentation of terror, which throbs like a heartbeat throughout the novel's core."-- Chicago Tribune

"A spiffy mystery."-- Ocala Star-Banner

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (May 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312965133
• ISBN-13: 978-0312965136
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,227,356 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars PAWS FOR ALARM is a reprint of DEATH SWAP [1984], January 27, 2004

By	Ann E. Nichols (Sierra Vista, AZ United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It's the companion volume to WHISKERS AND SMOKE [original title: A TRAIL OF ASHES]. The Harper family of New Hampshire has swapped houses with an English widow, Rosemary, for the summer. Nancy Harper has reason to be grumpy. Her scholarly husband, Arnold, is too eager to get down to research in London. Her twins come from the Calvin of "Calvin and Hobbes" mold. Certainly she loves her husband and children, as can be seen during those times she fears she's lost them, even though they do their best to drive her crazy.

Arnold can be a dreadful tease, but is that any reason for his series of near-fatal accidents? Was Rosemary's husband's death an accident after all? Can the Harpers find out what's going on before Arnold has his final "accident"? How many letters telling Rosemary what damages those Harper imps have caused is poor Nancy going to have to write? If only Donald and Donna could be as polite and well-behaved as Esmond, Rosemary's cat.

Yes, you will find those Babson scenes of awkward social situations in this book. (What do you say when you find an acquaintance caught doing what One Should Not Be Doing? How do you keep your cool when your Loved Ones -- and you're using the term very loosely at the moment -- are making a bid to totally gross you out in public?) Ms. Babson has written better stories, but this one is still a pretty good read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Just O K, April 9, 2006

By	Bookaddict (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

If you have a couple of hours to kill and want to read a short, simple, mystery story then go ahead and read this book. Otherwise, don't bother.

2 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Paws for Alarm, May 26, 2000

By A Customer

Great book, goes well with the other she wrote.