Dear Constant Reader,
After the previous rather mediocre review, I wanted to share some books I can actually endorse. They’re not about burlesque, but some of my other favorite things: mysteries and cats.
There are three books by Robert Lay, so far:
Giblet and Belle: The Case of the Missing Ring, 2021
Giblet and Belle: The Case of the One Still Too Many, 2022
Giblet and Belle: The Case of the Vendetta, 2023
In this world it’s the cats who are solving the mysteries. I know that sounds twee, but it’s not. The cats are the main characters, foiling criminals and gently (and not so gently) nudging humans in the right direction. Unbeknownst to People, for thousands of years there have been cats who are Protectors, looking out for humans and keeping order.
When our story first begins, tiny kitten Belle has only recently been adopted from a shelter by The People and is getting used to the new home in Torrington, Connecticut that she shares with dignified tabby Giblet (her best friend), old Joel Grey the Russian Blue, and the formidable Maine Coon Mittens. After a burglary, Belle learns that Mittens is a Protector, from a long line of heroic French cats. Mittens sees something promising in Belle and begins training her as a Protector.
In the second book, Belle is officially an apprentice Protector. The People and all their pets go to West Virginia for the summer so the Man-Person, a history professor, can do research for his book on moonshine production. Here we learn Joel Grey’s backstory and how he ended up with The People. The cats (along with canine and human allies) find themselves trying to bring a murderer to justice and save a family legacy. We also learn quite a bit about distilling whiskey, a major plot point. I do like novels with some educational content!
The third book, with Belle as a full-fledged Protector with her own protégé, delves deeper into the complexities and history of the cat world. We also meet several new cats: the kittens Holly Bear and Hamilton, and Holmes, a consulting cat detective, of course. The stakes are even higher in this story with a series of murders and a diabolical criminal mastermind bent on chaos and destruction.
The stories have excitement, peril, and even tragedy, but also sweetness and humor. I found them well-paced and hard to put down. The illustrations by Natalia Junqueira are charming. If you like cozy mysteries, these books fit the bill. They’re an excellent read while traveling.
Like me, the author is big fan of Breaking Cat News and a frequent contributor to the comments section. There are a few in-jokes and Easter eggs in the books for those who are familiar with the comic strip. (And if you’re not familiar, do give it a read.)
I will admit that The Case of the Missing Ring made me cry several times. Bartholomew had only recently joined our household and it was a bit much reading about a huge wise cat teaching a young black cat how to protect the forever-family.
One of the lovely bonuses in the latter two books are recipes from Hamilton A. Cat, a chef cat. I’ve tried them both and they are delicious. Full disclosure, I was one of the advisors on the second recipe.
You can buy the books at Amazon, B&N, &c. or directly from Giblet & Belle Press. If you visit Giblet & Belle, you can meet the real-life cats that inspired the characters and read half a dozen short “case files”.
I am eagerly awaiting the next book, which goes in a different direction and stars some of the characters introduced in The Case of the Vendetta.
These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.