2015, 304p, Cozy Mystery
My Rating=4 Stars
Source: Received a copy for an honest review
Claws for Alarm by T.C. LoTempio
Since inheriting her mother’s sandwich shop, Nora Charles is more about hot grilled paninis than cold-blooded murder—until her sister Lacey is arrested. The victim, an esteemed art collector and Lacey’s bullying professor, was stabbed in the heart. Apparently, all over a lousy grade.
Off campus, things were just as dicey. The prof had an ex with secrets, a trophy wife set to inherit a fortune in masterworks, and a scorned student mistress. Going undercover, Nora realizes that investigating this crime is the biggest test of her sleuthing career. Because if she fails, even Nick’s animal instinct won’t be enough to rescue Lacey from a perfectly executed framing.
I read the first book last year and enjoyed it so was interested in reading more (you can read my review here).
Nora isn't close to her sister, Lacey, who is currently away at college. However, when one of Lacey's professors, Thaddeus C. Pitt, is murdered and Lacy is the prime suspect, she quickly goes to her sister, determined to prove her innocence. To make things more interesting, she has some history with the lead detective in charge of the investigation, Leroy Samms. He wants her to stay out of his case, but of course, she can't.
In the first book, Nora met an FBI agent, Daniel Corleone. Their relationship doesn't seem to have progressed much and he's away on a case through most of this book. Her relationship with Leroy Samms doesn't seem final, either, so it will be interesting to see what happens as the series progresses.
There are a couple of storylines in this book. In the first book, Nora ended up with a cat who belonged to a missing private investigator named Nick Atkins. He adopted Nora so she named him Nick after his missing owner. Once again, he plays a huge part in solving this mystery. During this investigation, Nora came across more information about Nick Atkins and is determined to find out what happened to him.
This is a book that I enjoyed overall! As a warning, there is quite a bit of language in this book as well as nude models. Nora's quirky best friend, Chantal, works on her psychic abilities and reads cards. This book moves quickly and there were plenty of suspects so I had a hard time figuring out who the real killer was. The ending paves the way for the next book and I'm excited for more Nick and Nora!
Excerpt:
I put down the phone and nibbled at my lower lip. Almost as if he knew I’d been thinking about him, Nick appeared, jumping into my lap with surprising ease for a cat of his girth. I rubbed the sensitive area behind his ears and whispered into his ruff, “You’d like to know what happened to your former master too, wouldn’t you?”
Nick raised his sleek black head. “Er-ewl,” he mewled as his little (debatable point) kitty claws moved up and down, kneading my lap.
“That’s what I thought.” I picked up the piece of paper on which I’d written the address Ollie’d given me. “Saint Leo isn’t far away – as a matter of fact it’s only about two miles from Aunt Prudence’s house. We could conceivably kill two birds with one stone, say, tomorrow afternoon?”
His steady rumble made me smile. I gave his head a quick pat. “I thought you’d agree.” I reached for my cell phone. “Maybe I’d better warn Aunt Prudence we’re going to be stopping by, though. So she can prepare my sister.”
Nick’s eyes popped wide and he leaned back on his haunches, pawed at the air.
I laughed. “Yes, she might find you charming, and then again…with Lacey, you can never tell. We – we’ve never gotten along all that well. I’m sure she’ll like you, though.” I leaned over to stroke his head, and I didn’t imagine the cat smile he gave me. As I reached for my cell with my other hand, it started to ring. I snatched it up, glanced at the number, and then hit the button.
“Aunt Prudence. You must be psychic. I was just going to call you.”
“Oh, Nora, I’m so glad I got you.” My aunt’s voice was a high-pitched wail of distress. “The most awful thing has happened.
“Your sister’s been arrested – for murder.”
Praise for the Nick and Nora
“Nick and Nora are a winning team.”—Rebecca Hale, New York Times bestselling author of How to Paint a Cat
“Nick and Nora are the purrfect sleuthy duo!”—*Victoria Laurie, New York Times bestselling author of the Psychic Eye Mystery series
Author T.C. LoTempio
Born in New York City, T. C. LoTempio is the national bestselling author of Meow If It’s Murder, the first in the Nick and Nora Mystery series. She has been a staff reporter at the young adult magazine Susabella Passengers and Friends for more than a decade. When she isn’t reporting or writing novels, she and her cat Rocco fundraise for Nathan Fillion’s charity, Kids Need to Read.
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