A Cat on Jingle Bell Rock

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.

. 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 ------