Angie Russo, her mom and dad, and Octavius her cat took the train to Georgia to meet their extended family. The trip is disrupted when a murder occurs.
Well, Agatha Christie this ain't. Talk about contaminating a crime scene! I think I'm following the series now more out of habit than anything else, but I still love the initial idea and Octavius. And Nan, who is almost completely absent from this book. I also keep wondering why Paisley, Nan's Chihuahua, calls Angie "Mommy". Even I, a cat lover, knows about where a dog's loyalty lies, and "Mommy" is Nan.
I wish Molly Fitz would focus more on the strong points (Octavius and Nan) and less on Angie. Let's be realistic: Angie is the least competent of anyone in their team at investigating; she might be the "heroine" but she's not terribly interesting while Nan, Octavius - and all the animals - are. As the series progresses, the novellas seem to be more hastily put together, and shorter. There aren't many typos, but some really stand out: "to fine my charger" and "Why musts humans...". Ugh. And what about "violent killer" and "violent murderer"... who's a "violent criminal". Sigh.
All was not lost, however: I learned how fast a domestic cat can run, and I loved, loved, loved Grizabella - the Himalayan of the title. Alas, I was a bit disappointed with the ending. Oh and about the family issues from the past installment? Don't hold your breath, it's barely touched upon HIMALAYAN HAZARD is not a bad book, but it's not that great either.