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Mister Puss #1
FlabberGassed
A weight-loss miracle ... a dashing gay architect ... a talking cat.
In the idyllic little town of Dumont, Wisconsin, wealthy widow Mary Questman adopts an exotic stray cat, Mister Puss, who begins to talk to her. At least she thinks so. Mary's young friend, gay architect Brody Norris, soon finds another reason to worry about Mary's judgment when she decides to help finance a bizarre weight-loss enterprise called FlabberGas, the invention of a flamboyant local dermatologist, Dr. Francis Frumpkin.
Brody's skepticism is partially overcome when Dr. Frumpkin commissions him to design the first of a planned chain of FlabberGas clinics. But then, during a public demonstration of Frumpkin's gimmicky new treatment, a volunteer is gassed to death in a hideous mishap that turns out to be no accident. It was murder, all right. Suspects abound. And Brody is drawn into the role of amateur sleuth, assisting Sheriff Thomas Simms.
Funny and tender, thoroughly tangled, with a chilling motive at its core, the mystery comes to a jolting conclusion when Brody pieces together tiny, overlooked details and helps Sheriff Simms name the killer. Along the way, though, Brody himself gets a little help--or so it seems--from the chatty Mister Puss.
What could possibly go wrong?
In the idyllic little town of Dumont, Wisconsin, wealthy widow Mary Questman adopts an exotic stray cat, Mister Puss, who begins to talk to her. At least she thinks so. Mary's young friend, gay architect Brody Norris, soon finds another reason to worry about Mary's judgment when she decides to help finance a bizarre weight-loss enterprise called FlabberGas, the invention of a flamboyant local dermatologist, Dr. Francis Frumpkin.
Brody's skepticism is partially overcome when Dr. Frumpkin commissions him to design the first of a planned chain of FlabberGas clinics. But then, during a public demonstration of Frumpkin's gimmicky new treatment, a volunteer is gassed to death in a hideous mishap that turns out to be no accident. It was murder, all right. Suspects abound. And Brody is drawn into the role of amateur sleuth, assisting Sheriff Thomas Simms.
Funny and tender, thoroughly tangled, with a chilling motive at its core, the mystery comes to a jolting conclusion when Brody pieces together tiny, overlooked details and helps Sheriff Simms name the killer. Along the way, though, Brody himself gets a little help--or so it seems--from the chatty Mister Puss.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 10, 2018
23 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Michael Craft
44 books56 followersMichael Craft is the author of 20 published novels, four of which have been honored as finalists for Lambda Literary Awards. The first installment of his Dante & Jazz series, "Desert Getaway," was a 2023 MWA Edgars nominee for the Lilian Jackson Braun Award. The second installment, "Desert Deadline," was a Gold Winner of the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award, as was his 2019 mystery, "ChoirMaster." In addition, his prize-winning short fiction has appeared in British as well as American literary journals. Craft grew up in Illinois and spent his middle years in Wisconsin, which inspired the fictitious small-town setting of Dumont, used in many of his earlier books. He holds an MFA in creative writing from Antioch University, Los Angeles, and now lives in Rancho Mirage, California, near Palm Springs, the setting of his current Dante & Jazz mystery series. In 2017, Michael Craft's professional archives were acquired by the Special Collections Department of the Rivera Library at the University of California, Riverside. Visit the author's website at www.michaelcraft.com.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 4, 2018
FlabberGassed (A Mister Puss Mystery)
By Michael Craft
Questover Press, 2018
Five stars
What an elegant mystery. What an absurd idea made irresistible and almost mystical at the hands of a gifted writer. A talking cat? Yes, or at least a cat rather beyond the ordinary cats one has known previously. And this cat has no exotic, portentous name; because a dear older lady – a real lady – names him casually, offhandedly, when he wanders into her life. Mr. Puss. The best cat in all of modern fiction.
If Miss Marple were to be transformed into a thirty-something gay man in a small Wisconsin town, that would be Brody Norris. Brody, an architect in partnership with his significantly older husband, Marson, has rooted himself deeply into the life of Dumont, Wisconsin. He knows all the players. He is friends with the people he must consider suspects in the startling murder he witnesses. Brody is a good, loving, intelligent man, and he finds that there is always something more to learn in life.
Like talking cats.
Beneath Craft’s beautifully wrought prose, which perfectly reflects Brody’s self-assured, benevolent heart and mind, there is a dark thread. Set against today’s surreal political reality, Brody’s investigation is forced to probe behind the smiling, polite facades of American Midwesterners. He has to look for things he really doesn’t want to see, and in doing this learns something about himself.
Michael Craft’s narrative is controlled, carefully measured, even when the plot itself is dipping into the worst of human nature. Brody Norris’s is a cultured voice, modulated with his own moral integrity and personal honesty. When you see through the eyes of a good person who knows his own flaws, everything around you takes on a clarity of perception.
This is an old-fashioned book, but a very contemporary one at the same time. It is the tantalizing beginning of what I hope will be a substantial series. Now that I’ve moved to Dumont, I really do want to get to know the people who live there. Not to mention Mr. Puss. I’m a dog person. But by the end of this I was yearning for a cat.
By Michael Craft
Questover Press, 2018
Five stars
What an elegant mystery. What an absurd idea made irresistible and almost mystical at the hands of a gifted writer. A talking cat? Yes, or at least a cat rather beyond the ordinary cats one has known previously. And this cat has no exotic, portentous name; because a dear older lady – a real lady – names him casually, offhandedly, when he wanders into her life. Mr. Puss. The best cat in all of modern fiction.
If Miss Marple were to be transformed into a thirty-something gay man in a small Wisconsin town, that would be Brody Norris. Brody, an architect in partnership with his significantly older husband, Marson, has rooted himself deeply into the life of Dumont, Wisconsin. He knows all the players. He is friends with the people he must consider suspects in the startling murder he witnesses. Brody is a good, loving, intelligent man, and he finds that there is always something more to learn in life.
Like talking cats.
Beneath Craft’s beautifully wrought prose, which perfectly reflects Brody’s self-assured, benevolent heart and mind, there is a dark thread. Set against today’s surreal political reality, Brody’s investigation is forced to probe behind the smiling, polite facades of American Midwesterners. He has to look for things he really doesn’t want to see, and in doing this learns something about himself.
Michael Craft’s narrative is controlled, carefully measured, even when the plot itself is dipping into the worst of human nature. Brody Norris’s is a cultured voice, modulated with his own moral integrity and personal honesty. When you see through the eyes of a good person who knows his own flaws, everything around you takes on a clarity of perception.
This is an old-fashioned book, but a very contemporary one at the same time. It is the tantalizing beginning of what I hope will be a substantial series. Now that I’ve moved to Dumont, I really do want to get to know the people who live there. Not to mention Mr. Puss. I’m a dog person. But by the end of this I was yearning for a cat.
July 28, 2018
Flabergassed, A Mister Puss Mystery is the first book in a new series of as the author puts it "gay cat mysteries". The sleuth is gay, not the cat, LOL. I loved this book for many reasons. First of all , we don't often see too many amateur sleuths that are male, let alone gay and that is where we meet Brody Morris. The fact that Mister Puss is a talking cat seals the deal!
This mystery was filled with fun characters, some surprising twists, well developed characters, a detailed, thought out plot and a book you will not want to put down until its surprising end.
I cannot wait for the next book to see what Brody and Mister Puss are up to.
This mystery was filled with fun characters, some surprising twists, well developed characters, a detailed, thought out plot and a book you will not want to put down until its surprising end.
I cannot wait for the next book to see what Brody and Mister Puss are up to.
January 23, 2022
The writing style didn't work for me, like at all.
November 11, 2018
More of Mr. Puss and
Company, please!
There is nothing I love more than a well-written cozy mystery. Especially one that contains an element of the unexpected, believably handled with a flavor of maybe-it-is-maybe-it-isn't. This element is here in spades for this new mystery series! When it comes to the basics, it's difficult to present a story that includes alternating first and third person voices, but Michael succeeds flawlessly. For me, though, the best is not only the beautifully constructed mystery of Dr. Jason Ward's murder, but the mystery behind the chatty Mr. Puss. Yes, cats do not have the physical apparatus to speak the way humans do. But who's to say they can't transfer their thoughts in a way humans can't understand? Where exactly did he come from, anyway? His first encounters with Mary suggest a royal Egyptian lineage in the way she sensed ancient scents and sounds. Along with the realistic and very human characters who all have a story (such as 7 year old hellion Olivia), I want to bring these characters back into my life and imagination even after the conclusion of the mystery.
Company, please!
There is nothing I love more than a well-written cozy mystery. Especially one that contains an element of the unexpected, believably handled with a flavor of maybe-it-is-maybe-it-isn't. This element is here in spades for this new mystery series! When it comes to the basics, it's difficult to present a story that includes alternating first and third person voices, but Michael succeeds flawlessly. For me, though, the best is not only the beautifully constructed mystery of Dr. Jason Ward's murder, but the mystery behind the chatty Mr. Puss. Yes, cats do not have the physical apparatus to speak the way humans do. But who's to say they can't transfer their thoughts in a way humans can't understand? Where exactly did he come from, anyway? His first encounters with Mary suggest a royal Egyptian lineage in the way she sensed ancient scents and sounds. Along with the realistic and very human characters who all have a story (such as 7 year old hellion Olivia), I want to bring these characters back into my life and imagination even after the conclusion of the mystery.
June 11, 2019
A surprisingly engaging read. The plot is situated in the same town (Dumont) as the author's longstanding Mark Manning series (which I love). There's at least one crossover character and whilst the book starts with the MCs already settled into a May-December relationship .... there was sufficient hints in the first 2 chapters to set me researching on whether there is a book I've missed regarding these characters .... and voila! I have to go do a catch up with Inside Dumont: A Novel in Stories
September 5, 2022
Another great Michael Craft book!
December 16, 2018
What a delightful story!! Thanks so much for writing and sharing it with us.
September 18, 2018
FlabberGassed is a delightful read as well as a good mystery. A man dies demonstrating a new weight loss technique. No, wait. It was murder. Enough said. I've always been a dog owner, but Michael Craft creates a fascinating Abyssinian cat, who, as a reader, you mentally hold, feel his breath, hear his purr, and sense his ancient history. Wait. You also hear his voice. Really? You decide. (The animal does have a wry way of expressing himself.) Craft also creates some wonderful character names. Here is an example: Glee Buttles. But mostly he takes you into the small town of Dumont, Wisconsin, where you solve a crime with protagonist Brody Norris who is smart, witty, gay, and observant, with a delish sense of humor.
September 8, 2020
Believable and Enchanting
I can hardly wait to get into the next Mr. Puss Mystery, ChoirMaster. Having read Inside Dumont, I had been introduced to many of the characters. Michael Craft has fleshed them out to be full breathing human beings. Craft ably tackles sensitive and timely issues with aplomb and skill. Dumont and its inhabitants are at once a town I recognize and one I want to learn more about. My recommendation is without reservation.
I can hardly wait to get into the next Mr. Puss Mystery, ChoirMaster. Having read Inside Dumont, I had been introduced to many of the characters. Michael Craft has fleshed them out to be full breathing human beings. Craft ably tackles sensitive and timely issues with aplomb and skill. Dumont and its inhabitants are at once a town I recognize and one I want to learn more about. My recommendation is without reservation.
June 20, 2022
Something about the writing style was just nails on chalkboard to me. I cannot take it.
July 11, 2021
If you are not in the mood for a book like this you will hate it. I was precisely in the mood for a comic cozy mystery with a gay-architect as our amateur sleuth and a communicating cat that provided essential guidance. With a glass of nice beer, a bag of popcorn, it was just the thing for a fun evening.
March 30, 2019
Well done!
Brody, Mary, and Mr. Puss make an excellent team. The plot had lots of twists and turns with just enough clues peppered throughout to make you think you were on the right track. You're not, but it's a fun and puzzling read.
Brody, Mary, and Mr. Puss make an excellent team. The plot had lots of twists and turns with just enough clues peppered throughout to make you think you were on the right track. You're not, but it's a fun and puzzling read.
July 2, 2019
What an unusual, humorous, light and well written murder mystery with a touch of gay! I enjoyed every minute of my read. I often have trouble remembering characters but this author makes it really easy! I am not a cat lover but sure would enjoy this (talking) cat! This was only my second Michael Craft novel but sure will not be my last!
February 25, 2024
I liked it, except for the constant "you're hot; can I get into your pants" digressions. The mystery itself was well done, although I did figure it out fairly early (and I'm not that great at solving mysteries).
September 6, 2021
Another wonderful book by Michael Craft.
It has been several years since I read any of Michael Craft's book. Now I have a lot to catch up .
It has been several years since I read any of Michael Craft's book. Now I have a lot to catch up .
July 8, 2024
DNF at 12%.
I like a cosy but it shouldn't be an excuse for lazy, twee, cloying writing ...
I like a cosy but it shouldn't be an excuse for lazy, twee, cloying writing ...
October 1, 2025
Good story, but author dragged it out to long! Lost interest in reading it!
September 16, 2019
Architect Brody Norris and his husband, Marson Miles, are are concerned about their friend Mary Questman on two fronts: that she’s been duped by a shady physician, Dr. Francis Frumpkin, who claims that hyperbaric oxygen will help patients lose weight; and more seriously, her claims that her new cat, Mister Puss, talks to her. The Abyssinian just showed up at Mary’s door one morning and insinuated himself into her life, and the couple fears she’s taken her love for the exotic cat a bit too seriously — especially when Dr. Frumpkin claims Mister Puss approved her plan to invest in his chain of weight-loss clinics.
It doesn’t help that Frumpkin has hired Brody to design the clinics, which he envisions as franchises across the country.
Brody and Marson are relieved Mary backs out of demonstrating the hyperbaric chamber, but surprised to learn the advice came from Mister Puss. Then the doctor’s son-in-law, Dr. Jason Ward, steps in and, to everyone’s horror, dies during the presentation.
Which is when Mister Puss whispers to Mary that Brody should help Sheriff Thomas Simms solve the murder.
And then Mister Puss whispers a few facts to Brody.
Suspects multiply like the castor beans local reporter Glee Savage grows in her backyard. Which clue will help Brody slot all the others into place and solve Dr. Ward’s murder?
While the humans ponder and search, Mister Puss is on the job in this engaging first novel in Michael Craft’s new cozy mystery series. Dumont, Michigan has a new detective, and he’s a four-footed genius.
It doesn’t help that Frumpkin has hired Brody to design the clinics, which he envisions as franchises across the country.
Brody and Marson are relieved Mary backs out of demonstrating the hyperbaric chamber, but surprised to learn the advice came from Mister Puss. Then the doctor’s son-in-law, Dr. Jason Ward, steps in and, to everyone’s horror, dies during the presentation.
Which is when Mister Puss whispers to Mary that Brody should help Sheriff Thomas Simms solve the murder.
And then Mister Puss whispers a few facts to Brody.
Suspects multiply like the castor beans local reporter Glee Savage grows in her backyard. Which clue will help Brody slot all the others into place and solve Dr. Ward’s murder?
While the humans ponder and search, Mister Puss is on the job in this engaging first novel in Michael Craft’s new cozy mystery series. Dumont, Michigan has a new detective, and he’s a four-footed genius.
October 21, 2025
Entertaining.
April 25, 2022
Enjoyable light reading, though the uneasy mix of a cozy-type mystery with a darker side was somewhat unsettling.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews