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A Dixie Hemingway Mystery #1

Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter

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Dixie Hemingway knows first-hand that many things in life are worse than a dirty litter box. Once happy as a Florida sheriff's deputy, she lost everything when senseless tragedy shattered her world. Now Dixie laces up her sneakers, grabs some kitty treats, and copes with one day at a time as a pet-sitter. Her investigations deal strictly with "crimes" such as who peed on the bed . . . until she finds a dead man face down in an Abyssinian's water bowl. With the local cops stymied―including a handsome detective who catches her eye―she decides to clip a leash on a lead or two and go sleuthing herself. Dixie soon finds out that the Abyssinian's pretty owner has vanished and left behind a shocking past, a lonely cat, and a chilling reason for Dixie to start running when she's out walking the dogs.

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

128 people are currently reading
2660 people want to read

About the author

Blaize Clement

35 books257 followers
My passion is people. I think people are absolutely magnificent. Not the power-hungry heads of governments or churches or corporations who justify all kinds of horror if it suits their goals, but the rest of us. In spite of the awful things some human beings do in order to control other human beings, most people are peacefully going about their own business, and I applaud that. Families are the backbone of any civilization, and parenting is the most important job in the world.

That same passion and respect for people makes me a strong supporter of the right of any two adults who wish to combine their lives and property to do so without anybody judging them or erecting laws to make their lives more difficult. It seems to me that people who go around condemning how or who somebody else loves would better mind their own business and spend that time showing love to their own spouses or lovers.

As a polio survivor, I’m zealous about ADA laws being implemented and intelligently observed. I try to keep a sense of humor about architectural barriers, but curb cuts and gentle ramps aren’t so difficult to install, and they make life a lot easier for many people. And does anybody know the purpose of those metal bars attached to the walls in handicap-accessible bathrooms? I used to think they might be there in case somebody in a wheelchair decided to rinse out her panty hose, but that can’t be it.

My favorite story of all time is Rudyard Kipling’s The Elephant’s Child. When my two sons were little, I would beg them to let me read that story to them, and sometimes they would indulge me. When my five grandchildren were small, I made a tape of myself reading it so they could listen to it when I wasn’t there. They indulged me too. I still get a little bubble of delight at the 'satiable Elephant's Child saying to all his dear families, “I am going to the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees, to find out what the Crocodile has for dinner.”

My favorite scene in all literature is from another Rudyard Kipling story, The Jungle Book, where the wolf pack has met to look over the new cubs so they would know their own from an enemy, and Father Wolf pushes Mowgli into the center.

Come to think of it, I suppose those beloved stories about the intelligence and nobility of animals, coupled with my passion for families and children has inevitably led to writing the Dixie Hemingway Mystery series. The relationship between people and pets is one of the highest examples of unconditional love, and Dixie Hemingway is a professional pet sitter who values her family and the pets she takes care of above all else.

Okay, we’re almost finished with this pseudo-bio.

I think the best writing being done today gets the least amount of respect. Good writing isn’t determined by the subject matter, but by how well the writer keeps the reader fascinated and anxious. With few exceptions, that means good mysteries, horror, and sci-fi. I’m proud to be a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and Sisters in Crime.

My favorite quote is from the 14th century Sufi poet, Hafiz: “Sweetheart, O Sweetheart, you are God in drag!”

Okay, that’s my bio. Now you know the “real me.” I hope we meet someday and that you’ll tell me about the real you.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/blaize...

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5 stars
874 (29%)
4 stars
1,127 (37%)
3 stars
799 (26%)
2 stars
148 (4%)
1 star
57 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 375 reviews
Profile Image for Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡  .
5,077 reviews636 followers
March 31, 2023
Dixie Hemingway hat ihren Job als Polizistin nach einem schweren Schicksalsschlag an den Nagel gehängt. Nun kümmert sie sich um Katzen und Hunde, während die Besitzer der Tiere verreist oder krank sind. Bei einer ihrer täglichen Besuche findet sie beim Katzenfüttern einen Toten...
🔎🔎🔎
Das Buch lässt sich sehr schnell und flüssig lesen. Es ist ein leichter Krimi für zwischendurch; nicht nur für Katzenfans.
Profile Image for Ed.
Author 68 books2,712 followers
January 28, 2019
I like Dixie. She's persistent, compassionate, and has her flaws, making her human. There's some swearing and violence, but it didn't distract me. The Florida setting is vividly described.
Profile Image for Anne Hawn.
909 reviews71 followers
July 20, 2017
I wasn't as fond of this book as I thought I might be. The plot is simple and fits the cozy mystery genre, but I got tired of all of the posturing the author does throughout the book. Dixie was a Sarasota Sheriff's Deputy until her husband and daughter were killed and she became emotionally unstable. She gets embroiled in an investigation when one of the cats she cares for is found cowering in a corner and a man is found duck taped to the cat's water bowl. Dixie has an uneasy feeling about the whole set-up and she has a hard time explaining to Lieutenant Guidry what is going on.

The part I got very tired of was Dixie's gay brother, Michael and his partner. It is very heavy handed to make all the gay people incredibly handsome, mature and wise and the people who are uneasy about the relationship stupid, intolerant and homophobic. Enough, all ready! This is exactly like the old morality plays except the roles have been reversed and the PC proponents are just as prejudiced and sanctimonious as the people they vilify. Wouldn't it be better to just treat people, gay and straight, as simply people, sometimes bigoted and sometimes wonderful, sometimes handsome, sometimes plain etc.? Isn't that what being inclusive is all about. Just because you are gay doesn't make you handsome, wise and charming and everyone else jerks.
Profile Image for Bird.
787 reviews30 followers
didnt-finish
January 28, 2011
I'm not rating this since I only got about 15% of the way through. But I can definitively say that I'm relieved I got this on paperbackswap rather than actually paying for it.

My issue is that the writing is just bizarre.

Example #1 (talking about cats being indifferent): "Then they'll raise their tails to show you their little puckered anuses and walk away." (p5)

Example #2 (while grooming a client's cat): "I turned Fred so that his anus faced her while I brushed the hair around it." (p48)

Um, really? That's a bit too much talk of kitty butts for me, thankyouverymuch. The first time it was talked about, it was jarring. The second was when I stopped reading. The writer and the agent and the editor all thought those sentiments deserved space on the page? Ugh. What's the world coming to?
Profile Image for Cyndi.
2,450 reviews123 followers
January 28, 2019
Very entertaining! I love a good murder mystery and this one fit the bill. Also I learned a lot about cats I didn’t know. Our heroine had to face the worst thing that can happen to a wife and mother. Now she tries to only deal with pets. Until finding one of the pets with a dead body. Now she has to brush off her detective skills and find the murderer before she’s next.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
499 reviews27 followers
August 1, 2012
Wow..i really did not like this book..for several reasons..i do not care for foul language in a cozy and there was a fair amount in this book..it was fairly depressing ..and i didn't care for the plot or the outcome..i will definitely not continue with this series
Profile Image for Jonathan.
588 reviews47 followers
June 1, 2016
Really 4.5 stars, but I rounded up.

I simply couldn't put this book down; it was THAT good! I started this last night and went to bed with 80 pages read, but every single spare second I got today I picked it back up. Filled with stunning descriptions and chilling scenes this book was by far a winner!

Dixie was one of the realest, most relatable MCs I've read in a while. She was blunt, yet Ms. Clement did a wonderful job of making her perfectly realistic and in no way was Dixie annoying. The other characters (Dixie's brother, the detective) were also wonderful and relatable.

The setting was also wonderful. Many authors have recently been making their settings so pretentious, and uppity that it's driven a wedge between the book and me. However, this setting was wonderful in the fact that it was not pretentious or uppity. The mystery was the only lackluster part of the book. It had heart-pounding moments, sure, but the killer was obvious for awhile before the reveal.

Overall a superb book. I will be read the next one and I highly recommend!
Profile Image for Tracy.
352 reviews13 followers
November 28, 2011
I abandoned this book (and author) with no regrets.

Reason #1: Apparently the main character has some sort of big bad in her background that caused her to leave the police force and become a pet-sitter. There were hints and occasional surface explanations, but nothing that explained much. If this is to be a defining aspect of why the main character is who she is, then explain it - don't make me extrapolate.

Reason #2: Weird writing style. Do I really care about cat anuses or that the 'blessed air conditioning' made someone's nipples hard? Do I care that a medical professional had hairy knuckles and so by extension probably had a hairy back? What does this have to do with the price of eggs in Cincinnati?

Profile Image for Laura.
420 reviews83 followers
June 16, 2024
I read all these books, but it was before I was on Goodreads. I adored them and I was so sad when she died.💔🐈
Profile Image for Mary K..
1,075 reviews
August 17, 2021
I had lots of problems with this book almost from the get-go. The main character, Dixie Hemmingway, suffered a terrible loss with the death of her young daughter and husband in an accident, but then continues to act like a teenager with disturbing (and to my opinion) unneeded references to how her nipples felt under her tee-shirt, crotch descriptions, blow-jobs...etc. I kept thinking the author would redeem the characters but it mired deeper into the mud of sexual garbage.
One star is too generous. I did finish it just so I could write this review.
Profile Image for Tari.
3,630 reviews102 followers
March 8, 2017
Awesome intrigue

This had me suspecting but still unsure until the end. A little edgier and I probably wouldn't really call it a cozy just a heads up. I did enjoy it a lot and am anxious to read the next one because it has a dachshund in it.
Profile Image for Chaitra.
4,483 reviews
April 6, 2018
I think I liked Dixie enough to continue the series, but it was hard to believe that she would keep so much close to her chest while also actively providing information to the police. Don't killers get off on technicalities such as obstruction? As a former sheriff's deputy, I'd think she would know enough not to try that.

There's also a lot of facts about cats which especially don't concern my cat. Anxious and needy, my cat. And it eats anything and everything, no turning his nose up at anything, the greedy pig. But the thing that made me side-eye the book was the handling of the Rush Limbaugh/Alex Jones kind of character. He's hateful and frothing, so it's nice to see him getting his due, but it just bugged me - the convenience of it. But it's a cozy mystery, and not a book I'd look for social commentary, so I'll give it a pass.
Profile Image for kathy.
1,462 reviews
May 28, 2024
I read this series a long time ago when they first came out. I thought I would revisit the first book! It really grabs you. Gets the stage set up for all the main characters throughout the other books. It’s very good. When I first read this series, I was working as a nurse. Little did I know that when I retired, I would become a pet sitter myself!
Profile Image for ✨ Gramy ✨ .
1,382 reviews
October 7, 2013
This book is about a woman named Dixie Hemingway, a pet sitter that is very devoted to the pets she agrees to take care of. Dixie continues to struggle with the loss of her husband daughter about three years prior. It is a thriller that grabs your attention as different aspects of events unfold enveloping Dixie in confrontations she wasn't sure she could cope with. She soon finds she is much stronger than she had been since the sudden death of her late husband and only child. It was written well and I appreciated the surprise ending.
Profile Image for Jenny Clark.
3,225 reviews121 followers
August 30, 2020
Decent story and narrator. I did like the fact that Dixie was not a rookie detective, she had actually had training. I also liked the dynamic between her and her brother, as well as her and Phil. The only thing I was not a huge fan of was the way she kept keeping information from the cops, and it never really came back to bite her. Overall, a quick read without much depth, though there were a few places where it touched a bit deeper... about what you expect from these types of mysteries.
Profile Image for Debra.
147 reviews
March 14, 2015
Don't let the cutesy title fool you. This is much more than a cozy mystery! My reviews don't contain descriptions of the character or a synopsis of the plot. You can get that from the book jacket or Amazon's review. Suffice it to say, the protagonist, Dixie Hemingway, Professional Pet Sitter, Ex Sheriff's Deputy, in Siesta Key, Florida, is involved in some pretty fascinating crimes for someone you would think is in a relatively safe occupation. I have only read two of her books, but they keep getting better. I like them for many of the reasons those who choose more saccharine mysteries don't.
The series is well-written, with enough of a twists-and-turns plot to keep you guessing. If you are looking for a cozy about a cat who talks or solves the mystery, this one isn't for you. If you would prefer a mystery where the murder victim is licked to death by kittens, skip this series. It's grittier than a cozy, has an element of a police procedural and at times, borders on a thriller. Ms Clement's books are not easy to categorize, but intriguing ones to read. I will be savoring this exciting series one after the other!
Profile Image for Ellen.
1,050 reviews176 followers
June 4, 2017
"Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter"

Dixie Hemingway finds herself cat/pet sitting at this stage of her life. This was not her first choice as a career. She was a deputy sheriff in Sarasota Florida. The unfortunately events that led to this change of careers she has yet to fully cope with. Dixie had a caring and loving husband with an adorable little girl, Christy. Both are gone and she's left with an emptiness and an ache in her heart that needs to be mended and filled.

Dixie's way of mending is to care for animals rather than humans. She's more than good at it and has a regular clientele. This day she's going to one of her regular clients, Marilee, to care for her cat, ghost. But something is just not as it usually is in Marilee's home. So she starts to snoop around looking for Marilee.

That's when Dixie is confronted with a corpse...who is it and why is this dead person in her client's home?

I loved this new author and new series for me. The writing is smooth and each page was clearly defined with characters and relationships that blended and added to the story.
Profile Image for CindyLulu.
31 reviews
September 22, 2009
Okay, I am a mystery - suspense fan. Love a good mystery, but this wasn't even a great mystery. I rather find out who was "knocked off" when the body is discovered; not when a writer says: "This will be the last time I see her/him alive". Ms. Clement has done this type of mystery writing "discovery" in two of her books. I recommend her "Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund" at least you don't know the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How, until Dixie herself stumbles upon it.

The plot in Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter: The First Dixie Hemingway Mystery was predictable and this preachy business for Gay acceptance was over the top. If I want a sermon, I would go to a church on Sunday and get one. I don't need to have it throughout the story!

I highly recommend her "Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund" a greater written story!


Profile Image for Deirdre.
2,030 reviews82 followers
December 1, 2008
Dixie Hemingway (no relation) was a deputy with Sarasota County's Sheriff's Department in southwest Florida. After a tragic accident she has problems dealing with people so she leaves the Sheriff's Department and starts a business pet-sitting on Siesta Key. She takes her job seriously but also realises that her life needs something else.

That something else is probably not a dead body at one of her jobs. Drowned in a cat's water bowl she finds herself a suspect and being chased by some unsavory characters.

It's a cosy mystery, you don't really expect much but this one was quite interesting in itself. I did guess the murderer but the red herrings kept me questioning my guess which made it all the more enjoyable. I look forward to more in this series.
Profile Image for Erin L.
1,123 reviews42 followers
November 2, 2017
oh, the problems with this book. Our main character enjoys describing other female characters in the worst possible way for the most part. Or she has nothing to say about them. And men are just delightfully standard (and dull) accompaniments to the awful women.

I was excited about some gay representation, but it really didn't go beyond rather cardboard interactions with the main character. This could have been much more interesting.

I was so bored by the mystery that after 100 pages, I flipped ahead and read the last 3 chapters so I could move on with my life.
Profile Image for Michele.
2,121 reviews37 followers
July 1, 2014
I loved this! It was a great story...great characters....but it takes place on Siesta Key in Sarasota, Florida. I used to go down to Siesta Key and visit my grandparents and know many of the places and recognize the roads and restaurants.
Profile Image for Elia.
140 reviews4 followers
September 3, 2014
This book should have been a lot of fun. I like murder mysteries and I like animals, perfect match, right? Nope. The author kept annoying me with her choice of language. It was just unnecessary and started to bog down the whole story. And I don't mean swearing, I can handle that. :)
Profile Image for Sasha.
572 reviews17 followers
May 8, 2023
dnf at 37% - weird language and prose. It read like it was written by a man and it made me slightly uncomfy
Profile Image for Nancy Ellis.
1,458 reviews48 followers
January 25, 2020
Another book I wish had read sooner. What a pleasant surprise! Dixie is a former sheriff's deputy who left her job after a traumatic accident. She now works as a pet sitter. She has a busy day when she begins by finding a man's body in the house of a woman she believes has left town. Unfortunately, a few days later she also finds the woman's body. After befriending the young man who lives next door in a very unfortunate family situation, she also finds him beaten half to death. Naturally the police consider her a "person of interest".....but since this is a cozy mystery, there is a handsome (available) detective, and all is worked out satisfactorily. The characters are thoroughly enjoyable, even the "bad" guys, and the story is delightful. There are also some really funny lines along the way. Definitely a good find!
Profile Image for Teighlor Chaney.
18 reviews8 followers
January 22, 2019
This book was a little heavy handed for my tastes, but a fun little quick read. I probably won’t bother reading the rest of the series, but wouldn’t put it down as an impossibility.
586 reviews3 followers
March 31, 2025
Dixie gets mixed up in the murders of two people, one of whom is a client. If only she could find a good home for Ghost, her deceased client's cat. It gets complicated.
Profile Image for Maureen DeLuca.
1,328 reviews39 followers
June 1, 2025
I wouldn't call me a 'cozy reader' all the time. Normally if I want a fast quick read while waiting for some books to come in at the library. So - the first in this series and it was cute, I liked it a lot. I'm even going to continue this and get the 2nd in the series!
Profile Image for ☺Trish.
1,403 reviews
April 19, 2018
Curiosity Killed The Cat Sitter by Blaize Clement is an admirable introduction to the Dixie Hemingway Mystery cozy series. Reading Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund next.
Profile Image for Diane.
1,140 reviews41 followers
December 11, 2012
Genre: Cozy mystery, who-done-it, female sleuth.

How I found this? I was looking for something like the Lily Bard series by Charlaine Harris (which I've read an embarrassing number of times. I also wanted something read by Narrator Julia Gibson, who's voice I'm kind of obsessed with.

Don't let the cover fool you. I found myself tearing up at some points. Daisy used to be a deputy until a tragedy happened. Now she is a pet sitter and takes that very seriously. NO, she didn't get raped. There's enough of that going around. What DID happen immediately had me rooting for her and marked her a strong an interesting female.

So, when she finds a dead body in the home of a pet owner that is out of town, her natural curiosity gets her involved, sometimes finding clues ahead of the police, and making her a possible suspect.

I loved everything about this, including the supporting characters. There are themes of friendship, family, getting over a tragedy and much more. This really hit the spot.

Oh, and the cat thing. You don't have to be an animal lover to read this, but I'm sure it will help. I'm a cat person and I actually learned some stuff.


Displaying 1 - 30 of 375 reviews

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