Feline Felonies

by Abigail Browning (Editor)

43 Stories from the world's best mystery writers...Tales of murder, mayhem, and meows: Here’s the pick of the litter from the world’s greatest mystery writers. They come from such bestselling authors as Lilian Jackson Braun, whose �SuSu and the 8:30 Ghost” features a charming Siamese who smells a rat in a chilling tale of two spinster sisters and their eccentric neighbor. Also represented: Ruth Rendell, Edgar Allan Poe, Patricia Highsmith, P.G. Wodehouse, Phyllis Eleanor Bentley, Edgar Pangborn, and many others. It’s a chillingly entertaining collection!

Genres: Mystery, Anthologies

432 pages, Hardcover

First published February 25, 2006

Reviews

[Bebe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book expecting a light anthology. I stopped a third of the way through because I found some of the stories too disturbing. Fiction or not, I am unable to enjoy any story about dead cats.

[Jeff Hobbs]

Read so far:

Catspaw / Sandra Woodruff
SuSu and the 8:30 ghost / Lilian Jackson Braun --2
*The caller / Hugh B. Cave
The Alexandrian cat / Steven Saylor
Miss Paisley's cat / Roy Vickers --3
Arnold / Fred Hamlin
Call to witness / Nancy Schachterle
The sin of Madame Phloi / Lilian Jackson Braun--2
*The Nile cat / Edward D. Hoch
Cat's-paw / Mary Reed
*Cat of dreams / the Lockridges
The abominable house guest / Theodore Sturgeon
Phut Phat concentrates / Lilian Jackson Braun--2
The faithful cat / Patricia Moyes--3
A case of catnapping / AZH Carr --3
Who killed Wee Winky? / Barbara Owens
*The witch's cat / Manly Wade Wellman
The cat in the bag / Charles Peterson
The cat and the fiddle murders / Edward D. Hoch
Professor Kreller's secret / Ingram Meyer
*A feline felony / Lael J. Littke
*The lady wore black / Hugh B. Cave
Helix the cat / Theodore Sturgeon
Death at the Excelsior / PG Wodehouse --2
Miss Phipps and the Siamese cat / Phyllis Bentley --2
Little miracles / Kristine Kathryn Rusch
The black cat / Lee Somerville
Cat burglar / Gene DeWeese
The theft of the Mafia cat / Edward D. Hoch
*Spectre in blue doubleknit / Bruce Bethke
The old gray cat / Joyce Harrington --2
*Animals / Clark Howard
The searching cats / the Lockridges --3
The highwayman's hostage / Lillian De La Torre
Ming's biggest prey / Patricia Highsmith --3
The black cat / Poe --4
Chocolate / Leslie Meier
A visitor to Mombasa / James Holding --3
Between a cat and a hard place / Jimmy Vines
The empty birdhouse / Patricia Highsmith --2
The trinity cat / Ellis Peters --3
*Mrrrar! / Edgar Pangborn
*Long live the queen / Ruth Rendell

[Deborah D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intriguing anthology of short stories with felines as the central figure. This is a pretty typical anthology - various styles, themes and societal norms are represented.

Only a few really fantastic ones. A few that I just couldn't engage in and abandoned, even tho the stories are mostly quite short. One or two very disappointing resolutions.

One made me cry (anger and sadness!) - written during the 1980's - I am betting you can guess it once you read it.

I enjoy anthologies because I often 'meet' new writers that I want to read more of.

[Lindsey Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up at the library mostly out of amused curiosity. I assumed this would be a collection of silly whodunnits where happy fluffy cats solve the mysteries (kind of like the stupid Sneaky Pie Brown series). I was pleasantly surprised to discover these stories are of very high quality and (mostly) not silly at all. I liked how most of the stories were intelligent and psychological short stories, involving themes of crime and cats.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was always one of my favorite short story collections. There are several gems involving mystery, humor, and, of course, cats. You should love cats to read this book but it's not required. Some stories are duds but that's inevitable in a collection this big. Most are good and a few a great. I loved it when I was younger and still do now.

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great group of stories for cat and mystery lovers.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great stories; some I liked better than others which is to be expected. Great for anyone who loves cats or mysteries.

[Kara Marie Mitchum]

I've read The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern, and The Cat Who Could Read Backwards, so far.....