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Theda Krakow #4
Probable Claws
When cats start getting sick, feline-loving freelance writer Theda Krakow suspects an accident is to blame. But her shelter-owning rocker buddy Violet claims the contaminated kibble was poisoned.
When Theda starts looking at shelter politics she finds a number of people who could have happily committed this heinous crime. The city shelter may be backing down from a healthy pet initiative, a series of threatening letters suggests a darker motive, and old-fashioned jealousy may factor in as well. The pressure mounts as Thedaas editor grabs onto the idea of a hot storyaand dangles a prime job as bait.
But how can Theda investigate when feelings run so high?
As the music scene rallies to raise funds to save the cats, Theda finds herself on the outs with both her buddies and her longtime boyfriend Bill.
And when sheas caught at a murder scene, bloody scalpel in hand and only her beloved cat Musetta as a witness to what really happened, Theda must scramble to find the real killer before she, and Musetta, become the next victims.
When Theda starts looking at shelter politics she finds a number of people who could have happily committed this heinous crime. The city shelter may be backing down from a healthy pet initiative, a series of threatening letters suggests a darker motive, and old-fashioned jealousy may factor in as well. The pressure mounts as Thedaas editor grabs onto the idea of a hot storyaand dangles a prime job as bait.
But how can Theda investigate when feelings run so high?
As the music scene rallies to raise funds to save the cats, Theda finds herself on the outs with both her buddies and her longtime boyfriend Bill.
And when sheas caught at a murder scene, bloody scalpel in hand and only her beloved cat Musetta as a witness to what really happened, Theda must scramble to find the real killer before she, and Musetta, become the next victims.
255 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
5 people are currently reading
156 people want to read
About the author
Clea Simon
57 books403 followersBoston Globe-bestselling author Clea Simon is the author of
The Butterfly Trap,
a sinister slow-build "he said/she said" that will definitely surprise you.
This follows Bad Boy Beat a fast-paced amateur sleuth mystery featuring a novice crime reporter with a nose for news who is convinced a series of street-level killings are connected.
In a different mood, Clea's most recent cozy is The Cat's Eye Charm, the fifth in her "Witch Cats of Cambridge" series.
She is also the author of the psychological suspense novels, Hold Me Down and World Enough, both named "Must Reads" by the Massachusetts Book Awards, as well as the dystopian Blackie and Care black cat series (The Ninth Life), the Dulcie Schwartz feline/academic mysteries (Shades of Grey), the Pru Marlowe pet noir mysteries (Dogs Don't Lie), and the Theda Krakow cats & crime & rock & roll mysteries (Mew is for Murder), as well as three nonfiction books: Mad House: Growing Up in the Shadow of Mentally Ill Siblings; Fatherless Women: How We Change After We Lose Our Dads; and The Feline Mystique: On the Mysterious Connection Between Women and Cats.
The recipient of multiple honors, including the Cat Writers Associations Presidents Award, she lives in Somerville, Massachusetts, with her husband, Jon Garelick, and their cat, Thisbe. Find her at Clea Simon.com
This follows Bad Boy Beat a fast-paced amateur sleuth mystery featuring a novice crime reporter with a nose for news who is convinced a series of street-level killings are connected.
In a different mood, Clea's most recent cozy is The Cat's Eye Charm, the fifth in her "Witch Cats of Cambridge" series.
She is also the author of the psychological suspense novels, Hold Me Down and World Enough, both named "Must Reads" by the Massachusetts Book Awards, as well as the dystopian Blackie and Care black cat series (The Ninth Life), the Dulcie Schwartz feline/academic mysteries (Shades of Grey), the Pru Marlowe pet noir mysteries (Dogs Don't Lie), and the Theda Krakow cats & crime & rock & roll mysteries (Mew is for Murder), as well as three nonfiction books: Mad House: Growing Up in the Shadow of Mentally Ill Siblings; Fatherless Women: How We Change After We Lose Our Dads; and The Feline Mystique: On the Mysterious Connection Between Women and Cats.
The recipient of multiple honors, including the Cat Writers Associations Presidents Award, she lives in Somerville, Massachusetts, with her husband, Jon Garelick, and their cat, Thisbe. Find her at Clea Simon.com
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 26, 2009
My favorite computer moments, however awkward, are when I have a cat sitting on my desk, another cat lying across my chest and arms and a dog at my feet. There is just something comforting in being surrounded by my fur friends. It might come as a surprise then when I tell you that I haven’t always been a fan of animal related mysteries. No, that isn’t quite true. I had not really tried enough to form that solid of an opinion. What I had read had not impressed me much and so for quite a while, I shied away from them.
And then I was introduced to Clea Simon’s Theda Krakow series. It was impossible not to fall in love with Musetta, Theda’s beautiful and playful tuxedo cat. What I like most about this particular series is how natural the cats are in the book. The cats are natural and realistic, which fits well with this series. They behave just like my cats. There are moments when I find myself nodding, “Parker does that!” Or light is shed on a behavior I might not have understood before.
Another aspect I like about the Theda Krakow series is how character driven the books are. Theda’s personal and professional lives are woven together in such a way that they are integral parts of the mystery; the club music scene and her involvement with the cat community, included. In Probable Claws, the line is even more blurred as Theda’s career and relationships suddenly are put into precarious positions. What begins as a suspected poisoning of cats at her friend Violet’s shelter soon escalates into murder, and Theda becomes the number one suspect. Could shelter politics be behind everything? Or is a simple case of jealousy or greed?
Animal shelters carry a heavy burden in our society, and Clea Simon touches upon some of the difficulties they face. While her novels focus on cats, the issues also apply to other pets, such as dogs as well. In Probable Claws, the author addresses the problem of over population and euthanasia. With over population, it is difficult to maintain a no kill stance and yet many shelters are trying to go that route, limiting euthanasia only to hard to place animals. But what exactly constitutes a hard to place animal? This too is under scrutiny and a serious issue to consider.
Theda is in the thick of things in Probable Claws and she comes across as strong but vulnerable. So much in her life seems to be going downhill all at once and the author captures Theda’s internal struggle of trying to stay in control despite the odds. Many of Theda’s friends make an appearance in Probable Claws, including her boyfriend Bill and one of my favorite characters, Violet. The reader gets the opportunity to know fellow reporter Ralph a little better in this novel. Although he isn’t the most likeable guy, I found myself feeling sorry for him as the novel progressed. But only a little.
Probable Claws, the fourth book in the series, is the best yet. The mystery is tightly woven and the tension builds as the story unfolds, resulting in a climax that was both exciting and satisfying. Theda grew as a character in this book, and I look forward to seeing where the author takes her next.
And then I was introduced to Clea Simon’s Theda Krakow series. It was impossible not to fall in love with Musetta, Theda’s beautiful and playful tuxedo cat. What I like most about this particular series is how natural the cats are in the book. The cats are natural and realistic, which fits well with this series. They behave just like my cats. There are moments when I find myself nodding, “Parker does that!” Or light is shed on a behavior I might not have understood before.
Another aspect I like about the Theda Krakow series is how character driven the books are. Theda’s personal and professional lives are woven together in such a way that they are integral parts of the mystery; the club music scene and her involvement with the cat community, included. In Probable Claws, the line is even more blurred as Theda’s career and relationships suddenly are put into precarious positions. What begins as a suspected poisoning of cats at her friend Violet’s shelter soon escalates into murder, and Theda becomes the number one suspect. Could shelter politics be behind everything? Or is a simple case of jealousy or greed?
Animal shelters carry a heavy burden in our society, and Clea Simon touches upon some of the difficulties they face. While her novels focus on cats, the issues also apply to other pets, such as dogs as well. In Probable Claws, the author addresses the problem of over population and euthanasia. With over population, it is difficult to maintain a no kill stance and yet many shelters are trying to go that route, limiting euthanasia only to hard to place animals. But what exactly constitutes a hard to place animal? This too is under scrutiny and a serious issue to consider.
Theda is in the thick of things in Probable Claws and she comes across as strong but vulnerable. So much in her life seems to be going downhill all at once and the author captures Theda’s internal struggle of trying to stay in control despite the odds. Many of Theda’s friends make an appearance in Probable Claws, including her boyfriend Bill and one of my favorite characters, Violet. The reader gets the opportunity to know fellow reporter Ralph a little better in this novel. Although he isn’t the most likeable guy, I found myself feeling sorry for him as the novel progressed. But only a little.
Probable Claws, the fourth book in the series, is the best yet. The mystery is tightly woven and the tension builds as the story unfolds, resulting in a climax that was both exciting and satisfying. Theda grew as a character in this book, and I look forward to seeing where the author takes her next.
June 7, 2009
Four books into her series featuring Theda Krakow, rock critic and cat-lover, Clea Simon shows no signs of burnout, which is good news for readers. I do sometimes wonder how many different cat-related crimes she'll be able to come up with, but Theda's life of music, writing, and cats is so seamless that I bet we won't notice when the crimes she solves no longer involve cats in danger. That hasn't happened yet. In PROBABLE CLAWS, Theda's friend Violet calls in a panic -- the cats in the no-kill shelter she runs are sick, and she suspects contaminated food. Theda's efforts to locate the source involve her in inter-shelter conflict and eventually in murder. Meanwhile, there are disturbing developments at the paper which carries Theda's column, and relationship issues with her ex-cop boyfriend, Bill. I love this series because of the characters and setting, not that there's anything wrong with the plots. Even the minor characters are easy to visualize, and the major characters give me a glimpse of a life quite different from my own. (When I was Theda Krakow's age, I had a husband, two children, and we owned our third house. I clearly didn't have her commitment issues!) Theda's part of the city of Cambridge is also quite different from the blocks between Porter Square and Harvard Square that we took the train to see when I was in college. Highly recommended.
Read
November 29, 2012I don't know what I was thinking when I picked this up, having given the previous book in the series only two stars. This novel gave me exactly what I should have expected: a clunky story about annoying people who are completely obsessed with their truly horrible cats. Panning this book after reading its predecessor would be like going into a porn theater and being outraged by the obscenity....and yet I can't seem to help myself.
August 10, 2018
Not my favorite cat cozy. I had problems liking the characters, and I'm tired of main characters who are accused of a crime but can't help but do things that make themselves look worse. I also had problems believing a freelance writer could afford to live in the Boston area by writing 1 article a week. I doubt I'll revisit this series.
December 29, 2017
A fun read, but I found the main character a little hard to relate to.
December 13, 2018
The weakest of the series, imo
May 1, 2013
Another crackerjack adventure from Clea Simon.
This time around not only are Theda Krakow's friends in trouble, she's in trouble up to her eyeballs! The whole crew is back, Theda and her tuxedo cat, Musetta, Violet and Caro at the no-kill cat shelter, Tess, Bunny, Real Estate broker, Patti, fellow Mail music critic Ralph, Mail Arts editor, Tim, and, of course, Theda's S.O., Bill. Add a few new characters in Francesca, an aspiring singer/songwriter who has become friends with Tess, Ellis, the 'bar cat' at Bill's Last Stand, Piers, Bill's hunky bartender, Reed, Theda's new neighbor (from the last novel), and Rachel, the vet at the County Shelter who helps out at Violet's shelter.
This is a fairly simple plot to start. Someone has put a poison in the foot at Violet's shelter. Although she is able to save all of the affected cats, where did it come from? Theda is on the case. There are a good number of suspects, from the fanatic animal rights group we met in the last novel, to any number of cranks who send hate mail to Violet and Caro at the shelter, even the vet, Rachael is not above suspicion. But things really heat up when Theda tries to connect the dots between the poisoning, the crank letters to both Violet's shelter and the County Shelter, and rumors that the County Shelter, who has been fundraising on the stand that they will no longer euthanize healthy animals, has, in fact resumed euthanizing animals that are healthy. Theda's quick temper gets her into a shouting match with the vet in front of an office full of clients and staff, and the next morning, when she returns to pick up Musetta, she finds the vet murdered. Hauled off as suspect no. 1 by the police, it's up to her friends to get her out of jail, and up to Theda to unravel the complicated weave of clues that will lead to the real killer. Lots of action. Danger to her friends (obviously, in Rachael's case)and to Theda and her cat and to Ellis, Bill's bar cat.
A quick, fun, satisfying read. Now, I just have to wait to see if there will be another in the series soon!
And, btw, the editing in this novel, as in the others, was very good. I did notice one problem, but I'm not sure whether it was a mistake or just a term with which I am not familiar. At location 2890 on my Kindle, comes this: "Since Musetta was awake, I spent a good ten minutes lunging her."
Now, I'm 66 and I've had cats literally all my life, usually in multiples. That's a term I've never run across, and I couldn't come up with a word that it might mistakenly have replaced. Any enlightenment would be appreciated!
This time around not only are Theda Krakow's friends in trouble, she's in trouble up to her eyeballs! The whole crew is back, Theda and her tuxedo cat, Musetta, Violet and Caro at the no-kill cat shelter, Tess, Bunny, Real Estate broker, Patti, fellow Mail music critic Ralph, Mail Arts editor, Tim, and, of course, Theda's S.O., Bill. Add a few new characters in Francesca, an aspiring singer/songwriter who has become friends with Tess, Ellis, the 'bar cat' at Bill's Last Stand, Piers, Bill's hunky bartender, Reed, Theda's new neighbor (from the last novel), and Rachel, the vet at the County Shelter who helps out at Violet's shelter.
This is a fairly simple plot to start. Someone has put a poison in the foot at Violet's shelter. Although she is able to save all of the affected cats, where did it come from? Theda is on the case. There are a good number of suspects, from the fanatic animal rights group we met in the last novel, to any number of cranks who send hate mail to Violet and Caro at the shelter, even the vet, Rachael is not above suspicion. But things really heat up when Theda tries to connect the dots between the poisoning, the crank letters to both Violet's shelter and the County Shelter, and rumors that the County Shelter, who has been fundraising on the stand that they will no longer euthanize healthy animals, has, in fact resumed euthanizing animals that are healthy. Theda's quick temper gets her into a shouting match with the vet in front of an office full of clients and staff, and the next morning, when she returns to pick up Musetta, she finds the vet murdered. Hauled off as suspect no. 1 by the police, it's up to her friends to get her out of jail, and up to Theda to unravel the complicated weave of clues that will lead to the real killer. Lots of action. Danger to her friends (obviously, in Rachael's case)and to Theda and her cat and to Ellis, Bill's bar cat.
A quick, fun, satisfying read. Now, I just have to wait to see if there will be another in the series soon!
And, btw, the editing in this novel, as in the others, was very good. I did notice one problem, but I'm not sure whether it was a mistake or just a term with which I am not familiar. At location 2890 on my Kindle, comes this: "Since Musetta was awake, I spent a good ten minutes lunging her."
Now, I'm 66 and I've had cats literally all my life, usually in multiples. That's a term I've never run across, and I couldn't come up with a word that it might mistakenly have replaced. Any enlightenment would be appreciated!
March 12, 2009
This was my first Clea Simon's book but not my last. Probable Claws was a great story and a good mystery. I would recommend it to anyone looking for an interesting read with strong characters. Here is my review:
The news is full of reports of food that may not be safe to eat. We are all concerned that food for humans is safe as well as food for animals and our beloved pets.
When Theda Krakow receives a call from her friend Violet, who runs a non-kill shelter, saying that the cats in her shelter are all ill and contaminated food is suspected, Theda is terrified. Theda first her pet Musetta is suffering no ill effects from her food and then decides to investigate where Violet’s food came from and what if any contamination is involved.
The last thing that Theda needs on her plate is an investigation. She is already writing a column covering the music scene in the Boston area. Her editor is pressing her to apply for a full time position with the paper. Theda is also questioning the stability of her relationship with Bill, her boyfriend that has opened a new club.
Before Theda can get her investigation underway, she is accused of murder. The only witness to the murder is Musetta, Theda’s cat, and the cat isn’t talking. Bill manages to get Theda released on bail but proving her own innocence seems to be a difficult feat.
Theda has many balls to juggle in this most recent addition to the Theda Krakow series but she manages to keep them all in the air.
Probable Claws shows that author Clea Simon has done the research on the subjects she addresses in this book. Probable Claws is a pleasant and informative read.
The news is full of reports of food that may not be safe to eat. We are all concerned that food for humans is safe as well as food for animals and our beloved pets.
When Theda Krakow receives a call from her friend Violet, who runs a non-kill shelter, saying that the cats in her shelter are all ill and contaminated food is suspected, Theda is terrified. Theda first her pet Musetta is suffering no ill effects from her food and then decides to investigate where Violet’s food came from and what if any contamination is involved.
The last thing that Theda needs on her plate is an investigation. She is already writing a column covering the music scene in the Boston area. Her editor is pressing her to apply for a full time position with the paper. Theda is also questioning the stability of her relationship with Bill, her boyfriend that has opened a new club.
Before Theda can get her investigation underway, she is accused of murder. The only witness to the murder is Musetta, Theda’s cat, and the cat isn’t talking. Bill manages to get Theda released on bail but proving her own innocence seems to be a difficult feat.
Theda has many balls to juggle in this most recent addition to the Theda Krakow series but she manages to keep them all in the air.
Probable Claws shows that author Clea Simon has done the research on the subjects she addresses in this book. Probable Claws is a pleasant and informative read.
May 11, 2012
Cat-loving mystery fans will enjoy this book. Unlike a lot of "cat-mysteries", this one does not portray the cats as anything other than, well, cats (which is a plus for me, since reading about cats speaking to their people in English, or cats displaying almost supernatural powers of detection, has always been a distraction for me personally).
Theda Krakow has two passions in life: her cats, and her music. (Her boyfriend, she's not so sure about...) When someone starts poisoning the food at her friend's no-kill shelter, Theda rushes to help save the animals, her friend, and her friend's shelter -- until her own adored furrball is also poisoned, her vet is murdered, and Theda is arrested.
While I wouldn't describe this as a "fast-paced, high-suspense" mystery, the plot did have enough twists and turns to keep me interested, and enough red herrings to keep me guessing. My only problem with it (and the reason I rated it 4 stars instead of 5) was that the character development seemed to fall flat in places, and several of the supporting characters seemed rather two-dimensional to me. Simon also could have done with a little less narration and a little more action, in my opinion.
That said, however, I found it to be an enjoyable read ... the perfect book to take on vacation.
Theda Krakow has two passions in life: her cats, and her music. (Her boyfriend, she's not so sure about...) When someone starts poisoning the food at her friend's no-kill shelter, Theda rushes to help save the animals, her friend, and her friend's shelter -- until her own adored furrball is also poisoned, her vet is murdered, and Theda is arrested.
While I wouldn't describe this as a "fast-paced, high-suspense" mystery, the plot did have enough twists and turns to keep me interested, and enough red herrings to keep me guessing. My only problem with it (and the reason I rated it 4 stars instead of 5) was that the character development seemed to fall flat in places, and several of the supporting characters seemed rather two-dimensional to me. Simon also could have done with a little less narration and a little more action, in my opinion.
That said, however, I found it to be an enjoyable read ... the perfect book to take on vacation.
December 16, 2010
If you like great cozies with animals, you'll enjoy the first installment in the Theda Krakow series, Probable Claws. In this one, Theda learns that someone's poisoning kittens with bad cat food. When Theda investigates, she'll find out what's really going on. When she talks to Dr. Rachel, someone attacks Theda and killed Rachel, framing her for the murder. While she's on bail, she tries to put the pieces together in Rachel's life, while she's savaging her relationship with Bill, and someone's sabotaging her journalism career. In the end, she discovers the truth with a shocking ending.
May 16, 2009
All Boston rock journalist Theda Krakow wants to do is get her beloved cat's teeth cleaned. But when she finds a dead body, she instinctively picks up the weapon, and now she's charged with murder. Fortunately, her boyfriend is a former policeman, who can persuade the court to let her be bailed out. Her main employer, facing budget cuts, is not so generous, and refuses to buy more of her columns. That leaves her with almost no money, and facing years in prison. Theda desperately looks for someone else with a motive to kill, which involves suspecting her best friends.
January 27, 2017
As one commentator put it, it's sad when you care more about the cats than the main characters. However, this was the case in this story. I read a previous book in the series and had decided not to read any more. I thoroughly disliked the main character.
I accidently checked this book out from the e-library and am glad I did. The actual cat mystery was a fun listen. Maybe I'll give this author another chance ...
I accidently checked this book out from the e-library and am glad I did. The actual cat mystery was a fun listen. Maybe I'll give this author another chance ...
July 6, 2017
Although it's an interesting mix of cozy and graphic murder mystery, I don't think I'll seek out more books in this series. If I want a fun cat murder I'll go for something in the "Cat Who" series. If I want blood and angst and destruction and redemption of recurring characters I'll read the "Inspector Lynley" series. Combining the two doesn't really scratch either itch for me.
December 31, 2012
What fun! A book written by a cat lover, for cat lovers, and about cat lovers. This is the only book of this series I've read but it was a delightful wallow in the world of cats, music, dating, and murder of course.
July 1, 2009
A mystery involving the Boston music scene, newspaper journalists, animal shelters, lots of cats. I like the series, but the plot for this one was kind of convoluted.
July 14, 2009
This was a good book. There were quite few things going on, which seemed confusing until I really caught on to how the book was written. Very good mystery novel.
June 30, 2009
Boring...never made it past page 50.
September 28, 2013
It's a bad sign when you care more about what happens to the cats in the book than what happens to the human characters. Perhaps I should have read the earlier books in the series first.
Read
August 22, 2015This is an ok series. Heavy on the cat stuff, which I don't necessarily mind.
November 24, 2015
Enjoyedit.
November 30, 2012
Really satisfying cat behavior descriptions,but not so hot otherwise.
February 26, 2013
Very enjoyable mystery. I enjoy the cat characters as much as the human ones.
Read
May 12, 2019DNF
Holding off on rating just in case I want to try it again when I have more time. I just don’t have enough time to read a book I’m not enjoying.
Holding off on rating just in case I want to try it again when I have more time. I just don’t have enough time to read a book I’m not enjoying.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews