Even Cat Sitters Get the Blues

A Dixie Hemingway Mystery #3

by Blaize Clement

Readers raved about bestselling author Blaize Clement’s Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter. Now, Floridian pet-sitting sleuth Dixie Hemingway puts her nine lives back on the line in

EVEN CAT SITTERS GET THE BLUES

Dixie has a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The day she happens upon the dead body outside a fancy mansion is no different. She’s had her fill of homicide investigations, so she leaves the gate-keeper’s corpse to be found by somebody else. Unfortunately, that somebody else sees Dixie leaving the scene of the crime, and the fatal bullet might have even come from her own gun! To make matters worse, the owner of the mansion is Dixie’s new client—a scientist who is either a genius, insane, or both—whose pet iguana is under her charge. All that, plus a feisty calico kitten that needs some TLC, means that time is running out for Dixie to catnip this case in the bud… and collar the killer.

“Clement mixes chick lit and biotech research in this lively adventure.”—Library Journal

“Gutsy, sexy…Dixie is Siesta Key’s favorite pet sitter.”—Sarasota Herald-Tribune

“Will have readers begging for more treats.”—Lansing State Journal

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Animals, Cozy, Cats, Contemporary

397 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

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...

Reviews

[Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Normalerweise kümmert sich Dixie Hemingway nur um Katzen und Hunde, während die Besitzer verreist oder krank sind. Doch nun bekommt sie den Auftrag, sich um einen Leguan zu kümmern. Sie nimmt den Auftrag an, und bald schon findet sie im Anwesen des Luguan-Besitzers eine Leiche. Sie gerät selbst unter Mordverdacht und muss wieder ermitteln.
Nach "Tod auf leisen Pfoten" wieder ein netter Krimi für zwischendurch.
Es liest sich flüssig; man ist gleich in der Geschichte drin. Ich habe mich gut unterhalten gefühlt mit diesem Buch.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a lot to enjoy about this series. I like the sharp observations, wry humor, and persistent main character. Plus, how could you not like a pet sitter?

[✨ Gramy ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a woman named Dixie Hemingway, a former law enforcement officer, who lives and works on Siesta Key in Florida. After leaving law enforcement, she became an experienced pet sitter that is very devoted to the pets she agrees to take care of. She has been struggling to come to grips with the loss of her husband and daughter four years before.

If you love animals, this mystery series should be able to entertain you satisfactorily. Her problem is that she keeps coming across dead bodies. Then she inserts herself into the investigations to try to find the murderer.

This book is able to stand on its own, it's clean, and there is a H.E.A. regarding the dead body.. These are important aspects I consider when rating a book.

There are more books in this cozy little mystery series and I plan to take a literary journey throughout the remainder of them.

I enjoyed this and will continue with the series.

[AngryGreyCat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even Cat Sitters Get the Blues, is book 3 in the A Dixie Hemingway Mystery Series. This is one of the series that I have been reading out-of-order as I have come across the books. I started with one of the later books in the series and was immediately drawn to the character of Dixie and her world in the Florida Keys.

This book doesn’t involve the usual cats or dogs, but instead an iguana. The reader is led on a twisting chase of government agencies, bioterrorism, biochemical weapons, secret labs, murder, and industrial espionage. Dixie reluctantly investigates the murder while visiting her regular clients, including the recurring character Billy Elliott. This is still early on in the series but you can see growth from where Dixie started out in the first book, recovering from the death of her husband and child. There are some references to previous events, but not so much that it interferes with reading the book out-of-order.

This is a great series, well written with detailed plots and rich characterizations that are a cut above the average cozy mystery!

[Alannah Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is #3 in the cozy mystery series starring Dixie Hemingway as sleuth, but it's the first one that I've read.

Dixie, a pet sitter in Florida (and no, not related to THAT Hemingway) receives a strange call from an Irishman wanting her to feed his iguana, Ziggy. She shows up at the mansion at the address she's been given only to find that her "client," an odd scientist, has no idea who she is. What's more, his guard has just been shot dead and his nurse immediately disappears with a number of oddly-wrapped packages from the refrigerator.

I like Dixie and I like the weird assortment of characters and situations she comes across. The only thing I don't like is that she occasionally whines, "I once shot a man" (obviously something that happened in one of the first two books), but never really gives us a real idea of the horror and desperation of it. If you're going to mention a moment like that, then go all-out with it. The author doesn't need to reveal anything in order to add layer and emotion.

Other than that, I'm so glad I discovered this series. I will defininitely be seeking out more in the series!

[Library Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dixie is a quippy character, her brother's an equally quippy gay fireman, there's crazed religious extremists, and a huge lizard. Awesome mystery.

[Mary Tonks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dixie gets involved in the high-tech medical field when she agrees to feed an iguana. It's as cut-throat a world as any blue-collar crime she's known so far.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great cozy mystery. Tells you things that you didn’t know about animals without being boring.

[Emily Kestrel · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I'm feeling groggy and brain-dead at the end of a workday, and I want something light and entertaining that doesn't insult my intelligence, these cat sitter mysteries hit the spot. The third installment was interesting, with a really good (if improbable) story, but as with the first two books, it ended up as an average-but-not-great three-star read for me. In this one, Dixie, our heroine, gets a phone call asking her to drop in and feed a rich guy's pet iguana. Unfortunately, the guard at the gate house is murdered right before she arrives, and the rich guy claims to know nothing about hiring her. (He does, however, have an iguana.)

What I liked (besides the interesting premise): mostly, Ziggy the iguana. I never really gave much thought to iguanas before, but this four-footed character really won my heart. The Florida key setting, full of references to birds and beaches, is always a plus. And I was glad to see that the author's penchant for random crudeness was toned down from the first two books.

What I didn't like as much: It's fine to give Dixie one love interest, but why two? Especially as neither one is all that appealing to me as a reader, I say just stick with Guidry (the cop) and leave the boring lawyer out of it. The other thing is that Clement tends to come across as lecturing the reader on certain issues, which can be a bit annoying.

In this one, two-thirds of the way through, Dixie meets a kitten whose owners are considering getting her declawed, which leads to an extended lecture (from author/character to reader) about how horrible and cruel that is. And maybe that's true; I don't have a cat, but I wouldn't declaw one if I did. Even so, this kitten had nothing to do with the main story whatsoever, and the amount of print dedicated to the issue just seemed like filler/a public service announcement. And then (personal rant alert), Dixie advises one of her clients to give their previously feral rescue cat to a home in the country where he can be outside, because he can't adjust to life as an indoor cat. Just...no. I am firmly opposed to letting cats roam outdoors, both for their safely, and because they can kill a staggering amount of songbirds and other wildlife.

Does this matter to the story? No, and that's my point. Clement is a lot more entertaining when she's telling her tale than when she's lecturing the reader. So once again, I'm weighing in with three stars for the book as a whole.

[LibraryCin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pet sitter Dixie rides her bike past a rich house with a guard. She is going to take shelter from the rain in the guardhouse, until she sees the guard is dead! She returns to the place later to realize that the person who hired her over the phone last-minute to take care of his iguana lives in that house!

This was the third in a cozy mystery series. I'm really enjoying the series, and I really enjoyed this one. Dixie has a bit of romance happening in this book (with two men!). It's tame, but I'm enjoying that, too. I learned more about iguanas than I ever thought I would, and I am impressed with the knowledge the author has of the various animals (and that she's obviously passionate about opposing declawing of cats!).

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't get enough of this series. The plots are intriguing, gritty, and suspenseful. At the same time, Dixie is a hilarious character with quips, statements, and thought processes that will leave you cracking up. She is wry and smart, though she makes a lot of natural mistakes. It prevents her from being the unknowable narrator, an untouchable character. I thought the mystery in this book was particularly strange and bizarre, with lots of twists and turns.

[Gina Lorax · Rating 2 out of 5]

We get it! Clean white Keds. Enough already!!!

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first in the series, with a highly improbable plot.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am greatly bothered by authors who can NOT keep track of the characters, backstories, and plots they create. Blaize Clement and her son apparently never created a timeline for this series. I like the characters; I like the information about various animals, I like the descriptions of the area. HOWEVER, if you check each book in the series in sequence and examine the number of years since the tragedy in Dixie's life and HER age in that book, you will quickly see the inconsistencies. If I can read the books OUT OF ORDER, purely for enjoyment and without a serious attempt to be the authors' copy editor and still spot these inconsistencies, then SOMEONE should have noticed them BEFORE the books went to print and I STRONGLY suggest that all authors who are planning a series create the time line BEFORE you begin the first book in the series and then FOLLOW that timeline.

In this book, Dixie has been tricked into caring for an iguana despite the fact that this breaks her most important rules. You MUST meet the animal and its owner BEFORE agreeing to take the case. She does this out of concern for the animal and a nostalgic memory of her grandfather's iguana. She meets a man who is literally blue. The book ends with a room full of people and guns. This is also the book where we meet Ella, the cat who makes sounds which remind Dixie of Ella Fitzgerald's scat.

[Susie G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not like the actual mystery part of this story as much as the mysteries in the first two Dixie Hemingway stories. However, I very much liked that this book delved more into her personal life (and that she had reached a point where she actually has a personal life). As I just saw pointed out in another review, sometimes the books can come across a bit preachy about various topics. Also, sometimes I find descriptions of characters kind of cringeworthy (stereotypes). However, the author has a great turn of phrase and quite a few times while reading the book I found myself smiling, or re-reading a sentence, or wanting to share a paragraph with a friend. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more Cat Sitter mysteries.

[Scoats · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far, I have read the first three Cat Sitter books in order. I bought them for my wife a few Xmases ago. These are "chick" books, but dudes can dig them too. The universe Blaize Clement creates for Dixie is a good one to spend some in.

Basically this book more of the same as the first two. Dixie stumbles on a body and continues to have feelings for two different men. What makes this one different is the plot. It's a really good and unique one. In this book, previously met characters get more interesting, and new characters are really well drawn out. Clement started out strong and she is getting stronger as a writer.

[Marty · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting/fun read. Dixie Hemingway, ex-cop now a pet sitter, is asked to feed an iguana, and thus gets involved with an almost science-fiction type story. Luckily, Dixie’s grandfather had an iguana as a pet and so she is quite familiar with what these giant lizards need. –She is less sure about what the very sick man (who is almost blue!) needs…. especially when the guard at the gate is killed and the man’s nurse vanishes. A rather strange plot but a good story and I learned a lot about iguanas.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Explaining why I pulled a funny face this evening when hubby asked must have sounded nuts - Ziggy the iguana was just found half “asleep” in a cold wine room and I didn’t recall Dixie being in the wine room. I think hubby may think I’ve lost the plot. This was a cute cozy mystery, once again about animals (thank god none of them talk) and the lady who takes care of them. She’s a pet sitter and from the sounds of things stumbles into murder often. Oh, and she’s an ex-cop so knows her away around a gun. If read more in this series for sure.

[Margie Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Florida's beachside communities favorite pet sitter and former detective Dixie Hemingway has once again stumbled into the middle of a crime. How she gets herself safely out of the middle while she helps solve the crime and begins to take the interest in dating again is at the heart of this book.

My only problem with this book is Dixie constantly knows when she's going to get into trouble, but moves forward anyways. As a reader, I want to scream, "Stop!", but Dixie never stops nor takes precautions.

[Rachel N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dixie Hemingway is recovering the events of the last book so when she sees a body in a guard shack she leaves it for someone else to find. Unfortunately she discovers later that day that she has been hired to pet sit an iguana on the property where the dead guard was found. She was also spotted leaving the area and is now a suspect. Dixie also reenters the dating world. I like Dixie and her passion for animals. This series is a lot of fun and I plan to continue reading it.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this series. Dixie is smart and emotionally fragile, but getting stronger in every book. The mystery was a mystery as well, though so obvious once Dixie figured it out. And who knew that chickens and iguanas have the same circulatory and digestive system as they descended from the same prehistoric animal?

I do wonder where all these good-looking and moneyed men come from that Dixie has found. They were never that prevalent when I was her age!

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lighter murder mystery with a subtle romance. Dixie takes care of all kinds of pets while their owners are awhile. Someway or another she stumbles across a murder and she becomes a suspect. After several years of being a widow she finds herself starting to have an attraction to two men. The one is a lawyer and the other is a detective that seems to always to think Dixie is the suspect. Or does he!

[Carole Mckee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable

I love this Dixie Hemingway series. She is my kind of person. Not only is she an animal lover, but she is a free spirit. She also has what I call a lucky life. For fun and entertainment, I highly recommend the work of Blaize Clement. Wonderful characters and good stories in this light-hearted mystery series. I love this author!

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first Dixie Hemingway Mystery and the first book I've read by Blaize Clement. I just didn't really enjoy it. I found the plot convaluted. Dixie herself was not someone I liked. I don't think I'd hire her to walk my dogs. Dixie, as a former police deputy, truly should have known better than to go barging into the investigation. And the romances were, well, tawdry.

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very judgy. I hate it when authors let their prejudices show, especially when it's not central to the story or the character. That's how you know the author is inserting themselves into the book. Doubt I'll read more of her stuff even if the mystery aspects are interesting. Just too distracting.

[Marion Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I definitely enjoyed this one soooo much. I can’t wait to read the fourth book in the series!!! I’m sure it’ll be as fun and interesting as these 3 I’ve read so far.
I love Dixie and Guildry together but I also like Ethan for her so I’m like conflicted haha

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. My first from this author. It's not a traditional cozy mystery, but I really enjoyed it. I was sad to find out the author died. Apparently her son is continuing the series after her death.

[Holly Keimig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book in this series. This series is definitely closer to actual mystery than cozy, but I enjoy it on occasion. An iguana plays a big role in this one along with a strange medical mystery. Looking forward to the next in the series.

[Ch · Rating 3 out of 5]

easy read

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This book is a bit better than the first two. I wish the plots were a little bit more believable. The author is doing a good job of showing us more of the protagonist's life story.