Max may look like an ordinary ginger cat, but he is anything but ordinary. He can actually communicate with his owner, Ordelia, a reporter. He can go around town, snooping for scoops which he delivers to Ordelia, who always protects her source. It’s a great life, until a new cat moves in. His name is Brutus, and he lives up to his name as a brute. His owner is the new detective on the force, and he is suspicious of the scoops Ordelia has been writing. She definitely can’t tell him she is getting her info from her cat, a source who is now being intimidated by Brutus. And how can Ordelia figure out who murdered the writer who was discovered in an outhouse if Max is too afraid to make his rounds? It’s a complicated mystery in an intriguing plot, and is peopled by interesting characters and cute cats. You don’t have to be a cat lover to enjoy this tale, but you do have to suspend your belief about ordinary cat behaviors! ( )

The only reason I didn't bail is that I was too tired to pick another book to read. ( )

Too juvenile

It is hard to find a good pet book. This one didn't make the cut for me. Seemed too juvenile; part girlie boy obsessed and kids on the playground. I quit about 10 percent through. ( )

"There's something special about Max. He may look like your regular ginger flabby tabby, but unlike most tabbies, he can actually communicate with his human, reporter for the Hampton Cove Gazette Odelia Poole. Max takes a keen interest in the goings-on in their small town, by snooping around with his best friends Dooley, a not-too-bright ragamuffin, and Harriet, a gorgeous white Persian. Their regular visits to the police station, the barbershop and the doctor's office provide them with those precious and exclusive scoops that have made Odelia the number one reporter in town.But when suddenly the body of a bestselling writer is discovered buried in the last Long Island outhouse, and a new policeman arrives in town to solve the murder, it looks like things are about to change in Hampton Cove. Detective Chase Kingsley doesn't take kindly to nosy reporters like Odelia snooping around his crime scene or interviewing his suspects. And to make matters worse, he's got a cat of his own in Brutus, a buff, black bully, who, just like his owner, likes to lay down the law. Soon Brutus isn't just restricting access to the police station, but he's putting the moves on Harriet, breaking up the band."

I won this from my library in a raffle give-away. It wasn't my favorite genre (cozy mystery) ...but look at that little orange, furry face and tell me how I couldn't have not taken Max home! I read it in one night. It's a fun little mystery. Talking animals are always entertaining. My cat talked to me and let me know exactly what she thought of the human race all the time...so I can imagine how these felines must have been lots of help to the reporter and the cop that were butting heads trying to solve the murder. The author also improved my grasp of the English language with some words I had never heard of. He must have either had a thesaurus or was an English major. I had no idea what “preprandial” meant ... so but I looked it up. It means "done or taken before dinner or lunch". Why he couldn't just say that I don't know. Overall...it's just non-stop fun from start to finish. ( )