A former resident and schoolmate of Charlie’s returns for a visit to the hometown after nearly four decades of being absent. Now a huge star in the music and composing industry, someone is not pleased that he is back. Charlie’s friend Melba seems to have a special friendship with Wil, and when Wil and his band members are targeted with murder and attempted murder, she asks Charlie for help. It becomes more complicated when members of Wil’s long ago and now defunct band also seem to be in the crosshairs. It’s always a delight to see Charlie in action, assisted by his astounding cat Diesel. Diesel always seems to know who needs help and who should be suspected of wrongdoing, and Charlie is very good at interpreting Diesel’s moods. This is another great addition to the intriguing and well-written series. ( )

This series has grown on me over the years. It's a true cozy with cozy elements and lovable characters. But, this time around it was a bit bland and mundane. Not enough about the cats and the dog and other characters that made this series endearing.

Also, there are some continuity issues and mistakes. On one page, the library director is Teresa but further on in the book, her name is suddenly Andrea. And there's one scene where Charlie returns from lunch but then a couple of paragraphs later, he heads out to lunch again. And after a description of his lunch at home, the he's magically transported back to the office!

The mystery was intriguing but I guessed who the murderer was before the great reveal and it was a bit of a let down. Not a bad book but others in the series were better and "cozier". ( )

Hiss Me Deadly by Miranda James is the fifteenth A Cat in the Stacks Mystery. It is hard to believe that we have had fourteen adventures with Charlie and Diesel. If you are new to the series, I would recommend starting with one of the earlier books in the series. Charlie and Diesel find themselves caught up in a mystery when musician and composer Wil Threadgill returns to Athena after forty years. Wil has a bad feeling that something is wrong within his entourage. He is hoping Charlie and Diesel will have some insights. I found that to be vague and odd. Then an old friend and high school bandmate of Wil’s end up dead. Charlie is not very hands on in this investigation. He does ask some questions (that’s it). There are a couple of incidents that happen to other people, but we are not privy to them. We are only told about them. The whodunit can be solved before the reveal. I felt the mystery was lacking. There is no sleuthing and no action. There was a subplot involving Wil that added nothing to the book. The story moves along lethargically. All our favorite characters are present including the adorable Diesel (love his warbles and chirps). We get to follow Charlie as he goes about his day-to-day life (getting up and having breakfast, feeding the cats, heading off to work, talking to Sean, etc.). His son, Sean, has an issue with his wife regarding her coming back to work and their new home. He seeks his father’s advice and so does Charlie’s daughter-in-law. There is lots of talking and eating in this installment. Melba acted like a lovesick fool. There was even a moment of jealousy which I thought was out of line. Hiss Me Deadly is my least favorite book in A Cat in the Stacks Mysteries. It needed some oomph (action, humor, sleuthing). I was not a fan of the foul language in the book. There was too much of it and it was unneeded. I am glad that Charlie and Helen Louise are in a good place. I am looking forward to their nuptials. Hiss Me Deadly takes us back to Athena with a returning rocker, an electric killing, curious occurrences, a chirruping cat, a family fuss, a dwelling decision, and matrimonial determinations. ( )

Hiss Me Deadly is the fifteenth book in the A Cat In The Stacks Mystery series.

It’s been a while since the last Cat In The Stacks book but so worth the wait.

This book will take Charlie and his co-worker, Melba, back to their high school days. Their fellow classmate, Wilfred “Wil Threadgill, left Athena when he was 17. He was in a band before leaving for California, where he became a famous musician and composer. As far as Melba knew, she was the only classmate in touch with Wil. Melba informs Charlie that Wil will return to receive an honorary degree from Athena College and conduct clinics with music department members.
When Charlie is introduced to Wil, Wil asks that he is concerned for his life and asks Charlie to watch for any suspicious activity.

Wil and his band that came with him are about to perform at the dinner in honor of Wil. But before they take the stage, John Earl, a former member of Wil’s high school band, jumps on the stage, grabs the microphone, and is electrocuted. Charlie begins to feel that maybe there is something to Wil’s fear that someone is out to kill him. Before long, a member of his travel group is killed in a hit-and-run, and another sustains minor injuries in Wil’s room. A third member of his group dies, which might have been a suicide. Kanesha Berry, sheriff, and her deputies are baffled by the events but work diligently to learn what is happening. Charlie senses that Melba might have feelings for Wil and starts spending time with Wil going over what had happened during high school and what is going on now. They need to find the killer before anyone else is hurt or killed.

In addition to the murder, Charlie had to deal with his son, Sean, and daughter-in-law, getting through a rough patch in their marriage.

The book is well-written, plotted, and engaging. Most of the regular characters are back once again. The characters are well-developed, enjoyable, and believable. Also, Diesel and Ramsey are so adorable. Diesel even ends up being a hero.

I’m looking forward to reading the next Cat In The Stacks book. ( )