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SCRATCH THE SURFACE is the story of a writer of cat mysteries, Felicity Pride, a 53-year-old former teacher who was only too happy to leave the classroom for full-time writing when she received an unexpected inheritance including a large house in a prestigious new housing development in the Boston area. She has moderate success, few friends, and participates in several writers associations. She also has a dark secret -- she has never owned a cat. This has led to a few slip-ups in her novels but she is quick to learn from her mistakes when they are pointed out by her readers. Returning home from a book signing one evening, Felicity is shocked to discover two bodies in her vestibule, one a dead man, one a live cat. As quickly as she calls the police, she is also plotting on how to use the situation to her advantage for PR purposes, and keeping hold of the cat is just one step in the plan. The Chartreux cats in this novel don't talk either with Felicity or each other, but we do get short snippets of how they feel, and their very existence gives Felicity some important leads as they begin to win her affections. SCRATCH THE SURFACE is the first of a new series of Cat Lover Mysteries by Susan Conant, already well known for her Dog Lover tales. I haven't tried the latter, being a cat person myself, but the experience of writing them has undoubtedly contributed to making this a slick page-turner. The author has done her homework on this subgenre well and makes reference to many of her competitors in the course of the book, and the tried and tested rules of the game. I particularly like the way Felicity is very aware of how her own fictional sleuth, Prissy LaChatte, would be working the case, but decides her own life is coming up a bit short. Her best friend is a little too eccentric and unsympathetic to win over her readers, the police chief hasn't asked for her help, or asked her to lunch, and she isn't really sure what to do with the cat. I wasn't sure I was in the mood for this book when I picked it up, but I read it in one sitting and was very entertained. In many ways Felicity is too calculating and self-centred, but she is presented to us with such deft humour that I couldn't help but like her as a protagonist, although I suspect that others with a different sense of humour might not. The plot had some moments of great originality although its conclusion disappointed a little, but this is a tale well told. I hope the next in the series manages to maintain its distinctiveness and self-deprecating humour and doesn't adopt too many of the cliches that Felicity herself would recognise, although it would be a hard act to pull off. As it is, SCRATCH THE SURFACE is a fun way to pass a winter evening and should appeal to most cozy mystery lovers, although those familiar with other cat mystery series will no doubt derive the most pleasure from it.
Reviewed by Bridget Bolton, October 2005
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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