Lending a Paw (Bookmobile Cat Mystery 1), by Laurie Cass

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Up to this point, I haven't been listening to audiobooks on a regular basis. I prefer to borrow from the library print books and if I can't get my paws on a specific print book, then I try to get the e-book. When I can't find the e-book, then I borrow the audiobook. And if I can't find the audiobook to borrow, then I cry. LOL. Occasionally, I buy books, but not often.

I'm learning that my attention span with audiobooks is not very long, which is interesting because I don't have a problem listening to podcasts. I listen to them regularly and I usually don't have to rewind them. (Did you know there are several podcasts out there that review Hallmark movies? Yeah, I'm addicted.) With audiobooks, I tend to rewind and replay several times until I absorb everything.

Anyway, for Lending a Paw (Bookmobile Cat Mystery 1), by Laurie Cass, I listened to the audiobook as part of The Cozy Mystery Book Club "rereads". I had never read nor listened to this book before, so it was my first experience with it.

Minnie Hamilton is a librarian who has just started driving a bookmobile with her feline companion, Eddie. Minnie had not intended on having Eddie accompany her, but he had other plans (as cats usually do). On her first day of driving the bookmobile, Eddie leads Minnie to a dead body and together they work together to solve this mystery.

The description of the small town was delightful. I found myself caught up in the whole atmosphere and wanting to spend time in Chilson, Michigan. The bookmobile was especially appealing and I was happy to find out it has a wheelchair lift. The wheelchair lift was mentioned more than once, so it wasn't just a passing thought. I felt represented. (I'm not a full time wheelchair user, but I do use one sometimes.)

I also really loved the star of the show, Eddie, the cat. The book and the series are appropriately named, as Eddie is central to the story. The narration, done by Erin Bennett, is top notch. She was a delight to listen to and she especially nailed the cat sounds (which are not quite "meows"). I'll be honest; I found myself repeating those sounds to my own cats. Lol.

For me, the sleuthing is primarily what I look for in this genre, while still feeling cozy. Unfortunately, this one didn't quite hit the mark on the sleuthing. It wasn't until more than 60 percent in that I was fully engaged. I didn't know who the culprit was and I didn't even know who were possible suspects. Usually I like to have a list of suspects in mind with one or two being prime suspects. That didn't happen. The body was discovered fairly early in the book, so I was hopeful that a good bit of it would be about the sleuthing. When the sleuthing did pick up, it got really good. 

Something else that bothered me about this book was the attitude Minnie had towards Eddie. He seemed like such a lovable, even helpful, cat. However, Minnie just seemed annoyed by him much of the time. Eddie was so forgiving and just kept on purring. I would never have the attitude Minnie had towards my cats, so I found it difficult to connect with her.

That being said, I most likely will continue the series. I liked the setting and Eddie enough to want to visit Chilson again. Maybe Minnie will become more accepting of the things Eddie does in future books. I know that sometimes first in series don't focus heavily on the sleuthing, so I'm hoping there is more of the mystery aspect in future books in the series.

Have you read or listened to Lending a Paw or is it one you might like to try?