by Patricia Fry
She nodded. “But what does that have to do with anything?”
“I can’t believe that,” Savannah said. “Are you sure it was this cat you saw?”
“Oh yes,” Lois said. “He wasn’t wearing that harness, but yes, it was him. You didn’t miss him?”
“No,” Savannah said. “As far as I knew he was safe inside the lodge.” She let out a deep sigh. “But the stuff in that bucket sure tells a different story.”
“What do you mean?” Lois asked, obviously annoyed.
Michael took a deep breath and looked down at Rags, who had jumped off his lap and now lay at the woman’s feet. “Lois, meet Rags, the klepto cat.”
“What?”
“Yes, evidently, unbeknownst to us, he’s been escaping, and when he escapes, he almost always steals,” he explained.
“True,” Savannah said. “See those earbuds? I’m pretty sure he took those from the gal in cabin five. And a man in cabin two asked us to be on the lookout for those fishing lures.” She nodded toward Scott. “Rags took photographs from this gentleman, and a gear brush from a bicyclist in cabin three.”
“Oh,” the woman said. She looked at the cat and tilted her head.“Rags, did you say? Is he the one I saw in that documentary?”
Savannah grinned. “He sure is.”
“Oh my. That’s just… Wait, let me go get my husband—he’ll want to meet Rags. Can we take some pictures to show our family back home?”
“Sure,” Michael said, amidst a lot of laughter.
Between chortles, Keith asked, “The cat has been sneaking out at night?”
Michael thinned his lips and shrugged. “What can I say? He rules the roost.”
“And, apparently the lodge, and the mountain,” Holly said. “I’ve never seen anything like that cat.”
Savannah lifted him onto her lap. “Nope. He’s one of a kind, that’s for sure.”
****
Once Lois and her husband had gone back to their cabin and Adam and Cassie had returned all the items they’d found in Rags’s mountain stash, Keith asked, “So Michael, what do you folks have planned for the rest of the summer?”
Michael looked down at Teddy as he snuggled in his daddy’s arms and gazed at Savannah, who held Lily on her lap. “Well, we have, what—six more days here, then another week or ten days in your neighborhood. So I guess we’ll vacation, now that we’ve completed our task.” He grinned at Scott and Aggie.
“Yes, I’d like to see some of the sights before we head back to California,” Savannah said. “And,” she added rather dramatically, “now that I have the time, I want to start writing my book.” She chuckled. “I mean Rags’s book. I really need to get something to the publisher within the next month or so. I’d like to have it ready for readers in December or early next year, for sure.”
“Do you think there’s a market for a story about a cat?” Keith asked.
Aggie, Savannah, and Holly all said, “Oh, yes.”
Aggie added, “My favorite books, these days, involve cats. I love reading about cats, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction.”
“I’m a cozy mystery fan, myself,” Holly said, when I’m not reading historical fiction. “What I love about these stories is that most of them are suitable for children. I’m always reading parts of them to the girls.”
“According to Rob, my… um… agent—well, I guess you’d say Rags’s agent—cat stories are the rage,” Savannah said.
“And his children’s books are selling well,” Michael added. “So I imagine there are readers who are eager for his memoirs.”
Keith chuckled. “So while your wife holes up in the office writing, Michael, what will you do with the rest of your vacation?”
He winked at Scott and grinned at Keith. “I was hoping one of you guys would teach me how to fish.”
“I’ll teach you, Dad,” Adam said. “It’s easy. All you have to do is…”
“Easy, huh?” Keith said, tousling the boy’s hair. “Yeah, maybe when you have beginner’s luck.”
“Hey,” Scott said, “I don’t know about the rest of you, but to me, going fishing with you boys…” he glanced at the others, “… and you girls, doesn’t have anything to do with catching fish.”
“No?” Michael questioned.
“No. It’s all about being together.” He choked up. “Finally being together.”
Patricia Fry and Her Books
Stay in touch with Patricia Fry, author of the Klepto Cat Mysteries
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Other books in the Klepto Cat Mystery series
Catnapped (Book 1)
When Savannah Jordan agrees to help her aunt while she recovers from a broken foot, she doesn’t expect to walk into a mystery, become part of a not-quite-legal surveillance team, be kidnapped by a deranged stranger and meet a steaming hot veterinarian.
Beloved neighborhood cats are missing—the community can only guess at their fate—and Aunt Margaret’s life is being threatened. Is it because she has a clue to the missing cats or is it something more sinister? Of course, as in all of the Klepto Cat Mysteries, Rags, an ordinary cat with a most unusual habit, has a paw in saving the day.
If you like light mysteries with only a little terror, if you’re infatuated by interesting cats and if you love a love story, you must read this book.
Available at Amazon.
Cat-Eye Witness (Book 2)
Savannah and Aunt Margaret open the old Forster home to the Hammond Cat Alliance for a fundraiser to help rehabilitate the abused horses rescued months earlier from the catnappers.
Before the afternoon is over, the collected funds go missing and someone is murdered in an upstairs bedroom.
Suspicion surrounds Iris, a local waitress and Savannah’s new best friend. The only witness to the murder is Rags, Savannah’s cat. With the assistance of a cat psychic and Rags’s good friend, Charlotte (the young girl with Downs), the cat helps to “paw” the killer… but not before an attempt is made on Rags’s life. The case is solved only after Rags comes face-to-face with the killer for the second time.
Detective Craig Sledge is new to this book, as is Damon, Iris’s errant son. Sledge finds this to be one of the muddiest cases he has ever worked, with inconsistent clues and no apparent motive. He’s constantly surprised, perplexed and impressed by the cat’s uncanny ability to come up with clues he has missed. His fascination with the attractive Iris Clampton also mystifies the detective.
In this story, one of the rescued horses goes into labor and there’s a night of high drama at the ole corral as veterinarians Savannah and Michael work to save the foal. This experience renews Savannah’s deep interest in horses and riding, which ultimately serves to help her bond with a very important surprise character who finds his way into her life and Michael’s just as they prepare to say their wedding vows.
While Rags is the animal star, he isn’t the only animal featured in this story. Layla is back in all of her tangerine feline beauty. And Rags makes friends with Buffy, a perky almost Himalayan cat and the inseparable duo, Walter, an all black cat and his sidekick, Lexie, a charming Afghan mix dog. Savannah’s new ride, Peaches, also debuts in this story. An incident with this mare adds another dimension to Savannah’s and Michael’s relationship. Can he hold her with open arms?
Some say this is a love story with a mystery in the background. And it’s a story of family and friendship as newlyweds Margaret and Max continue to be a meaningful part of Savannah’s and Michael’s world.
Available at Amazon.
Sleight of Paw (Book 3)
In this story, Michael Ivey, the local veterinarian (Savannah’s new husband) is attacked by an enraged client and then later accused of this man’s murder. The evidence quickly stacks up against Michael, until Rags, Savannah’s kleptomaniac cat, start
s digging up clues implicating the unlikely suspect.
Coinciding with the details of this challenge is the discovery that the old house, which the couple purchased from Savannah’s aunt, is cursed. Is this why the couple has not been blessed with a child?
Savannah’s sister Brianna comes for a visit. She teams up with the Iveys’ vet tech, Bud, to discover how to break the gypsy spell and they fall hard for each other. Will their courtship be strengthened or weakened by a frightening carjacking incident?
Detective Craig Sledge is prominent in this story as the lead investigator in the murder case. As usual, he engages in some creative tactics to get the information and the confessions he’s after. He has also become embedded in Savannah’s friend, Iris’s family. He’s dating Iris and helping with her son, Damon’s rehabilitation in prison. If you read the 2nd in the series, you know that Rags (the cat) helped to put Damon in jail.
Available at Amazom.
Undercover Cat (Book 4)
A popular local journalist goes missing just before she has the opportunity to turn in her story exposing unscrupulous cat hoarders. Not only is Colbi a friend of Savannah’s and Michael’s, Damon (now out of prison and employed by the local newspaper) has a strong personal interest in her. In fact, Damon breaks some rules and some trusts in his search for Colbi.
Is this a love connection? It’s doubtful because Colbi is a strong advocate for the feral cat population and Damon hates cats—or so he believes.
Colbi’s rescue is almost too late. She needs time to heal both physically and emotionally. So the Iveys invite her to recuperate in their home. Just when Colbi begins to feel safe, a body is discovered in the Iveys’ orchard and Rags (their kleptomaniac cat) goes missing. Can someone in a nearby homeless camp shed some light on the evolving mystery?
Available at Amazon.
The Colony Cat Caper (Book 5)
Savannah Ivey, a veterinarian out on maternity leave; her aunt Margaret, the founder of the Hammond Cat Alliance; and Colbi Stanton, a reporter for the local newspaper take on a cat colony at an old, abandoned building. Odd activity around the place makes them wonder if it actually is vacant; some believe it’s occupied by something other-worldly.
When a stranger comes to town and suggests the Alliance open the old building to a fund-raiser, everyone gets involved, including Rags, Savannah’s kleptomaniac cat. He finds something that day that stirs a lot of people—both law-abiding and crooks—into action. Are the feral cats and their caretakers in serious danger? What (or who) lurks inside the old building? What secrets does it hide? And who has the key that unlocks the mystery?
Available at Amazon.
The Celebrity Cat Caper (Book 6)
Rags, the kleptomaniac cat, opens up a whole new bag of tricks, when he becomes a therapy cat in a children's reading program. A documentary film crew arrives to capture the cat in action and they get more than they bargained for. Find out how Rags handles his sudden celebrity status.
In this story, Savannah and Michael Ivey invite strangers into their home during a torrential rainstorm and learn that one of them has a sinister past. Someone is murdered, Savannah is stalked, Michael's life is threatened, and Rags helps to uncover an old mystery that, until now, has everyone baffled.
The Iveys' baby Lily is three-and-a-half-months old and, along with nine-year-old Adam, provides some sweet and warm moments throughout this fast-moving story with many twists and turns.
Avalable at Amazon
The Corral Cat Caper (Book 7)
The Corral Cat Caper features a lot of horse energy. It's rich in adventure of the feline as well as equine sort. In one scene, Rags attempt to save their sweet kitty, Buffy, from a catnapper and Savannah helplessly watches this drama unfold via a surveillance camera app on her phone.
This story is full of sweet and evil surprises, unexpected twists and turns, and plenty of action and adventure.
Available at Amazon
The Gallery Cat Caper (Book 8)
An old friend of Michael’s, who has become a successful artist, invites the entire Ivey family to his beach house. But their vacation is not all fun-and-games. It appears that someone is out to get the artist; and the Iveys and their friends keep stumbling upon clues to the tangled mystery.
Rags is up to his old klepto tricks, and it’s a good thing because, not only do his uncat-like antics prove to be amusing, he manages to save two lives.
Join the hilarity and suspense as this mystery unfolds. Enjoy some of your favorite human and animal characters as well as a few new ones, all of them giving this story a light and rich quality.
Available at Amazon
Mansion of Meows (Book 9)
Rags's documentary is scheduled to debut. The showing will take place at the investor's San Francisco mansion, where the Ivey family and film crew will stay. Of course, the mansion holds secrets and Rags is instrumental in letting the cats out of the bag.
Savannah and Aunt Margaret share another daring adventure and, of course, find themselves in deeper than they expected.
This mystery may be the most eerie in the Klepto Cat Mystery series.
Available at Amazon
PAWtners in Crime (Book 10)
When Michael and Savannah invite young burn victim and heir Arthur Spence into their home, they don’t expect danger to follow. The sensationalism around his family’s dark secrets have the paparazzi in a photo-snapping frenzy and the young man isn’t yet equipped to deal with their shenanigans. Are they issuing the unnerving threats to Arthur’s life, or is it a beloved family member? Rags, the kleptomaniac cat, has a new PAWtner in fighting crime and what a team they make. They delight in sticking their noses and digging their claws into the facts of the frightening matter. Hold onto your seats—there are some harrowing moments in this story, and some startling surprises.
Available at Amazon
PAWSitively Sinister (Book 11)
The Ivey family travel to San Francisco to help Arthur and his long-time friend, Suzette, clean out the mansion. News of the massive estate sale lures a variety of people, including former residents and long-ago visitors, each carrying stories of bizarre activities occurring there in the past. When the klepto cat, Rags and his pawtner Koko make some ghastly and ghostly discoveries, everyone goes into research mode and they’re stunned by what they uncover - evidence of people gone missing, a treasure-trove of loot, and spirits unable to rest. This is by far the most PAWSitively Sinister story in the series.
Available at Amazon.
The Purrfect Lie (Book 12)
When the Iveys and the Sheridans find a deathbed confession letter, Savannah and her Aunt Margaret spring into action. Is Savannah’s imagination playing tricks on her or has she stumbled upon the unaware kidnap victim mentioned in the letter? In the meantime, there’s trouble at the Sheridans’ cat shelter and Rags, the kleptomaniac cat, leaps right into the middle of the tangled mess. Only the cat knows who is putting his feline friends in danger. Meet some interesting new characters in this story and be prepared to laugh and to cry. The feel-good ending is worth the admission price of this book.
Available at Amazon.
A Picture-Purrfect Christmas (Book 13)
A spellbinding story of love, hope, and a child's innocent Christmas dreams. When Savannah Ivey agrees to teach photography to a group of at-risk children, she doesn't expect a sweet-spirited little crippled girl to steal her heart and become an important part of her family. Even Rags, the kleptomaniac cat, is captivated by the child named Marissa. When she goes missing, everyone, including Rags, experiences the pain of loss.
Detective Craig Sledge fears that Marissa's unscrupulous, non-custodial father may be behind her disappearance and the search escalates into high gear. When even a pack of rescue dogs can't find the child, the detective turns to Rags and everyone prays for a Christmas miracle. Can Rags succeed where the others have failed?
While this story involves some intense drama, it will also make you smile and even laug
h out loud. Bring out the tissues for the beautiful ending. A Picture-Purrfect Christmas is one of those feel-good holiday stories you'll want to read over and over again.
Available at Amazon.
Meow for the Money (Book 14)
In this story, Rags, the klepto cat, saves a beautiful Himalayan when he finds her near death one chilly night. Did this pampered kitty escape or was she abducted? Her wealthy owner, June Balcomb, can only guess. June is so grateful to Rags that she embraces the entire Ivey family, and Savannah and Rags become frequent visitors at the Balcomb estate. It doesn’t take Savannah long to realize someone close to June is out to harm her.
The plot thickens when those June relies on most come under attack, her grandnephew is kidnapped, her attorney stabbed, and a trusted employee dies. When someone attempts to poison one of her cats, June agrees to bring in a whole new staff—all friends of the Iveys. Against the advice of others, she also hires a young woman who was only recently released from jail. Will things calm down for June once she has sent her staff and relatives away? Not until Detective Craig and Savannah, with a lot of help from Rags, start stirring things up.
Available at Amazon.
Claws for a Cause (Book 15)
Just when Michael and Savannah Ivey think their tropical vacation is over, a stranger arrives from the islands with demands they cannot fulfill. Imminent danger follows as a frantic search for the mysterious missing item ensues. Savannah is drawn into a friend’s dilemma when Colbi’s long-lost brother returns—an event that becomes personal for Savannah. When Rags, the klepto cat, finds incriminating evidence that this man might not be who he claims to be, chaos becomes the order of the day and Colbi’s life begins to unravel. In the meantime, there are rumors of wolves terrorizing the neighborhood and locals take up arms against them with some frightening results. All the while, Rags keeps a secret that puts his family in peril, but two unlikely friends team up to thwart a potentially bloody duel.
