Book 'Em, Eddie - (Bookmobile Cat Mystery) by Laurie Cass (Paperback)

Book ‘Em, Eddie by Laurie Cass takes us back to Chilson where a married Minnie and her feline sidekick, Eddie are ready to take the bookmobile to Honey Hollow Adult Foster Care. I was disappointed with Book ‘Em, Eddie. The author reintroduced every character (a list of characters along with their background at the beginning would have sufficed). Did she think we forgot who they were since the last book? There were continuity details as well. A good example is we are told that Eddie has not escaped (or run off) in years, but we know that is not true. He does it at least once or twice in each book (we have come to expect it). Minnie’s internal monologue and thought processes make up much of the book. The long-winded descriptions of places the bookmobile visited and their route as well as activities felt like filler (I admit to skimming through these sections). There were repetitive details and the pacing was languid. The mystery had some interesting aspects. The victims’ last words made me curious as to their meaning. Minnie, though, was off her game. She seemed to be suffering from too stupid to live syndrome. Most of the sleuthing was conducted online. Minnie expected the police to share information from an active investigation with her plus she thought she was better than the detectives. Minnie unnecessarily risked her safety to catch the culprit, then took offense when the detective pointed it out. In this story, I missed the banter between the characters and active investigating of the crime. Book ‘Em, Eddie is the thirteenth A Cat Bookmobile Mystery and it can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. Book ‘Em, Eddie is a lackluster tale, and it left me feeling unsatisfied.