Sticks and Stones

Sticks and Stones: A Cat Deluca Mystery
K. J. Larsen
Poisoned Pen Press
February 7, 2012
Hardback
ISBN: 978-1590589212
317 pages
$ 24.95

Pants On Fire Detective Agency is owned by Cat DeLuca. This agency specializes in discovering cheating husbands. Cat learned the basics from growing up in a police family with her father and brothers being part of the Chicago Police and from her own cheating husband.

Cleo Jones definitely has a cheating husband. Unfortunately, Walter cheats on Cleo with her sister. Besides that, he takes her money and her dog. So Cleo feels justified when she shoots her husband full of buckshot so that he will not be sitting for quite a while. Cleo also tends to be overly dramatic and gives her neighbors opportunities to use their video cameras when she threatens Walter.

Cat decides that it is best if she accompany Cleo back to the house to take whatever she needs and the dog. She also is pressing Cleo to stop shooting at Walter. When they enter the house, all is quiet but the dog has been in something messy and sticky which turns out to be Walter’s blood. He’s dead. The two also find a bag full of cash which they take with them as they leave with the dog.

The police believe Cleo killed her husband and Cat knows that she didn’t since they were together at the house. Even so, Cleo is arrested and Cat plans to find the real killer.

Unfortunately, Walter had many enemies and had been embezzling money. Also, his past has many secrets with unsavory characters.

Cat DeLuca has the advantage of having a huge, overbearing, Italian, Catholic family. With family support and obligations, she is never alone and someone is always ready to give her advice and food. She also has a special relationship with one F.B.I. agent and tends to attract hunky men.

Sticks and Stones is a quick and humorous read for anyone who enjoys romantic mysteries.