Owen and Hercules have personalities of their own and make Kathleen’s life very interesting, especially when she begins to realize that they may have magical powers…unless the fresh air is making Kathleen hallucinate. The local summer music festival is always a big event in Mayville Heights and when Kathleen finds the guest conductor, the obnoxious, pretentious Gregor Easton dead in the theatre, she becomes a person of interest with the police, especially when blood is found in the room the construction crew has been using as a staging area.

Kathleen understands why she, the new person in town, would be under suspicion, but still takes umbrage at being in the police’s sights. She starts digging into Easton’s past to see who might be in town for the festival and would want to see the maestro dead. Soon Kathleen realizes she doesn’t have to look any further than her friends and neighbors and she isn’t happy to learn what she is learning.

In addition, there are construction woes at the library. Kathleen is the victim of several dangerous accidents and the contractor seems to be ignoring her, something else to put on Kathleen’s ever growing to-do list.

Curiosity Thrilled the Cat is full of hometown charm and a delightful group of friends that Kathleen is enjoying getting to know better. The scenes are written with careful details, such as Kathleen hanging her clean laundry on the line to dry, that draw the reader into the scene and make them feel a part of the action. Even though, or maybe because, Kathleen doesn’t know her neighbors well, she has good instincts and put together with a little careful sleuthing, she pieces things neatly together. There are plenty of clues to help readers piece together Easton’s death, and readers will figure out the reasons for the library construction woes at the same time Kathleen does.

Owen and Hercules have their own personalities and an interesting rapport with Kathleen; even non-cat fanciers will find them a delightful addition to the cast. Kathleen’s past is revealed slowly, perhaps a little too slowly, and eventually readers learn how she ended up in this charming town. Kathleen has begun to uncover some of the town’s secrets, but there are plenty more for her to learn as she settles in.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry