I'm Going to Kill That Cat!

I'm going to kill that cat. The scream unleashes a storm waiting to submerge St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in crime and scandal. In a picturesque corner of Austin, Texas, Father Melvyn Kronkey, and his intellectual equal and trusted housekeeper, Mrs. B. prepare for the holy season of Lent. It's Fat Tuesday and Father Melvyn's thoughts are occupied with getting tree limbs and shrubs surrounding the driveway cut back. Tomorrow, Ash Wednesday, will see a dramatic increase of traffic as parishioners arrive to receive ashes. He fears that instead of focusing on the incantation, "remember that you are dust and to dust you will return," they will focus on complaints if their cars are scratched. That's no way to begin Lent, he thinks, when a chorus of dogs barking furiously, and the sudden scream of "I'm going to kill that cat," followed by screeching brakes, come from the front of the church and assault his ears. Father Melvyn propels his large frame forward to find the cause of the commotion. Within minutes, a cat has ignited a simmering feud between two old women into much more than murder. In this calamity, Father Melvyn and Mrs. B. are pulled into a web of dark secrets, greed, revenge and murder. Desperate to protect the innocent and the reputation of the church, they work tirelessly to uncover the truth and set old wrongs right. The mayhem unleashed on St. Francis de Sales, compels Father Melvyn and Mrs. B. to confront a question of the ages: why people do what they do to each other, as well as realizing new truths, good and bad, about themselves. "This book will delight mystery and cat fans as they sort through the puzzle of a 'whodunit.' An engaging read with twists and turns and real life, lovable and not-so-lovable characters whose personality traits readers will recognize." SPR review