"Crime and Catnip"

T. C. LoTempio is the author of the nationally bestselling Nick and Nora mystery series. When she’s not writing books, she and her cat Rocco fundraise for Nathan Fillion’s charity, Kids Need to Read.

LoTempio applied the Page 69 Test to her latest novel, Crime and Catnip, and reported the following:

From page 69:

Daniel gave him a poke and Nick rolled to one side. I gasped as I saw what Nick’s body had covered. The photograph of Nick Atkins and Angelique. I could have sworn I’d put it in the zipper compartment of my tote but, as I full well knew, mere zippers never seemed to stop Nick from acquiring things he perceived as his property.

Daniel stared at the photo. He turned it over in his hands. “Where did you get this?”

I reached for it but Daniel held it out of my grasp. “Ollie gave it to me. That’s Nick Atkins and his last girlfriend, Angelique Martone.”

Daniel’s brows drew together as he stared at the photo. “Angelique Martone?”

I nodded. “Yep. Apparently she and Nick Atkins had quite a serious relationship, but they had a big fight and she took off.” Daniel didn’t reply, just kept staring at the photo. For a brief second I thought I caught a flicker of annoyance in his blue eyes, and then his expression cleared. He set the photograph back on the counter and abruptly stood up. “Sorry to cut this visit short, but I’ve got to get going. I’ve got a few reports to file at the office.” He came over to me, gave my shoulders a quick squeeze. “I’ll give you a call about the details.”

“Still trust me to pick out your costume?”

He hesitated only slightly. “Absolutely.” He bent over, gave me a quick peck on the cheek. “Later, alligator,” he whispered, his breath hot on my cheek.

He walked out the door with a wave. I leaned against my counter, tapping the photo of Angelique against my palm. At my feet, Nick bleated out a plaintive meow.

In Crime and Catnip, Nora Charles is asked to investigate the strange disappearance of museum curator’s niece. At the same time, Nora is still poking around, trying to discover what might have happened to her cat Nick’s former owner, PI Nick Atkins, who’s been mysteriously missing for months. Page 69 sets the scene for what lies ahead: linking the disappearance of Violet Crenshaw’s niece to Atkins. And, as followers of this series can attest to, it’s Nick the cat who lends a paw to steer his human sleuth in the right direction!

Visit T.C. LoTempio's website.

My Book, The Movie: Crime and Catnip.

--Marshal Zeringue