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Murder Past Due

(Cat in the Stacks #1)

Miranda James

3.83 · Rating details · 7,589 ratings · 998 reviews

There's a cat in the stacks...

...and he makes the purr-fect partner for a librarian-turned-sleuth.

Everyone in Athena, Mississippi, knows librarian Charlie Harris-and his Maine coon cat named Diesel that he walks on a leash. They also know his former classmate-turned-famous bestselling novelist, Godfrey Priest.

But someone in Athena took Godfrey off the bestseller lis ...more

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Mass Market Paperback, 294 pages

Published August 3rd 2010 by Berkley Prime Crime

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Average rating 3.83 ·

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· 7,589 ratings · 998 reviews

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Aug 03, 2016 James rated it really liked it

Shelves: 1-fiction, 3-multi-book-series

I chose this one because it takes place in the south and in a library setting. I was curious where the author would go with it given I read another series with a main character who is a cat (Lilian Jackson Braun's "The Cat Who Books") and another one with a library setting (Jenn MCKinlay's "Library Lovers cozy series")... fits right in.

I like the main character but I'm not overly fond of him where I feel the need to continue reading the next book in the series immediately. I would read more of ...more

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Feb 25, 2016 lethe rated it did not like it

Recommended to lethe by: Alannah Davis

Shelves: g-cosy, p-borrowed, l-eng, d-21st-c, g-crime, c-record-correct, a-adult

This was my bedtime reading for the past week. I made it to page 172 before I started skimming. I found both the writing style and the (human) protagonist extremely annoying.

Just 3 pages in we get an exposé of what a Maine coon cat is. Furthermore, every. single. action is described in minute and often redundant detail. Some examples:

After logging in to the cataloging module of our integrated library system (or ILS, in library parlance), I began to examine the book. (…)
I turned to the computer a

After logging in to the cataloging module of our integrated library system (or ILS, in library parlance), I began to examine the book. (…)
I turned to the computer and called up the record I had previously downloaded into our system from a bibliographic utility. All the basics were there — title, publisher, date, and so on — and I added the notes to identify the copy in hand. (p.14-15)

I’m a librarian and even I get bored reading this.

“I’ll just open this [envelope] and have a quick look, if you don’t mind.”
“Sure thing,” Rick said. “Here.” He handed me a penknife.
I took it and slit open the envelope with the blade and returned the knife to Rick. (p. 136)

With the blade! Wow. Not with the handle?

I found an oversized mug in the cupboard and filled it from the cooler. (…) Diesel lapped at the water. When he was finished I would wash out the mug in the sink. (…)
Diesel was finished drinking. I took the mug to the sink and turned on the hot water. (…)
I squirted a little dish soap in the mug and scrubbed it with a brush. I gave it a quick rinse and set it upside down on the draining board.
As I dried my hands on a towel, (…) (p. 149-150)

etc. etc. etc.

Since this is all first person narrative it makes the protagonist seem very dull, but apart from that, he also behaves in a stupid way. He holds back information and evidence and then is surprised when the Deputy is suspicious and thinks he’s either covering for himself or someone else.

The only redeeming feature is Diesel the cat, but he doesn’t help with the sleuthing, as I had expected. He just chirps and warbles a lot and offers comfort to people in distress.

If my library stocked this series I would maybe try a later volume to see if the writing had improved, but since they don’t, I won’t bother with this author anymore. ...more

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Jun 28, 2014 Lois Bujold rated it liked it

Recommends it for: readers of cozy mysteries

Well, I enjoyed this one, too, being in the mood for a cozy mystery, which this very much is.

Written first person from the POV of a gentlemanly 50-something small Southern town college librarian (widowed male with adult kids). It was very much the same headspace and tone as the much more over-the-top gentlemanly Southern gay vampire in small-town England series by the same author (under a different name), except without the vampire, gay, and England parts, and adding a cat. ( https://www.goodrea ...more

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Dec 21, 2011 Schnaucl marked it as unfinished

I tried. I was only 11 pages in when I realized I really didn't like the protagonist, Charlie. He comes across as a fussy old coot. When his college freshman border leaves the kitchen a mess, he takes that and a few days of moodiness to assume that something is wrong and that the kid may have turned to drugs. Because God knows, when I was messy and in a bad mood for a few days my freshman year it was because I turned to drugs. Or something.

When Justin, his border, returns, Charlie deals with th I tried. I was only 11 pages in when I realized I really didn't like the protagonist, Charlie. He comes across as a fussy old coot. When his college freshman border leaves the kitchen a mess, he takes that and a few days of moodiness to assume that something is wrong and that the kid may have turned to drugs. Because God knows, when I was messy and in a bad mood for a few days my freshman year it was because I turned to drugs. Or something.

When Justin, his border, returns, Charlie deals with the messiness in a very passive aggressive way. After the kid apologizes instead of saying something like hey, it happens, but please don't let it happen again he instead says something along the lines of well, if the housekeeper had found it she would have been really unhappy.

Every interaction he has with Justin in the first five chapters (as far as I read) has Charlie acting with a condescending paternalism. He treats Justin more like an errant child than young adult. In fairness, no one seems to realize that part of college is learning how to be an independent adult. Everyone treats Justin more like a teenager at a boarding school rather than a college student. He's still expected to go home every weekend. In the first five chapters there's no mention that Justin has any friends or that he does anything but go to class and hang out with Charlie and Diesel when he's not at home with his parents. But it's really Charlie's smug paternalism that bothers me. You can be a mentor, a friend, even a substitute father figure without a constant air of "father knows best."

Justin aside, we next seem him whining about the violence in a murder novel. Imagine! Now, I understand there's violence and then there's violence,and I've stopped watching more than one police procedural because it seemed to revel in violence against women, but we need more context here. Otherwise he's really saying, I had to stop reading murder novels because there was violence.

The author of the book he doesn't like is a high school classmate who he refers to multiple times as a jerkwad, a term I don't think anyone over the age of 10 would actually use.

It's possible that some of my problems with the book are regional, it's set in Mississippi and I live in Washington state. Certainly the use of "sir" would be an example of that as would Mr. first name. Here it's first name or Mr. last name.

The writing in general was not very good. I think this may be a first novel in which case perhaps there will be some improvement. I'll never know.
...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Julia rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery-crime

A fun cozy mystery with a good ending. I read this book in only two sittings. Not a real brain-teaser, but a perfect curl-up-and-read mystery.

A few things bored or frustrated me enough to consider putting the book down (though obviously I didn't, so they weren't too bad ... still a good read)
In the third quarter of the book (between the halfway point and the climax), the novel hits a dead spot. The plot moved very slowly. There are pages about the main character gardening (which has nothing to ...more

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Oct 26, 2014 Ian added it

Shelves: g-mystery, a-audiobook, t-cats-lady, x-dnf-it-burns__it-burns

DNF 35% and as is my personal policy I don't rate books unless I have read at least 50%.

Everyone in this book is too stupid to live. Except the cat.

description

...more

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Jul 07, 2012 C. (Never msg. Just comment! Email if private.) rated it really liked it

Shelves: riedel-titles-2012

Is it a coincidence ‘James’ has twice been a pseudonym for males posing as female? ‘Rebecca James’ was another. If it is to stop readers from overlooking them: it worked and I'm glad. I don't often read male authors, especially 50 year-old male protagonists but DEAN James (as per copyright credits) is talented and his character 'Charlie', a delight. I adore cats, libraries, and mysteries and am rewarded threefold.

Widowed, with a grown son & daughter out-of-state, Charlie works part-time in an ar ...more

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Jun 12, 2017 Dawn Michelle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: book-challenges-2015-2020, cozy-mystery-read, books-read-in-2017, already-own

WOW!! What an amazing first read of a series for me. WOW.

I have had this book for quite some time and with all the other series that I read, I had just not gotten around to it. I think I have started 6 new series this year alone and 2 were really complete duds, one I enjoyed immensely and three I have loved completely from the beginning sentences; this was one of those three.

What I love about this book/series:
1. The main character is a man.

2. The main character is not a willy-nilly school ...more

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Oct 18, 2015 Nicky rated it it was ok

Shelves: mystery, crime

Murder Past Due is a reasonably fun but unremarkable cosy mystery. The main draws would be the cat, Diesel, who is a main character, and the fact that it’s set partially in a library. But the cat isn’t the detective and isn’t the main character, and the library is just where the main character works, so it’s not that niche. I didn’t find any of the characters or their relationships particularly compelling, though the small-town USA atmosphere was kind of interesting — I kept being surprised when ...more

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Oct 14, 2018 Lyn rated it really liked it

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the first in the series, CAT IN THE STACKS. I had started it with a later book and then went to the beginning. I liked Charlie Harris, the main character and archivist at a college in a small town in Mississippi and his LARGE Maine coon cat, Diesel who goes everywhere with him--and on a leash too.

The mystery revolves around a best-selling author, an alumnus of the college and old "pal"--make that an old enemy of the main character--who comes to town. But he doesn ...more

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Jun 17, 2017 Tari rated it it was amazing

I've been waiting for awhile to finally read this and I'm so glad I did, actually thanks to a book club I'm in. This book definitely didn't disappoint. I just love Charlie and his cat Diesel, such a great team. Diesel is probably the most interactive cat of any series I've read so far. He doesn't really help with the mystery but I love how he senses when people need him. The mystery had my interest from the get go, the twists had me definitely not sure who the killer was, although I did guess an ...more

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May 10, 2020 Sally906 rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ebook-kobo, mystery-cosy

Was sucked in from the very first page and it held my interest right to the very last page!

I thought I knew who it was from the half way point - and still had them picked right up until the arrested the murderer - who wasn’t on my radar!

Great book

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Jul 14, 2016 Anastasia rated it liked it

Shelves: aussie-crime-lovers-challenge

Murder past due by Miranda James is the first book in the Cat in the Stacks mystery series. A famous author returns to his hometown to meet a son that he had not known about only to be murdered. The book introduces us to librarian Charlie Harris and his Maine coon cat Diesel. It was a nice introduction to the various characters and an interesting mystery although a bit slow and formal. A typical cozy mystery although unusual as it was solved by the police , with the main character remaining clue ...more

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Jun 18, 2010 Lorna Barrett rated it it was amazing

A Cat In The Stacks, Miranda James' debut in the Cat in the Stacks Mysteries, combines a kind-hearted librarian hero, family secrets in a sleepy southern town, and a gentle giant of a cat that will steal your heart. A great beginning to a promising new cozy series. ...more

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Jul 29, 2016 Sam rated it did not like it

I really wanted to like this book. After falling in love with Sofie Kelly's superlative Magical Cats series, I've been looking for other cat mysteries to fill the gap once I catch up to the MC release schedule.

Unfortunately, despite a promising premise (widower librarian in small-town Mississippi, big lovable cat companion, a famous author murdered), Murder Past Due just fell really flat for me. The characters all felt more like caricatures than fleshed out individuals; the depiction of Justin, I really wanted to like this book. After falling in love with Sofie Kelly's superlative Magical Cats series, I've been looking for other cat mysteries to fill the gap once I catch up to the MC release schedule.

Unfortunately, despite a promising premise (widower librarian in small-town Mississippi, big lovable cat companion, a famous author murdered), Murder Past Due just fell really flat for me. The characters all felt more like caricatures than fleshed out individuals; the depiction of Justin, Charlie's young boarder with a mysterious connection to the murdered author, in particular, grated on my nerves. The repeated descriptions of how child-like and "young" he seemed for 18 were a bit weird, after a while. He just seemed incredibly fragile, bordering on intellectually incapacitated. The character read a lot more like a 10-year old than a freshman in college, rebelling against his parents for the first time. (view spoiler)

The portrayal of Charlie's housekeeper, Azalea, also really made me uncomfortable. She read like such a mammy archetype that, juxtaposed with the awkward, box-checking nods to racial sensitivity (in the form of acknowledging that a black female police officer in Mississippi may have a "tough time"), the narrative tone felt incredibly confused in terms of text vs. subtext.

Crappy, hollow, stereotypical supporting characters are one thing, but Charlie himself never quite managed to ascend to likability, either, and when you add that to the total lack of effective pacing and flaccid stabs at tension-building, you don't have much. I had to trudge through the last fifty or so pages, which were so spectacularly boring. The memorial service and reading of the will were dragged out to the point of yawns, when the book should have really been ramping up for the "big reveal" (such as it was, it was neither surprising, nor exciting). I never felt like there was any danger at any point in this book. Just Charlie methodically sorting through files, making guesses, talking to people in perfectly normal tones of voice.

Then there were the plot holes, big and small. I'll point out just a few: (view spoiler)

The final nail in the coffin of this book: simply not enough of Diesel. He was so charming and I felt like there were nods to his ability to understand "more" than you'd expect, but he never found any clues or did anything, really, other than comfort shrinking violet Justin and get excited to go outside. I might give #2 a try, but if none of this stuff gets resolved in the follow-up, I won't be bothering with a third attempt. ...more

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May 07, 2021 Carlie C rated it really liked it

This was such a light and fun read! Now, I'm going to start this book by saying that I read what is technically the second book in this series first, and I had no issue when reading this book, so they can be read out of order. I enjoyed getting to revisit these characters and I liked getting to see where everything started. I still like the characters as much as I did when I first read about them, and I thought that this mystery was decently interesting. Now, I will admit that this is far from a ...more

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Mar 20, 2017 Ryan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

a great start to a cozy mystery series. it is very entertaining and well written. the protagonist and amateur sleuth is a middle-aged librarian named Charlie Harris. he a kindhearted, likeable hero. he's also a book and animal lover. he works in the archives at the college library in his hometown of Athena, Mississippi. he also volunteers at the public library and frequents the towns only independent bookstore, the Atheneum bookstore. he also has a Maine Coon cat named diesel that he rescues as ...more

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Nov 10, 2011 Ronna rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio

Charlie Harris is a part time collage librarian in Mississippi. He's a recent widower with a pet Maine Coon Cat named, Diesel, who walks on a leash everywhere with Charlie. Charlie also boards a couple of students from the college.

When a former classmate, Godfrey Priest, comes to town to promote his latest bestselling book, not everyone is pleased with his visit. Godfrey is a bit of an arrogant bastard who has hurt and angered a number of people. He's also coming to claim a son who is rooming w ...more

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Jun 29, 2014 Samantha rated it it was ok

Shelves: book-club

This wasn't a bad book, but it just wasn't my cup of tea either. A cozy mystery set in a small Mississippi town: a local man, disliked by many, has made it big as a writer and gets murdered when he comes back to town. Charlie Harris, a widowed librarian, and his cat Diesel set out to help the authorities solve the crime. If you enjoy books where you get to read about the many mundane details of daily life: who pets the cat, who accepts or decline refreshments, when someone changes clothes, the c ...more

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Apr 02, 2015 Anissa rated it liked it

Recommends it for: cozy mystery fans

Shelves: cozy-mystery, series, library-borrowed-kindle-unlimited, books-abt-books-libraries-archives, 2015

I certainly don't need to add more cozy book series to my life but alas, I did just that with this one. I had this on my TBR pile and finally checked it out at the library. There's a librarian, a cat and a small town so I was pretty sure I'd enjoy this one. And I did. I liked it but have to admit that this isn't my favorite cozy ever. I liked the mystery of the murdered part but I just didn't find any of the characters that likely will be our main townspeople to be well enough defined. They're a ...more

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Apr 26, 2015 Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile rated it really liked it

An easy, light read. I really enjoyed this, and I look forward to the rest of the series. It was a simply written murder mystery, set in a small town, with the typical crowd of suspects as you constantly ask yourself, "Whodunit??" I enjoyed Diesel's presence as a character; he garnered so much respect within the story he may as well have been a human! ...more

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Dec 21, 2015 Amber rated it liked it

Shelves: thriller-mystery-horror, popsugar-2016, read-2016, series-dropped

a nice cozy mystery. also contains cute cat.

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Jun 25, 2017 Amanda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mystery, all-ages, cozy

I picked this book up at one of my library's book sales and it turned out to be one of my online book club's books. I'm glad it worked out that way, because I really enjoyed it! Unlike every other cozy mystery I've read, the main character in this series is a man. It's a nice change to have a different point of view about some things and see how other characters interact with him. Charlie is his name and I found him to be very smart, kind, wise, thoughtful, and not too unpredictable or daring... ...more

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Aug 09, 2014 Anne (Booklady) Molinarolo rated it really liked it

Shelves: cozy-mystery, spring-2015

What an unusual cozy! A Male protagonist! And Charlie Harris is a librarian who has a Maine Coon cat named Diesel who chirps and loves attention especially when he is on his leash walking with Charlie everywhere in Athena, MS. Charlie has returned home after his wife's death, and he and Diesel have become permanent fixtures about town. Diesel is even allowed in the library where Charlie works.

An old friend of Charlie's is also back in Athena. Godfrey Priest is a bestselling author and is rememb ...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Moondance rated it liked it

Shelves: cozy, library, southern, mature-sleuth, maine-coon, mississippi, cat, librarian, cozy-mystery, cat-in-the-stacks

A hurricane slammed through my kitchen this morning, and his name was Justin.

I originally read this book in 2011 and did not review. Having the opportunity to read the first twelve books in the series for this year is a pleasure.

Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon, Diesel live in Athena Mississippi where Charlie works as an archivist in the university library. Charlie has continued the tradition of renting out rooms in his home that he inherited from his aunt. A former classmate returns to Athena ...more

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Feb 01, 2016 Juli rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library-read-returned, wishlist

Librarian Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon, Diesel, live in Athena, Mississippi. Everyone in town knows the widower who walks his cat on a leash. When a local author is murdered, Harris discovers that a lot of people in town had a motive to kill the arrogant, underhanded man. With so many people having a score to settle with the murdered man, Charlie and Diesel have to reveal the murderer before an innocent person is arrested.

I enjoyed this book. The characters are likeable, and the plot is en ...more

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Sep 24, 2013 Brittany rated it really liked it

What started out as simply a search for a book cover featuring a cat on it in an attempt to fulfill a Goodreads Book Cover Bingo "stamp" requirement has instead introduced me to a fun series! This book is part of A Cat in the Stacks Mystery and is the first of the series.

The book is told from the perspective of Charlie, who works with rare books at the local college. He inherited a house and always has a couple of college boarders living there. He is also the friend and provider for a wonderful ...more

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Jun 04, 2015 Book Concierge rated it liked it

Shelves: concierge, cozy-mystery, books-about-books, cats, southern-lit, library, series

Charlie Harris is a librarian at Athena College, working in the rare books archives. He’s well known in the town, especially because he walks his Maine Coon cat, Deisel, on a leash. An old school acquaintance, Godfrey Priest, has made it big as an author of thrillers, and he’s in town for a reception and book launching. He may be famous, but Godfrey is basically an arrogant, manipulative jerk. He seems bent on picking fights and upsetting everyone. By lunch he’s sent one man to the hospital, and ...more

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Apr 26, 2018 Sarah Wagner rated it it was ok

Shelves: mystery

So, can we talk about plot holes? Like, what happened to the box of contracts? Or why does this book portray so many male librarians in a profession that upwards of 80% female (I'm a librarian, so this was particularly jarring!)? Or what kind of law-abiding citizen repeated lies to the police?

Okay, I'll stop ranting now. Overall, this book was really disappointing to me. I did like that it was easy to read and quickly paced. I liked the premise, but the further I got into the book the more impl ...more

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Jan 29, 2022 Jennifer rated it really liked it

Shelves: physical-tbr-pile, cruisin-thru-the-cozies-2022

This has been sitting on my massive TBR pile for the past three years and I’m glad I finally read it.
I enjoyed reading about widower Charlie Harris, librarian and archivist at a local college. Diesel the cat isn’t a sleuth, at least not in this book, but I would term him a therapy cat. Sensitive to the emotions of others and brings comfort to others when needed. Charlie and Diesel travel together almost everywhere, including a memorial service.

There was an unexpected twist at the end of the book ...more

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