SOLVED. Reporter visits interdimensional pawn shop, travels in time, hooks up with reptile woman, battles Macavity [s]

[Jay]

I read this story once where a reporter goes into a sort of pawn shop "at the edge of the universe". The proprietor is a shifty-eyed man described as mischievous and cat-like, and he is assisted by a woman descended from a reptilian race. The reporter and the woman go on several trips throughout time and have some adventures where he learns about his real past. SPOILER: The reporter discovers he's basically an immortal, having lived centuries in various forms within different bodies, and he's able to jump from body to body, a power he uses to his advantage in his final battle with the shopkeeper. There is also involved in there, somewhere, an old bum who turns out to be God (having given up the role so someone else could take the job for a while).

I can't remember the name of the story, the author or any of the characters in it. I think I read it as part of an anthology. If this rings a bell, please help!

[Tab]

How many years ago did you read this?
Anything about the cover?

[Krazykiwi]

This almost sounds like a mashup of parts of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (God taking some time out) and Bester/Zelazny's Psychoshop (the pawnshop part).

[Mir]

Is the reporter expecting the supernatural stuff or is it a surprise?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Jay, are you still looking for this story?

[Suki]

It sounds like one of Spider Robinson 's Callahan series. Maybe Callahan's Secret but it's been years since I read it and I can't be certain.

[David]

Jay wrote: "I read this story once where a reporter goes into a sort of pawn shop "at the edge of the universe". The proprietor is a shifty-eyed man described as mischievous and cat-like, and he is assisted by..."
Jay,
The book is Psychoshop.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Thanks David, I agree this sounds like Psychoshop. One reviewer wrote:

"The main character, a journalist, gets the assignment to investigate The Black Place of the Soul-Changer. Oddly enough, the proprietor, a cat man, and his assistant, a snake woman, welcome him right in, where he witnesses all kinds of weird and unbelievable stuff."

Also there is a character named Macavity.

Moving to Solved.