The Cat Who Wasn't a Dog

By Marian Babson

Dame Cecile Savoy's "revolting floor mop" of a Pekinese has passed away at a ripe old age. Now, the aging British actress convinces her rivals on stage and screen, Trixie and Evangeline, to support her in her hour of grief...by accompanying her to a taxidermist. But it's a cab ride straight to a cat-astrope! No sooner do the three elderly thespians enter "Stuff Yours" than they discover a dead body, a live kitty in a cage, and flames bursting from the back room. Fortunately for a rare Japanese bobtail called Cho-Cho-San, Trixie grabs the cat before fleeing the scene. But who's the victim? Who set the fire? And why was a gorgeous feline going to be stuffed? Of course, Cho-Cho-San knows more than she's letting on as the curtain goes up on foul play, murderous jealousies, and a killer who may be going to the dogs....

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Nov 30, 2004
• ISBN: 9781429992558

Marian Babson

Marian Babson, born Ruth Stenstreem, is an American mystery writer. Her first published work was Cover-Up Story (1971), and she has written over forty-five mysteries. Babson served as secretary of the Crime Writers’ Association and was awarded the CWA Dagger in the Library in 1996.  

Reviews for The Cat Who Wasn't a Dog

[jbarringer-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like Babson's story ideas, which are a bit more unusual than many of the murder mysteries I've read this year. I find her writing less polished than that of many other authors in this genre, and the resolution in this novel emerges out of the blue rather than developing gradually out of clues the reader could use to figure out the mystery when the sleuth does. The characters are a bit flat, too, and have the sort of crazy fake names that make them all seem less realistic. I'd give this book a bit less than 4 stars, but it was better than a 3 on account of the story itself, which was entertaining.

[chazzifrazz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Actresses Trixie and Evangeline are requested to support Dame Cecile Savoy, their acting rival, to lend their support in her “hour of need.” Fleur-de-Lis, Cecile’s Pekinese and treasured pet has died and Cecile needs Trixie and Evangeline to escort her on the pet’s final journey — to the taxidermist.They arrive at “Stuff Your,” and things aren’t quite right. In fact, things are quite wrong and only get worse with a dead body and a fire. And that is just the beginning of things!This cozy mystery involving stage actors, jealousies and rivalries, a cat named Cho-Cho-San, a stage performance of “Arsenic and Old Lace,” a dead body in the basement, and some late night comings and goings at “Stuff Yours” present a fine tangle that Trixie and Evangeline are determined to untangle.This is a fun, light read along the lines of the old madcap movies. A good pace, crazy situations and characters all add up to good entertainment to me.