Black Cat Bookshop mysteries

As the new owner of Pettistone's Fine Books, Darla Pettistone is determined to prove herself a worthy successor to her late great-aunt Dee, and equally determined to outwit Hamlet, the smarter-than-thou cat she inherited along with the shop. Darla's first store event is a real coup, the hottest bestselling author of the moment is holding a signing there. But when the author meets an untimely end during the event, it's ruled an accident, until Hamlet...

Lately, Hamlet hasn't been chasing customers or being his obnoxious self, something Darla surprisingly misses. Concerned, she hires a cat whisperer to probe Hamlet's feline psyche and then decides to get out of her own funk by taking up karate to learn how to defend herself in case the need arises again. But when Darla finds her sensei dead at the dojo, it seems that even a master can be felled by foul play. Darla decides to investigate the matter...

All the local shop owners are thrilled when Darla Pettistone throws a block party, except for the proprietor of Perky's Coffee Shop who thinks Darla is trying to steal his customers. When Hamlet finds his wife dead, Darla and her cat investigate.