Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter introduced a winning sleuth in Florida pet sitter Dixie Hemingway, and the next books in the series, Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund and Even Cat Sitters Get the Blues , firmly established author Blaize Clement as a new star amongst mystery fans. Now Dixie Hemingway, no relation to you-know-who, is back in this fourth riveting installment. When Dixie meets Laura Halston, a newcomer to Siesta Key, she recognizes a kindred spirit and believes she's found a new friend. Disarmingly beautiful, Laura confesses that she's in hiding from an abusive husband. Later, when Laura receives threatening phone calls, Dixie is certain the husband is the culprit. But the more Dixie learns about Laura, the less certain she is about anything…and then matters turn deadly. As she tries to understand Laura’s past, Dixie is forced to acknowledge things about herself that she has never faced before. Fast-paced and gripping, Cat Sitter on a Hot Tin Roof is everything Blaize Clement’s many fans have come to expect. The latest entry in Clement’s pet-sitter series, starring former Sarasota, Florida, deputy Dixie Hemingway, remains on the darker side of the rather light animal-mystery spectrum. This time, while caring for a seizure-assistance dog whose young charge is undergoing surgery, Dixie befriends Laura, owner of an escape-prone Havana Brown cat. Laura tells Dixie she is getting divorced from her sadistic husband and being stalked by a man she met at the hospital. But when Laura is murdered, Dixie discovers her new friend was both a liar and a bank robber. Even so, Dixie feels responsible for finding her killer, even if it means putting herself in danger. Recommend this one for readers who liked the southern setting and animal characters in Joyce and Jim Lavene’s The Telltale Turtle (2008), although Dixie, burdened by the accidental death of her husband and young daughter, is not as fun and carefree a lead character as the Lavenes’ Mary Catherine. Two possible love interests do provide a feel-good secondary plot here, offering a nice counterpoint to the darkness of the main mystery. --Jessica Moyer Unanimous Praise for Blaize Clement’s Dixie Hemingway Mysteries “A knock-out read. For anyone who loves mysteries, animals, or just plain great writing, this is a book to savor.” - Laurien Berenson, author of Doggie Day Care Murder , on Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter “Blends elements of cozy and thriller to produce an unusual and enjoyable hybrid . . . sure to delight readers.” - Publishers Weekly on Even Cat Sitters Get the Blues “For fans of Susan Conant and Clea Simon.” - Library Journal on Even Cat Sitters Get the Blues "At once a cozy mystery for animal lovers and a jarringly earthy hard-boiled whodunit about human corruption. A good read!" - Susan Conant, author of All Shots , on Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter “Siesta Key’s favorite pet sitter . . . Clement has created a protagonist who is gutsy, sexy, caring and funny.” - Sarasota Herald-Tribune on Even Cat Sitters Get the Blues “Ingenious…captivating. Here is a series that even people who dislike pet mysteries can enjoy.” - Reviewing the Evidence on Even Cat Sitters Get the Blues “Recommend this one for readers who liked the southern setting and animal characters in Joyce and Jim Lavene’s The Telltale Turtle. ” - Booklist on Cat Sitter on a Hot Tin Roof “Destined to be a very popular series . . .” - Kirkus Reviews on Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund “Kick off your flip-flops, find a hammock, and settle in for a fun read. An intriguing whodunit filled with twists, turns, and some pretty captivating critters!" - Cynthia Baxter, author of Monkey See, Monkey Die , on Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter Blaize Clement is the author of Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter , Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund , and Even Cat Sitters Get the Blues. The fifth Dixie Hemingway mystery, Raining Cat Sitters and Dogs, will be published by St. Martin's Press/Minotaur in She lives in Sarasota, Florida, where she is hard at work on her sixth Dixie Hemingway mystery. Visit her Web site at www.blaizeclement.com. Cat Sitter on a Hot Tin Roof A Dixie Hemingway Mystery By Blaize Clement St. Martin's Press Copyright © 2008 Blaize Clement All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-312-36955-2 CHAPTER 1 It was early April, about nine o'clock in the morning, when I first met Laura Halston. Well, I didn't exactly meet her. It was more that I almost ran her down. I was easing my Bronco around a curve on the single narrow lane in Fish Hawk Lagoon, a heavily wooded area on the north end of Siesta Key. Driving there is like going through a tunnel cut in a mountain. Towering oaks meet overhead to block out the sky, and one side of the meandering street is edged with wildly growing bougainvillea, sea grape, potato vine, and practically every known variety of palm and pine. On the other side, a manicured hibiscus hedge screens a j