Mysteries of Max: Books 19-21 (Paperback)

This collection contains books 19-21 in the popular comedy cat cozy series The Mysteries of Max. Enjoy this intrepid sleuth's adventures at a purrfectly handsome discount.

Purrfectly Dogged (The Mysteries of Max 19)

It was a day like any other when we first came across the horror: in the middle of the pavement, in front of our own home no less, a dog had done its business. Of course we could have shaken our heads and left it at that, but Harriet decided enough was enough and formed the first-ever Cat Committee for the Re-Education of Dogs or CCREC. We were going to make dogs use litter, like cats have done since the dawn of time (or since the litter box was invented).

Meanwhile, Odelia had her hands full with a missing persons case. The wife of Marge’s ex-boyfriend had disappeared, and her daughter begged Odelia to find her. And then there were all those werewolf sightings. Suffice it to say Odelia had plenty of material for her articles. So you might be inclined to think things were looking good for the Poole family.

Unfortunately we threw a spanner in the works when we asked Grandma Muffin to become a CCREC’er. Don’t look at me like that. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Gran really took the mission to heart, and things more or less went downhill from that point onward. Uncle Alec practically lost his job, the two ex-convicts Marge had taken under her wing clearly were up to no good, and a war between cats and dogs suddenly seemed like a very real prospect.

So was there a happy ending? Do turn the page and find out in Purrfectly Dogged, my latest tale about tails and trails.

Purrfectly Dead (The Mysteries of Max 20)

I was suffering from a slight case of ennui when I came upon the perfect solution: a new type of cat kibble that promised to fix my every problem. I probably should have known it was too good to be true, which just goes to show that even a feline who’s been around the block a few times can still be caught by surprise.

What definitely caught me by surprise was Gran’s announcement that she wanted to have another baby—a little brother or sister for Marge and Alec. No, they weren’t too excited about the prospect either. And then of course when that first zombie showed up one night, that’s when the trouble really started.

Am I going too fast? You’re saying I should back up a little? Well, all right, fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you: this story turned out to be a real rollercoaster ride, and put both cats and humans through the wringer. Then again, isn’t that par for the course in Hampton Cove, that lovely small town where danger seems to lurk around every corner?

Purrfect Saint (The Mysteries of Max 21)

When Grandma Muffin announced she’d found religion, and started recruiting followers for her new church, I just figured it was par for the course. After all, Gran has always had an eccentric streak. But when Harriet decided to follow in Gran’s footsteps and teach us all about the meaning of life, it got my attention. And so it happened that the whole family headed downtown one night to attend their first Soul Science gathering, meeting Masters Omar and Sharif, the church’s charismatic leaders.

Tex, meanwhile, was facing some problems of his own. A handsome young doctor had moved in across the street and had set up his office, and Tex’s patients were changing doctors in droves, leaving Odelia’s dad close to despair. There was something very peculiar about this new doctor, though, and it wasn’t just that everyone was so crazy about him.

Soon we were all searching for the meaning of life and happiness, the location of our souls, and how to make this world a better place. And so when tragedy struck, it’s safe to say we were ill-prepared. I like to think that the events that unfolded made us all more spiritual, though. They certainly forced us to dig deep and look for our inner sleuths!