Street Cat Blues by Alison O'Leary #BookReview #BlogTour

After spending several months banged up in Sunny Banks rescue centre, Aubrey, a large tabby cat, has finally found his forever home with Molly and Jeremy Goodman, and life is looking good. 

However, all that changes when a serial killer begins to target elderly victims in the neighbourhood. 

Aubrey wasn’t particularly upset by the death of some of the previous victims, including Miss Jenkins whom Aubrey recalls as a vinegar-lipped bitch of an old woman who enjoyed throwing stones at cats, but Mr Telling was different. 

Mr Telling was a mate…

It's my pleasure to be hosting the blog tour for Street Cat Blues by Alison O'Leary today. Many thanks to the author, publishers and Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me and for my advance copy of the novel.

I've read a lot of crime novels over the years; from cosy crime set in sprawling country homes through to gruesome, twisted thrillers. However, Street Cat Blues is the first crime book I've read where the protagonist is a cat.
And what a cat Aubrey is! He's not had an easy life but his time on the streets and in the Sunny Banks rescue centre have shaped the cat he is today. Admittedly that shape is now a little on the larger side thanks to the good food and comfortable lifestyle he enjoys with Molly and Jeremy but he is still very streetwise and uses his unique skills to observe the nefarious activities occurring in his street. The story is mostly seen through his perspective and he's a witty if somewhat sardonic narrator.
Although there is some anthropomorphism going on here, Street Cat Blues is far from cosy crime and it touches on some deeper societal issues. Jeremy is a teacher at the local comprehensive, a school which draws its pupils from the local sink estates and is in special measures. The subplot about feline gang warfare wryly mirrors the racism, drug crime and turf skirmishes that humans in the area experience.
There is plenty of human drama here too, it's far from just a cat story. There are striking similarities between Aubrey and Carlos, one of Jeremy's pupils and the relationship that develops between them is quite touching. There's a serial killer on the loose and this darker part of the gives the novel an edgy sense of danger. In retrospect it's obvious that cats would make excellent amateur detectives, they're keen-eyed, secretive and intelligent - and more than able to utilise their feline wiles to extract what they need from us hapless humans. I thoroughly enjoyed Street Cat Blues, it's an original, often amusing story with an engaging mystery, an unhinged villain and a furry protagonist you can't fail to love.

Street Cat Blues is published by Crooked Cat Books and can be purchased here.

Don't miss the rest of the blog tour, details are below.

About the Author

Alison was born in London and spent her teenaged years in Hertfordshire.
She has also lived in Somerset and Gloucestershire.
After studying Law she decided to teach rather than go into practice and for many years taught Criminal Law to adults and young people.
Since moving to the south coast, Alison has been involved in qualification and assessment development for major awarding bodies.
When not writing, she enjoys crosswords, walking by the sea and playing Scrabble on her iPad – which she always sets to beginner level because, hey, why take chances?
Alison lives with her husband John and cat Archie.
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