Housekeeper Prudence Crick expects a peaceful month by the river housesitting at The Maples, her employer Gerry Coneybear’s beautiful old home. (And cat-sitting Gerry’s twenty cats, too!) But instead of peace she gets trouble. Ghosts of the past haunt her, including her murdered bank robber ex-husband. And she’s bedevilled by the present. When two houses are burned to the ground in suspicious circumstances, she’s drawn to the scene of the crime and into the lives of its victims, including one uncatchable cat. But more: she’s reached a crossroads. Should she change jobs? Buy a new home? Get married? And what should she bake for that tea party she’s hosting?

Louise Carson’s latest cozy mystery is full of delectable desserts, fast friendships, and, of course, an abundance of cats.