Just finished reading...

Classified as Murder by Miranda James.*

Retired librarian Charlie Harris volunteers at the reference desk of the Athena, Mississipi public library. One of the library's regular patrons, the elderly James Delacorte, asks Charlie to inventory his rare book collection, as he fears someone is stealing from it.

Since several members of Delacorte's family live with him, Charlie suspects that it might be one of them. When Charlie walks into the the old man's den and finds him sprawled on the desk, he is certain of it.

Meanwhile, Charlie's son Sean, having resigned from his job, has come to stay with his father. Thinking that Charlie might be in danger from Delacorte's admittedly eccentric relatives, Sean decides to assist him with the inventory. With the blessing of Chief Deputy Kanesha Berry (who just happens to be the daughter of Charlie's housekeeper Azalea), Charlie and Sean, with the help of Diesel the cat, keep their eyes and ears open while they are in Delacorte's house.

One of the most interesting things about this series is the relationship between Charlie and Diesel, a Maine coon. Soon after the death of his wife, Charlie rescued a stray kitten and they became very close. Charlie takes the well-behaved Diesel almost everywhere, and they are very sensitive to each others' moods.

The arrival of Sean as a new character and a possible human sidekick for Charlie is promising. Hopefully, he will stay around.

*FTC Full Disclosure: Many thanks to the publisher, who sent me a copy of the book for review purposes.