Mew Is for Murder    by Clea Simon Order:  USA  Can Poisoned Pen, 2006 (2006) Hardcover    Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Freelance journalist Theda Krakow acquires a pet kitten after she arrives at a house to do an interview. Unfortunately the kitten wasn't all that she found there. At the scene was an old woman who - according to the police - was accidentally injured and succumbed to her injuries. One thing leads to another so that Theda starts to investigate the woman's death. Theda is already in an emotional state, having lost both her boy friend and her cat in a short span of time. Deciding it's time to get back in the dating scene, Theda cruises the local Cambridge music hot spots. And finds more than she bargained for. Though Theda is not a strong character, she rises to the occasion when necessary. She seems to have a large circle of friends who are caught up in the club life. She knows a great deal about music - the author wrote for Rolling Stone and that background provides fodder for Theda's quest for a murderer. At times, I almost forgot this was a murder mystery because of all the music references. But Clea Simon does manage to pull it all together to produce an almost sure dénouement. Even with the puzzle figured out, I still enjoyed this first novel by an author who also wrote three non-fiction books. The race to save the old woman's cats from euthanasia starts off with a major rush, but seems to peter out as the book progresses. Rather disjointed at times, Mew for Murder does show promise for more feline musical mysteries. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews