Comments for Nine Lives Last Forever

Nine Lives Last Forever: 04/17/14

Nine Lives Last Forever by Rebecca M. Hale is the second of the Cats and Curios mystery series. Frogs have begun to appear in unlikely spots around San Francisco: the Green Vase and City Hall. Somehow these amphibians are tied to a long lost fortune.

Interestingly the online publisher's description for this book lists the protagonist's name as Rebecca. Although the author does bear a physical resemblance to her protagonist and does have two cats, her protagonist is never named in any of the books. She is either "the person", "the human" (from the cats' point of view) or she is "Oscar's niece" or "the woman above the Green Vase."

The books in this series aren't typical cozies because murder isn't the primary motivating factor of the plot. Instead it's a mixture of local history, treasure hunting, and modern day politics. To truly appreciate Hale's series, one needs to know a thing or two about the California Gold Rush, San Francisco geography, recent San Francisco politics, and Mark Twain.

In Nine Lives Last Forever, Oscar's niece needs to "follow the frogs." There are the frogs of Mark Twain's short story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" (link), a set of sunken frogs at the old Sutro baths (Google Map), the frogs in City Hall, and an old carousel.

My two favorite minor characters are the PM (previous mayor) and the Current Mayor. Though again not named, they are very recognizably Willie Brown and Gavin Newsom.

Five stars

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