Out of Circulation by Miranda James

How Did I Miss This Cozy Mystery?

Out of Circulation is my first time reading a book by author Miranda James. It is also my first time reading a book from the Cat in the Stacks series.

The Cat in the Stacks series is a collection of cozy Southern mysteries set in the fictional college town of Athena, Mississippi. The series follows Charlie Harris, a widowed librarian and archivist, and his loyal Maine Coon cat, Diesel, as they find themselves involved in mysteries and murders.

This series has been around for a while, so my first question (again) is:

How in the world did I miss this gem?

You all know I LOVE me a cozy mystery, and this one was really good.

But first, I need to share the funny story behind my experience with this book.

I borrowed Out of Circulation through Libby and listened to the audiobook version.

My normal routine is to read a physical book or eBook during the evening and then relax with an audiobook at night when my eyes are tired.

Yep, you read that correctly. I will read one book in the evening and then switch to a completely different audiobook to wind down!

Well, apparently I was VERY tired while listening to this one because I kept falling asleep.

I would wake up not knowing, first, what happened to Vera.

Then, WHO KILLED VERA?!

This happened for TWO WEEKS!

YES! This audiobook took me more than two weeks to finish because of my inability to stay awake!

But I kept going back.

So, I guess you've figured out that the book must be good, right?

IT IS!

It's exceptional!

The narrator was AMAZING. The storyline was captivating, and I am definitely looking forward to reading—and listening to—more from Miranda James and more books in this series.

I usually do not read series out of order, but when I saw this one advertised on Libby, I said to myself, "Amy, I think this is going to be a good read."

Amy was right. 😂

I don't like giving spoilers, so I won't tell you too much about what happens. But I will say that the characters are funny, kooky, interesting, a little sad—and can we PLEASE talk about Diesel?

Diesel is a Maine Coon cat, and I am completely impressed by his ability to walk into buildings with Charlie and BEHAVE!

I know this is a work of fiction, but I admit that I looked at my own three cats and asked them why they couldn't behave like Diesel.

They had no answer. 😂

If you're looking for a warm and fuzzy cozy mystery that will also have you trying to figure out who the killer is, Out of Circulation may be for you.

And for the record?

I didn't think the killer was who it turned out to be!

Now I want to know:

What type of cozy mystery do you prefer—food or animals?