Starter Villain by John Scalzi

Cats, not bacon. For cats and bacon, see Emily Jane’s On Earth as It Is On Television. If you enjoyed award-winning science fiction writer Scalzi’s latest adventure novel, The Kaiju Preservation Society, you might enjoy this. No, there are no kaiju, either. But there are cats, and later some sarcastic dolphins. Ordinary guy Charlie, currently a substitute teacher, helped care for his father before his recent death. Now his older half-siblings want their shares of dad’s house. It’s just a regular house, nothing special, so Charlie’s share probably won’t be enough to buy a local pub. Charlie has recently adopted a stray cat, and together they find a stray kitten.

Then Charlie, a former business reporter, gets word that his Uncle Jake has died. He hasn’t seen Jake since he was a kid, but is asked to host the viewing and funeral service. Jake owned parking garages, but that doesn’t explain the tough guys who show up at the funeral home, some packing heat. Later Charlie visits Jake’s company headquarters, with the cat and kitten in tow. It turns out to be on a volcanic island, where we meet the dolphins. Perhaps Uncle Jake had more in common with the bad guys at the funeral home than he thought, and they want Charlie to join their organization. Lots of adventure, plenty of humor, some tricky situations, and an appealing main character in Charlie. Plus, of course, cats. This book will be published on September 19, National Talk Like a Pirate Day. Enjoy!

Brenda