Title: Black Cat Ink
Author: Nicole Kimberling
Publisher: Loose ID
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Length: Novella (97 pages)
Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5
A Guest Review by Aunt Lynn
One Sentence Review: Three. Three. Three mysteries in one!
THE BLURB
Small-town reporter Peter Fontaine has a cherry job, a hunky artist boyfriend, and an insatiable lust for rooting out the truth. In this third installment of the Bellingham Mysteries, he and Nick must try to recover a stolen statue in time to host their big Halloween party.
The catch? The statue was created by Nick’s ex lover and to find the culprit, Peter must first delve into Nick’s past. Will Peter’s slutty nurse costume be enough incentive for Nick to come clean about his life before Peter?
THE REVIEW
Black Cat Ink is book three in the now-titled Bellingham Mysteries series by Nicole Kimberling (books one and two read and reviewed by me here) that follows reporter Peter Fontaine and his lover, artist Nick Olson in Bellingham, Washington. I liked this third offering very much and had no complaints.
Set just under two years after the end the previous book, Peter is now on the hunt for a stolen statue that Nick’s late lover created. While skulking around in alleys, he comes upon a very young kitten who it seems was intentionally, though not seriously, wounded. Horrified that someone could mutilate an innocent creature and concerned that the “Halloween cat skinner” has started up again, he scoops up said kitten and heads to the vet. Peter can already see the little one in his and Nick’s life, but Nick isn’t so sure. After leaving the kitten at the vet for treatment, he tries to resume his search for the statue, only to get wrangled into doing the county-wide distribution for The Hamster, the weekly rag he works for. Apparently the regular driver, Shawn, has fled town. Along the route, Peter discovers that Shawn may have been distributing his own “sideline alternative pharmaceutical business” along with the papers — his flight now making sense — but it also peaks Peter’s natural curiosity when threatening notes addressed to Shawn are discovered. It’s not long before Peter and Nick realize that maybe it’s all related somehow, and it’s bad timing as they are getting ready for their annual Halloween bash.
Black Cat Ink is lighter in tone than the other two — which I liked — mostly because the mystery element is not murder-related. In fact, there are three mysteries contained in the novella: the missing statue, the abused kitten, and Shawn and his situation. Though it didn’t ruin it for me, I guessed who the statue thief was early on, but the other two I didn’t.
Peter continues to be a wonderful character in another colorful, vivid cast (including Melinda, the clairvoyant goat). His wry, sarcastic sense of humor, “inveterately curious” nature, and internal monologues make me adore him, and Nick feels the same way.
Book three is also a lot about Nick. I always thought he was a bit of an enigma — the brooding, quiet, shy artist — and a bit under-developed as a character compared to outgoing and uncensored Peter, and I was glad to see that we are given even more insight into his character. As Peter says at one point:
Nick came with all kinds of history that he was only just now beginning to know.
The histories mentioned we get do get some of here, with much discussion about his relationship with Walter, the artist whose sculpture is stolen. This brings in characters from Walter’s family, namely one of his sons (Walter was living a double life of sorts with Nick) who resents Nick and the way his father changed his will before he passed. Related to this, there is a fairly strong theme of family here, with Peter, Nick, and kitten in the forefront, Walter’s family on the edges, and Shawn being Peter’s best friend Evangeline’s cousin.
Oh, and slutty nurse? Loved it. 🙂
OVERALL
Recommended to fans of the author and/or series.
Loved the cat and love this story (but I pretty much adore anything Kimberling writes).
I must say I think Nick’s character still comes of as a bit cold or detached, even if we get to know a lot more about him in this story.
Good morning Sunshine, and thanks for commenting. Gigi was adorable, no? I think she definitely added to the lightness of the story’s tone.
For Nick, I thought he warmed up a bit more here. I would definitely agree that he was chilly to me prior to this, and although he may not have shed that frosty layer altogether, I saw him smile and tease and interact with Peter more warmly than before. But I can see how you feel.
Maybe it is just that Peter shines so brightly? 😛
I think I liked this story the best of the three… maybe because of the cat and the goat?
I agree that this was my fav of the three.
Lynn was just DYING to say “good morning Sunshine”. LOL
I really liked this series and enjoyed the second one muchly so I’ll definitely be getting this one. I don’t mind so much if I figure out who done it early on. I like to watch the process of the hero figuring it out. Nice review.
🙂 You caught me, Tam.
If you read the first two, you need to pick this one up for sure.
I read this story and enjoyed it very much, Nicole writes great characters & fun mysteries. I did not find the character of Nick cold, to me he seems somewhat shy and reluctant to show too much of himself in the beginning. Which is why I think he is drawn to the more outgoing Peter.
Anyways, I highly recommend this story!
Sorry for calling him cold, maybe shy is a better discription. I just mean that his character is a bit over-shadowed by Peter, it’s hard to get a good handle on him. He is like a tortoise.
Yes, that’s why I think they make such a good couple, each compliments a missing trait of the other.
They are a good compliment for each other, for sure, and I think that Nick likes and is amused by Peter’s personality.
This sounds delightful Lynn, especially the mystery of the kitten (although abused). I like it sometimes when a mystery is not about a dead body. 🙂
Terrific review – as light in tone as the book. I think this will be on my TBR soon. LOL
The kitten is very cute, Wave, and anyone who has had one of these little destructive superheroes will appreciate the Gigi. And yeah, refreshing, light mystery here.