Миранда Джеймс: Bless Her Dead Little Heart

Praise for the New York Times Bestselling Cat in the Stacks Mysteries

OUT OF CIRCULATION

“Humor and plenty of Southern charm . . . Cozy fans will hope James . . . keep[s] Charlie and Diesel in action for years to come.”

— Publishers Weekly

“The old Southern charm recollects Rita Mae Brown’s Sneaky Pie series (without the talking animals), while Charlie’s investigative techniques may bring some of Agatha Christie’s characters to mind.”

— Library Journal

“Like its predecessors, Out of Circulation offers a pleasing blend of crime and charm, filled with familiar and cherished characters, biped and quadruped.”

— Richmond Times-Dispatch

“Even if you don’t like cats, there’s plenty to enjoy in this traditional cozy.”

— RT Book Reviews

“This fourth installment of the Cat in the Stacks series keeps you involved until the last page.”

— Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

FILE M FOR MURDER

“Readers who have come to love Charlie and Diesel and the small-town ambience of Athena will find File M for Murder another pleasant diversion, complete with an intriguing plot in which the silence of the library threatens to become the silence of the grave.”

— Richmond Times-Dispatch

“This charming, classic cozy features full-on Southern charm. Well plotted and evenly paced, with fairly laid out clues for those who like to solve along with the sleuth. Charlie and Diesel are a delightful detective team, and the idea of a male amateur sleuth/librarian with a cat is a refreshing twist on an old trope.”

— RT Book Reviews

“Will make you a cat lover if you are not already one.”

— Once Upon a Romance

“This cozy mystery makes for a leisurely and enjoyable read. It is well plotted, and the protagonist and the secondary characters are multidimensional and likable. And of course, there’s Diesel . . . a thoroughly lovable cat who is an integral part of the story.”

— The Conscious Cat

“James has [a] winner with this one, readers won’t want to miss it.”

— Debbie’s Book Bag

CLASSIFIED AS MURDER

“Bringing local color to life, this second entry in the series . . . is a gentle, closed-room drama set in Mississippi. Ideal for Christie fans who enjoy a good puzzle.”

— Library Journal

“Readers will enjoy this entertaining regional whodunit as the librarian and the cat work the case.”

— Genre Go Round Reviews

“A hit with bibliophiles and animal lovers, not to mention anyone who likes a well-plotted mystery. The characters are unique and often eccentric. Having a male amateur sleuth with a subplot that explores his relationship with his adult son brings a fresh twist to the genre.”

— RT Book Reviews

MURDER PAST DUE

“Combines a kindhearted librarian hero, family secrets in a sleepy Southern town, and a gentle giant of a cat that will steal your heart. A great beginning to a promising new cozy series.”

—Lorna Barrett, New York Times bestselling author

“Courtly librarian Charlie Harris and his Maine coon cat, Diesel, are an endearing detective duo. Warm, charming, and Southern as the tastiest grits.”

—Carolyn Hart, national bestselling author of the Bailey Ruth Mysteries

“Brings cozy lovers an intriguing mystery, a wonderful cat, and a librarian hero who will warm your heart. Filled with Southern charm, the first in the Cat in the Stacks Mysteries will keep readers guessing until the end. Miranda James should soon be on everyone’s list of favorite authors.”

—Leann Sweeney, author of the Cats in Trouble Mysteries

“ Murder Past Due has an excellent plot, great execution, and a surprising ending. This book is a must read!”

— The Romance Readers Connection

“Miranda James begins the Cat in the Stacks Mysteries with a bang . . . [An] absolute breath of fresh air.”

— Fresh Fiction

“Readers will adore Charlie and Diesel.”

— Socrates’ Book Reviews Blog

“Read Murder Past Due for the mystery and an enjoyable amateur sleuth . . . You’ll find yourself wishing for the next book to catch up with Diesel.”

— Lesa’s Book Critiques

Please visit Diesel the cat at facebook.com/DieselHarriscat.

Berkley Prime Crime titles by Miranda James

Cat in the Stacks Mysteries

MURDER PAST DUE

CLASSIFIED AS MURDER

FILE M FOR MURDER

OUT OF CIRCULATION

THE SILENCE OF THE LIBRARY

Southern Ladies Mysteries

BLESS HER DEAD LITTLE HEART

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

Published by the Penguin Group

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BLESS HER DEAD LITTLE HEART

A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author

Copyright © 2014 by Dean James.

Excerpt from Arsenic and Old Books by Miranda James copyright © 2014 by Dean James.

Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.

Berkley Prime Crime Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group.

BERKLEY® PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.

For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) LLC,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

eBook ISBN: 978-0-698-14828-4

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition /October 2014

Cover illustration by Dan Craig.

Cover design by Lesley Worrel.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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This book is dedicated with love and thanks to the two amazing women who inspired their fictional (and much older) counterparts: An’gel Ducote Molpus and Dickce Ducote Little. Blessings in life come in different guises; if you’re lucky, they sometimes have sassy mouths and big hearts. Thank you for your friendship and your inspiration.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Were it not for my good friend Carolyn Haines and one of her many fascinating brainstorms, I would never have met the real An’gel and Dickce at the wonderful and wacky thing that is Daddy’s Girls Weekend. Thank you, Carolyn, for being such a fascinating influence in my life.

Special thanks also to Terri Dunn, Cheryl Carlson, Carole Sauer, Katie Ruffin, Kelly Robinson, Gail Bonneau, and Betty Milton. These ladies keep me entertained on Facebook on the days when I need it most.

Michelle Vega is awesome (I seldom use that word, and when I do, I really mean it) as my editor and friend. She has more patience than that guy in the proverb, and I would never finish a book without it. My agent, Nancy Yost, and her associates, Sarah Younger, Adrienne Rosado, and Natanya Wheeler, are awesome as well. I cannot thank them enough for what they do to help me earn enough to buy cat food for Pippa and Toby and other good things as well.