It don't get no better, as us hillbillies say.

I had never read any of Kay Hooper's books before I picked this one up in Wal-Mart awhile back. The title caught my attention first; then the cover art; then the description of the story on the back cover.

What with one thing and another (mainly reading a great pile of other books before I reached this one) it lay on a shelf for some months. I began reading it last night and frankly have neglected chores, email, and pretty much anybody who spoke to me to finish it today.

The story begins with a black cat named Pendragon, who appears out of nowhere on the day a troubled young beauty named Josie Douglas moves into an old house in the Virginia countryside. The house had been, fifty years before, the site of an alleged suicide. In short order, it becomes obvious that Pendragon is far from an ordinary housecat, and that the "suicide" is returning as a ghost, apparently hoping that Josie will find the truth about his death.

Of course there's a love interest: the landlord, Marc Westbrook, nephew of the man who died in the house, who falls in love with Josie on sight. Josie has a tragedy in her past, but learns to love Marc in spite of it. Hooper never satisfactorily resolves that subplot, but with the help of Pendragon the cat, Josie and Marc solve the mystery of his uncle's murder--as it turns out--and put things to rights with the uncle's true love.

The plot is reminiscent of a Barbara Michaels one, although I must say that Hooper does not write with the evocative style of Michaels. Still, it's a good read. My only quibble is that Pendragon the cat, who seems more human than a cat ought to be, leaves at the end of the story.

Hooper, who has gone on to great success with several series characters, wrote THE HAUNTING OF JOSIE as a stand-alone in 1994. It was reissued following the success of her later series novels.

If you like romance, suspense, ghosts and cats, this one's for you. As for me, if anybody comes looking for me, I'll be in a corner somewhere with a book.