Crow River Justice - Paperback

by Colleen M. Stewart (Author)

A crusty criminal defense lawyer named William Hawkins reluctantly agrees to retire and move to a rural log home with his wife Clare and his adult daughter Jules, a police officer. Clare has died from cancer, leaving William profoundly saddened. He detests the wild animals and the feral cats his wife, daughter, and neighbor Sandy have been feeding.

His life takes a dramatic turn when he and Sandy are murdered, and he is reincarnated into the body of the feral Karl's kitten. Sandy, also suffering from cancer, intended to accept a medically assisted death, but not so soon. William is forced to confront his true nemesis - his failure to let go of his grief and loneliness.

William is adopted by his daughter, Jules. He becomes an indoor cat named Buddy. She is unaware of her father's passing. Only Sandy's body is found. William becomes a person of interest and the prime suspect in the investigation by the obnoxious Ewen Keens.

William can't speak to Jules but finds his cell phone and discovers he can text with his nimble paws. He is desperate to insert himself into the investigation and find his killer. But he struggles to reach out to his daughter knowing he can't admit that he is a kitten. He avoids police questioning by telling Jules he has begun to travel extensively. She reluctantly agrees to keep his messages secret while William passes on suggestions and tidbits of information relevant to the murders and a drug case Jules is working on.

William's attitude slowly changes, and he gains a new respect for the abilities of the animals. Before the animals assist in the investigation, Karl wants justice for the disappearance and presumed murder of his daughter, Floosy, Buddy's evil sister-kitten. Blaming the coyotes, Karl calls for the animal court, with William presiding as investigator and prosecutor, and Walter the bear as judge and executioner. William undermines Karl's case, and his feline mother Charlotte arrives with his missing sister Floosy, whom Jules later also takes in.

Impressed by William's arguments that they owe it to Sandy to help solve her murder, the animals begin to collect evidence of the murders. Suspects include Sandy's nephew Jarrod who was named in her will, and her ex-husband Al, who went to jail for drunk driving and manslaughter based on Sandy's testimony.

The animals uncover clues and identify scents, connecting the murders to smells emanating from Sandy's garage and the burning of a trailer that housed a meth kitchen responsible for poisoning a large feral clowder. William learns that his body was transported to an unused mine/reservoir in Sandy's missing Camaro and likely dumped there.

Fran, a reincarnated mob bookie (I'm a fox, not a rat), finally reveals to William that the local meth cook works for someone nicknamed "The Mayor." When Jules investigates Jarrod's alibi at a construction site, she discovers Jarrod's foreman lied, and it was false. Jules is injured in a shootout

When Jules returns home from the hospital, she is told of a confession to police indicating her father was murdered, his body dumped deep into the reservoir, and the motivation was to hide a stored meth kitchen in Sandy's garage and the identity of The Mayor.

The Mayor evades the police and goes to the mine to get rid of the stashed Camaro. The animals work together to stop him until Walter, the bear mauls and executes him.

Buddy finally tells Jules the truth. He texts her the story, introduces all of the animal investigators, and acknowledges that life as a cat is full and good.