Jethro’s Tale

Jethro is the little stray cat who made his first appearance in Grave Shift. You might like to know how he came to belong to Darcy Campbell and her mother, Flora Tucker.

Jethro’s Story

Finally! At long last, I get to tell my story. I have been looking through the books a certain cozy mystery author writes and notice I did not appear in the first one, The Cemetery Club. This, however, was not my fault. At that time, not many people knew of my existence except Ben Ventris and, alas, poor Ben met an untimely end.

It was in Grave Shift that I was first mentioned and even then, nobody knew my background. I just sort of — poof – was there on Darcy’s pillow, waking her. This has remained my job through all four books, waking Darcy Campbell every morning.

In Best Left Buried, I loved playing with the house plans Miss Flora had on the table. They made such a wonderful rustling noise. And, when Darcy went out into the woods that day to try to investigate the Worth ranch, well, I knew she shouldn’t go but I couldn’t stop her. So, I just hid in her room, my eyes tight-shut until I knew she was safe.

Grave Heritage is my favorite book so far because in it, I meet some wonderful new friends. Darcy and Miss Flora were pretty surprised because my friends  were not, shall we say, feline in nature? But, hey! I’m open-minded.

Getting back to where I came from. I was a  helper on the farm of Ben, keeping all the mice scared away from the barn and house. Mr. Ben treated me well and I had a comfortable living but one day– oh my goodness, my hair stands on end to remember–one day, there was a tremendous explosion from the direction of the cellar and I felt the blast all the way into the barn. Scared me so bad that a couple of my nine lives fled for safety. I ran! And ran!

I prefer not to think of the days and weeks after that. I prowled through the woods of Ventris County, finding a mouse here, a rabbit there, and, I blush to remember, a few birds to fill my tummy.

One night, a huge thunderstorm tore through. The trees moaned and groaned and branches sailed off trees. Lightning sizzled through the sky making my paws and ears tingle. The wind was so strong, I had to hang onto a bush to keep from being blown into the river.

The loud thunder reminded me of that explosion at Mr. Ben’s cellar and terror took over. Tearing blindly through the woods, I didn’t stop until I collapsed from sheer fatigue on the porch of a friendly looking farmhouse. Well, that house happened to belong to Darcy Campbell and Flora Tucker. The rest, shall we say, is history.

Every day I am thankful for my home. When Darcy and Miss Flora moved into their new house, they took me with them and that’s where I met my unlikely little companions. But, you’ll just have to read about that in the latest cozy, Grave Heritage.

So, now you know how I came to be the defender and stalwart companion of two kind ladies. I just wish that Darcy did not tempt fate and try to corral uncivilized gentlemen bent on murder and mayhem. But loyalty is my finest trait and I vow to stick with these ladies through thick and thin. Actually, I don’t know what they would do without me.

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Remember that the gift card from Amazon contest is going on all this week, until tomorrow, in fact. Just tell me which of my four cozy mysteries you enjoyed most, The Cemetery Club, Grave Shift, Best Left Buried, Moonlight Can Be Murder, and why. Send to manosmeadows@sbcglobal.net or blanche@myopicjazz.com. I’ll enter your name and randomly select a winner. Thanks to all those who are entering. I enjoy meeting fans ofDarcy, Flora, and Ned.