FlabberGassed: A Mister Puss Mystery

A weight-loss miracle. A dashing gay architect. A talking cat. What could possibly go wrong?In the idyllic little town of Dumont Wisconsin wealthy widow Mary Questman adopts an exotic stray cat Mister Puss who begins to talk to her. At least she thinks so. Marys young friend gay architect Brody Norris soon finds another reason to worry about Marys judgment when she decides to help finance a bizarre weight-loss enterprise called FlabberGas the invention of a flamboyant local dermatologist Dr. Francis Frumpkin.Brodys skepticism is partially overcome when Dr. Frumpkin commissions him to design the first of a planned chain of FlabberGas clinics. But then during a public demonstration of Frumpkins gimmicky new treatment a volunteer is gassed to death in a hideous mishap that turns out to be no accident. It was murder all right. Suspects abound. And Brody is drawn into the role of amateur sleuth assisting Sheriff Thomas Simms.Funny and tender thoroughly tangled with a chilling motive at its core the mystery comes to a jolting conclusion when Brody pieces together tiny overlooked details and helps Sheriff Simms name the killer. Along the way though Brody himself gets a little help--or so it seems--from the chatty Mister Puss.