RIP Pippa Jones 1997-2016

My beautiful but always rather serious looking Pip, aged 7 (in 2004). After several months of illness, she joins her sister Toffee (approx 18 months later).

OT: The Return of Caturday

Meet Miss Nancy, who has joined the Euro Crime stable of cats, making the total 4 again. Nancy has been with us since early September. She is just over a year old and has been in a rescue place from birth. She is very timid, even still, but has improved noticeably. She can be stroked but not picked up but we are working on it. Here she is settling into her new bed. Both armchairs now have cat beds in them and the settee often has two cats on it - leaving little room for humans - though there's always the floor...

Happy Christmas

It's Pippa Jones's turn to be in the Christmas photo. She's had a lively morning chasing paper etc, not bad for a sixteen-year-old. Snoozing now.

Happy Christmas/Holidays to all Euro Crime's fans, reviewers, comment leavers.

Look out for some more postings over the Festive break.

Euro Crime is now on Facebook

I have been meaning to set up a page on Facebook for Euro Crime for ages and a work-related Facebook project has pushed me into finally doing it. I will be putting a link from the Euro Crime blog posts on to the Facebook page (as I do with twitter) so it'll be another way of keeping up to date.

The url is https://www.facebook.com/eurocrimewebsite.
(Please come and "like" it.)

This is how Foxy's passing the day as it's pouring down outside:

OT: It's Caturday (x2)

It's been a while, so here are recent photos of two of the cats: Mr Fox and Miss Toffs:

OT: It's Caturday x 2

This was Toffee this morning, auditioning for Superman or is it Supergirl?:

This is the one and only Foxy relaxing at his temporary quarters over Christmas (I took his favourite blanket to make him feel at home):

Happy Christmas 2012

The daily posts of favourite discoveries of 2012 by the Euro Crime review team will continue in the New Year. I'm signing off for a couple of weeks now.

Firstly I must give my thanks to my lovely reviewers and the readers of this blog and website.

Thank you for the comments both on the blog and privately regarding Maxine. There will be a site set up by the family where we can share our memories, and I'll post the link when I get it. I'm sure she'd love this picture of Foxy in complete relaxation. And I hope your festive break is similar.

A Belated Happy Cat-urday

Foxy awake for once (in a photo)...

OT: It's Cat-urday

Along with more than 10,000 viewers I've become hooked on watching the Spice Kittens: four kittens, who are being looked after, along with their mum, at PurrfectPals. Their activities are livestreamed (they are currently asleep at the time of writing) - watch here.

Here is a screen-shot of the four in action:

Thanks to @crimeficreader for the tip.

Cats in Crime Fiction

My other half is currently reading Tom-All-Alone's by Lynn Shepherd (which I got for him as he likes his Dickens) and he is regaling me with quotes about the main character's cat.

"The cat wakes, stretches languorously on the bed then turns himself slowly upside-down, inviting adulation."

(As demonstrated by Foxy.)

Read the Euro Crime review by Terry.

OT: It's double Cat-urday

The "girls" (now 15) get a bit overlooked Caturday-wise because they are quite difficult to get decent pictures of, especially Pippa, the darker tortie. Here they are quite recently:

OT: It's Caturday Again

Sorry it's a bit blurry. Can you spot the "live" one?

OT: Caturday: Foxy thinks he's human

It seems Foxy understands the concept of pillows.

OT: Happy Birthday Foxy

The kitten that we found in May 2007, which would turn into the beautiful bruiser that is Foxy, was roughly 3 months old so we allocated a nominal birthday of 14 February, making him 5 today. Appropriately he is a sweetheart and possibly the most characterful cat we've had (so far?). Here he is in the snow a few days ago...

Photos of Nimes (the cat)

I'd like to thank everyone for their kind words on the blog and in emails about our sad loss last week. Now the shock has passed, we've been able to reflect back on the life Nimes shared with us. Remembering how he used to follow us on walks round the housing estate we used to live on in Ipswich, how he seemed to find one of our other cats (when he followed Nimes back) and how he would lurk in the hedges of the cycle path and surprise us. When we moved to the Midlands we had several rented houses until we settled in out current house 14 years ago. When we moved in, we thought the house was secure and let him out of the cat box. A few minutes later we noticed a tabby setting off up the grassy knoll and off into the trees....he'd jumped out of the first-floor bathroom window! He came back a bit later no problem and was very much at home here. I mentioned he was partial to chicken, well the local squirrel population reduced when he was in his prime. Just the tails were left...

When we got him, he was 3 months old and had been rescued by the Cats Protection League who had got him from a vets where they didn't put down healthy cats. He was so nervous and would hide under the video recorder/tv stand. He eventually warmed up and was fairly sociable with people but was absolutely terrified at first of the new cats we got a few years later and would never pick a fight with another cat (unlike a certain Mr Fox). It was so pleasing to see Nimes just sleeping in the front garden, completely relaxed - so different from when we first got him.

I've been browsing through the digital photos and found a few nice ones from 2004 when he was 13. You'll see he was a bit of an omnivore. He also loved Skips and any other crisps.

Sleeping...



After some chicken:



"Arthuring" it with Pippa Jones for soup:



These two are a couple of years later when he was 15:




I know everyone thinks their cats are beautiful but he really was and good-natured too. Didn't mind being picked up and put up with the younger cats - and if he did get fed up a mighty paw would descend on the offender and that would be that!

Happy Christmas & a Big Thank You

Happy Christmas to the much appreciated readers of this blog and its sister Euro Crime website. Plus a big thank you to the Euro Crime review team, which has increased this year, and the publishers who send out the review books. As ever, I'm very grateful to those who've commented on the blog and sent comments, information and Christmas cards directly to me. I wish you all the best for 2012.

Is it Christmas yet?

Coming soon: more favourite discoveries of 2011; an article by Leigh Russell on her new book, Death Bed, which is available on Kindle now - 6 months ahead of its print release; the Euro Crime reviewers favourite reads of 2011; a new competition or two, and included in the next set of reviews, reviews of the latest books by Elly Griffiths and Stuart Neville.

OT: It's Blurry Cat-urday

Not the best pictures in the world - Foxy is just too fast for the camera (!). He's sussed how to get out but hasn't got the leverage to move the handle.

I took the second and third photos after I'd walked into the lounge to see him on his back, motionless, legs pointing out. He'd moved a bit before I got back with my camera/phone...

OT: Foxy's not Scared of Heights

Spot Foxy's new vantage point where he keeps an eye on the other feline residents...

OT: It's Cats-unday

Here's a recent shot of elder statesman Nimes (20) behind Pippa Jones (a mere 14). She loves that pile of soil so I haven't the heart to bash it down!

OT: It's Candid Cat-urday

A pre scratched-nose snap of Foxy yesterday...