Not Quite a Geisha — Marian Babson

Evangeline Sinclair and Trixie Dolan, long-time stars of stage, screen and, er, television (well, being the voice of Tallulah, the tap-dancing cartoon cat ought to count!) have temporarily shelved their search for a suitable starring vehicle to stand by an old friend in her hour of need. And, with an Opening Night pending, an unsatisfactory leading man and the sudden demise of her beloved ancient Pekingnese, a distraught Dame Cecile Savoy needs all the support she can get. Trixie feels a bit wobbly herself when she realises that the late lamented Fleur-de-Lys isn't going to be buried, but stuffed. She feals even wobblier when they enter the shop to find the dead body of the taxidermist and the very live body of a beautiful young Japanese Bobtail cat caged in another room - doomed to be the next to receive the taxidermist's macabre attention, but due to his demise momentarily spared that particular fate. When the shop explodes in an arson attack, they all run for their lives - out of the shop and into an intrigue of murder and lacerny, with family, culinery and theatrical complications.