The Cat Next Door — Marian Babson

A suspenseful tale of murder and mystery in a dysfunctional British family: “Babson is as easy to read as ever” (Kirkus Reviews).
 
Margot has come back to England from America to show solidarity with her extended family in the midst of a scandalous murder trial. Cousin Chloe stands accused of stabbing her identical twin sister, Claudia, and Margot's well-to-do relatives are, understandably, a mess -- that is to say, even more dysfunctional than usual. One is eating compulsively to cope with the stress; Claudia's teenage daughter is hiding out in her bedroom; the paparazzi are hounding everyone; and all the while Chloe won't speak a word to the police, lawyers, or doctors. No wonder the household's pet Abyssinian, Tikki, has gone to stay with the neighbors.
 
But things are about to get worse when Margot, searching for Tikki, finds another victim -- whom no one recognizes -- in the pond, in this absorbing novel from an Agatha Award�"winning author.
 
“What can a reviewer say about Marian Babson? If you haven't read at least one of her books, you have definitely missed the boat. She is consistently witty.” -- Mystery News