Lacy Marie Crocker’s whimsical pet couture has gained a following in New Orleans’s cozy Garden District, and word of mouth has traveled all the way to her favorite fashion designer, Annie Lane. Lacy’s thrilled when Annie schedules a private session at her home to discuss a companion line for her evening wear, but when Lacy arrives for the appointment, she enters the kitchen to two mewling Siamese cats–and one very dead Annie.

Lacy takes the kittens home to care for them until they can be properly claimed by Annie’s family or friends, but after a busy day of work, she returns home to find them missing. And when Lacy learns the cats are set to inherit Annie’s fortune, she begins to wonder if the killer was after the kittens all along. Now Lacy will stop at nothing to save the Siamese and find justice for Annie–if the killer doesn’t sink his claws into her first.

Luckily, Lacy has the help of handsome NOLA PD homicide detective Jack Oliver to help her catch the cat-napper before its too late in Cat Got Your Cash, the endearing second Kitty Couture mystery from Julie Chase.

5 Things I Learned While Researching for Cat Got Your Cash

1. NOLA knows how to make a sandwich

This is the muffuletta, a New Orleans tradition, and something my main character mentions at least once per book. Because it’s amazing. Made on a muffuletta loaf, 1 sandwich can easily feed 2-3 people. The bread is layered with salami, ham, mortadella, mozzarella and Provolone, then smothered in mouth-watering olive salad. It’s officially heaven for your mouth.

2.Garden District architecture is enough to drop your jaw. Period.

I don’t know what your neighborhood looks like, but mine sure doesn’t look like this. And the picture doesn’t even do it justice. Garden District homes are over-the-top amazing. I knew the first time I saw them that this was where Lacy’s family lived.

3.Cemeteries are often referred to as “cities of the dead” and it’s for a reason.

Family crypts stand in rows along cement walkways like homes in a little town.

New Orleans is below sea level which meant the bodies traditionally buried by early settlers tended to pop back up. They had to get creative in this new land. The results are both practical and beautiful.

4.Another thing I learned? How to drive a Segway! It was so much fun, and I only hit one wall!

As you can see, I’m not one to worry about looking foolish. I rode that thing around New Orleans for three hours. It was a blast.

5.Finally, most importantly…It’s always time, and there’s always room for beignets and café au lait.

This was how I ended many nights out during my research trip. Then, I’d walk back to the hotel, enjoying the thick Louisiana air, cooking up crimes for my series and making memories to last a lifetime.

If you’ve never been to New Orleans, I hope you’ll find time to visit one day. It’s absolutely worth the trip. In the meantime, you can enjoy the city vicariously through my heroine, in Cat Got Your Cash.