Once again, Rebecca M Hale is sending us on a treasure hunt throughout the city of San Francisco. Oscar’s niece is concerned that she hasn’t heard from him in several months. He is wanted in connection to the murder of a City Hall intern. Oscar never just picks up the phone to fill his niece in – he uses codes and cronies to get her on the right path to the answers. It could be because he faked his own death and most people do not know he is among the living. Or it could be because it is just so much fun.

Things to ponder: What secret did Spider Jones learn that got him killed? Why was the interim mayor of San Francisco sketching a dead guy when a beautiful model was present? Was the meeting between Oscar’s niece and Dilla a coincidence?

The author loves San Francisco. You can feel it in her writing. She makes you love San Francisco. I had a ball googling most of the places described in this story. I felt like I was on the treasure hunt with Oscar’s niece and the rest of his quirky band of comrades. This is a fun fast-paced read. So if you like a mystery filled with eccentric characters, adorable cats with some historical lore thrown in for good measure, then you should be reading How To Paint A Cat.