Rebecca M. Hale

HOW TO WASH A CAT - Set in modern day San Francisco - the tale of a Gold Rush legend, a pair of tulip-shaped cufflinks, an enigmatic uncle, a persistently obnoxious neighbor, an inartfully stuffed kangaroo, and, of course, the washing of a cat… From the inside cover: “San Francisco has always been a beacon for second, third, and fourth-chancers.” That’s what my Uncle Oscar used to say. “There...

Since her Uncle Oscar passed away and left Rebecca his odd little antique shop specializing in Gold Rush history, her cat Rupert has sniffed out several tightly wrapped bundles of cash that Oscar had apparently hidden throughout his apartment. But now Rupert has turned up something else - a dusty green vase with a toy bear inside holding a tiny paper flag that reads "Nevada City.;s infamous clues ...

WHEN IS A WHITE ALLIGATOR A RED HERRING? Okay, granted, an albino alligator on the loose in San Francisco is pretty darn exciting. But my two cats, Rupert and Isabella, and I have better things to do than tail a reptile from Nob Hill to Fisherman’s Wharf. We’re investigating the mysterious Steinhart brothers, the 1900s-era benefactors who provided the original funding for Clive the alligator’s ...

Nine Lives Last Forev When frogs begin appearing in the antiques shop Rebecca has inherited from Uncle Oscar, her cats Rupert and Isabella instantly give chase. But why are frogs also turning up in San Francisco's City Hall building? And what does her late uncle's mysterious note to "follow the frogs" mean? Soon Rebecca is caught up in the chase herself, along with a crazy crew of he...

A serial killer with a peculiar penchant for City Hall interns is on the loose in San Francisco, and it’s up to me—and my two cats, Rupert and Isabella—to put a stop to the spree. Unfortunately, worrying about my uncle Oscar’s failing health and assisting with the interim mayor’s America’s Cup regatta doesn’t leave me with much opportunity to chase down clues. Could the key to apprehending the ...

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? San Francisco isn’t the biggest city in the country, but it feels pretty vast when you’re canvassing its neighborhoods looking for clues to your missing uncle’s hidden location. Aided by my two cats, Rupert and Isabella, I try to follow Uncle Oscar’s painted clues on a trail that leads from Coit Tower’s famous murals through San Francisco’s New Deal art—all while...