Today we have the pleasure of reviewing novellas from two of
our favorite cat cozy mystery series: Sofie Kelly’s “The Cat Burglar” (Magical
Cats series) and Sofie Ryan’s “No More Pussyfooting Around” (Second Chance Cat
series). The stories are conveniently packaged together in one book called Two Tall Tails. Completely uncoincidentally, the two Sofies are also conveniently packaged together in one person.
The Cat Burglar
“The Cat Burglar” brings us to Mayville Heights, Minnesota,
where we meet up with magical cats Hercules (tuxedo cat who can walk through
walls and who enjoys Barry Manilow) and Owen (gray tabby who can disappear at
will) and their human, Kathleen. Certain items have been stolen from the local
artists’ co-op store, and the main suspects hardly seem likely to be thieves.
Then again, you never know about people, do you? Nobody wants to get the police
involved, so Kathleen (and the cats) gets recruited to get to the bottom of the
mystery. And by the way, it’s up to the cats (specifically Owen) to discover the
culprit.
No More Pussyfooting Around
“No More Pussyfooting Around” takes us to North Harbor,
Maine, where Sarah Grayson runs a repurpose shop called Second Chance. She also
has a cat named Elvis who can tell when people are lying. This story involves a
dangerous dispute between neighbors. Specifically, there is a seriously
unpleasant young man taking care of his aunt’s house while said aunt is in the
hospital after a fall down the stairs. The question is, is the boy just a jerk,
or is there something more sinister afoot? My advice to the humans is to pay attention
to Elvis.
Our verdict
We read a lot of murder mysteries, and it’s nice once in a
while to read a mystery that does not involve a corpse. Actually, we wish more
mysteries would involve plot lines other than “Who killed Mr. So-and-So, and
why?” But that is a post for another day.
We found these stories to be a
refreshing change. The shorter format means there’s no room for multiple
subplots with a laundry list of characters, and we enjoyed that. Both stories
are well crafted and well written. Our main concern here is cats, and we are
happy to report that the cats in these stories are integral to solving the
mysteries. Where these people would be without their cats, we do not know. Not solving
mysteries, that is for sure. Both stories will give you a whole new idea of
what cats are capable of.
A note on the "Paws Up" system: Miss C gives
either one or two paws up. One paw is for a good read; two paws is for a great
read. She never gives three or four paws because that would require her to lie
on her back...and Miss C does
not do that!
The link below is an Amazon Associates link. If you buy the book through this link, Miss C and old SoLT may get some change for their piggy bank.
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