On this Mysterious Monday, we are pleased to bring you our
review of Death by a Whisker, book 2
in the Cat Rescue Mysteries series by T. C. LoTempio. This series features a
big orange-and-white tabby named Toby, and we just love him. But more on him
later…
The plot
Sydney McCall and her sister Kat run an animal shelter in
Deer Park, North Carolina. As the book begins, they are getting ready for a
celebrity fundraiser. It seems that disaster has struck, though, when the
celebrity suddenly can’t come. But then a new celebrity, a shopping channel
star who is a Deer Park native and has recently written a tell-all book, steps
in to save the event. Ulla Townsend’s appearance might not be a blessing,
though. Sure, she’s got plenty of fans who will line up to have their books
autographed, but she’s also got a past. She’s far from the nicest person you
can imagine, and quite a few people have well-nursed grudges against her. So,
when she suddenly drops dead during the book signing and it looks like she
could have been murdered, there is no shortage of suspects.
Syd gets involved in the investigation largely because she
just can’t help herself, but also because her friend Maggie is a suspect.
Maggie knew Ulla back in high school, and she is so upset about Ulla’s
appearance that she refuses to come to the fundraiser. Then, after Ulla dies,
Maggie disappears and no one can get in touch with her. Suspicious, no?
But there are other suspects as well. One of them starts
leaving threatening notes for Syd to find, warning her off the case. She’s
getting too close to the truth for someone’s comfort, but will she figure out
who it is before that person decides it’s time to get her out of the way for
good?
The cat(s)
Toby is the main cat in the Cat Rescue Mysteries. As I
already mentioned, he is a rather large tabby, and of course he is a rescue
kitty. In fact, he chose Syd to be his person, so you know they’re great
together, because cats are great people pickers. Toby’s hobby is destroying
mouse toys (although we actually thought he’d destroyed a real mouse in the
book’s opening!). He also plays a role
in solving the mystery, pointing Syd toward clues that she undoubtedly would
not have found by herself. In short, Toby is a great cat!
A second cat, ragdoll Annie Reilly, also plays a role in the
mystery, but not in quite the same way as Toby. You’ll just have to read the
book to find out how!
Our verdict
Death by a Whisker
is a fun read. We enjoyed the story, with its mix of old and new grudges
against Ulla. There is also a wonderful tension between Syd’s boyfriend
detective and his rival for a higher position in the department. And let’s not
forget the cats. This is not the sort of mystery that adds a generic cat just
for the heck of it. The cats in this book, especially Toby and Annie Reilly,
are characters in their own right and are part of the plot, and you know we
always appreciate that.
Recommended!
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!
We
received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. We
wouldn’t tell you it was good unless we really liked it!
The
link below is an Amazon Associates link. If you purchase the book through this
link, old SoLT and I could get some coin for our kibble account. Thank you!