Book Review: Two by Clea Simon

On this Mysterious Monday, we are excited to share our thoughts on not one but two new releases from one of our favorite authors, Clea Simon. First up is Cross My Path, the latest in the Blackie and Care mystery series, and next is Fear on Four Paws, the latest in the Pru Marlowe Pet Noir series.

Cross My Path

This book picks up the story of a young pink-haired private investigator named Care and her feline companion, Blackie. They live in a run-down port town where work is hard to come by and the living is hard. Care, though, is building a reputation and a clientele, even if many clients can barely pay her. Now she has two jobs, one for a woman seeking something that belonged to her missing brother, the other for a man seeking his younger work companion who has gone missing. Meanwhile, she is also trying to figure out what her former acquaintance AD, who is supposed to be in prison, is doing walking the streets, and she’s still trying to protect young Tick, the growing boy she feels an almost motherly attachment to. These tasks all keep taking her to the docks, a dangerous part of town where it is rumored that trade is about to start up again. The question is, trade in what, and why do people Care knows keep turning up dead?

The story is told entirely from Blackie’s point of view. He is a unique cat (or maybe not so unique—who knows?) in that he used to be someone else. Specifically, he used to be Care’s former mentor, now deceased. The first two books in this series dealt largely with Blackie coming to understand who he now is and who he once was. Now he knows, but there are still many things he does not know about his former life. We love how devoted he is to Care, to protecting her, and we love getting to see the world through his senses. He is one of the most fascinating feline characters we have ever read, and his character grows with each book.

We think Cross My Path is the best book in the series so far. The story, set in a dark world, is completely engrossing, filled with characters who keep you wondering what they’re really up to. It’s hard to tell who Care should trust, and the consequences if she chooses wrong could be deadly for her and Blackie. This is not a cozy by any means, but if you’re up for something grittier and featuring a truly great cat, we highly recommend Cross My Path and the whole Care and Blackie series!

Fear on Four Paws

We have been wanting to try the Pru Marlowe series for a while now, and we are so happy we finally got a chance to. Pru is an animal behaviorist who has the ability to communicate with animals, although she doesn’t always interpret their messages correctly. She’s also a former wild child who speeds around in her muscle car, drinks a fair amount of bourbon, and sleeps with local police detective Jim Creighton. In this book, Pru gets involved in a murder investigation after a bear is illegally trapped and Pru finds her boss, Albert, passed out at the scene. Unfortunately for Albert, there’s also a body—a human one—stashed in a cabin used by him and his buddies.

Albert is your basic disgusting slob, but Pru knows he couldn’t have organized the trapping of the bear, much less killed anyone, and so she has to help him clear his name. Trouble is, the only known witness is his ferret, Frank, but given the messages Pru gets from him, she has to wonder what he’s holding back. Meanwhile, local pets belonging to well-off newcomers keep going missing, only to turn up a short while later, found by a nice young man who often receives a small reward for his efforts. Pru suspects that something weird is going on there too.

The main cat in this book is Wallis, Pru’s tabby with an attitude. We enjoyed their blunt exchanges. Wallis is quick to comment on whatever Pru is up to, but it’s really up to the ferret, Frank, to help put together the pieces of this mystery.

We enjoyed Fear on Four Paws a lot. Pru is not a polished person by any means—she is who she is, and we like that. We also like how Clea Simon handles the animal communication parts of the story. It’s not always clear what the animal is trying to tell Pru, and Pru just might get the sensation of a mouth full of fur along with the communication. The plot is also a real puzzler. We did not figure it out at all, and the end had us turning pages like crazy to find out what would happen. Fun!

 Both of these books are great reads, and we give them both a very enthusiastic Two Paws Up!

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 these books in exchange for a fair and honest review. We wouldn’t tell you something was good unless we really liked it!

The links below are Amazon Associates links. If you purchase anything through these links, old SoLT and I could get some coin for our kibble account. Thank you!

Book Review: Claws of Death

On this Mysterious Monday, we are pleased to bring you our short review of Claws of Death, the second Cat Lady mystery from Linda Reilly. We missed the first book in this series, but we had no trouble at all getting right into this book, which features a small cat shelter, a retired actress, and a mysterious ghostly cat that only one person can see.

The plot

The action happens in Whisker Jog, New Hampshire, where Lara Caphart and her aunt Fran run a cat shelter, and where famous but aging Hollywood star Deanna Daltry has decided to retire. Deanna adopts two adorable kittens—Noodle and Doodle—from the shelter. That’s terrific, but Lara has misgivings about the housekeeper, Nancy, who doesn’t like cats. Her misgivings tick up several  notches when she discovers a murdered man on Deanna’s property. Could he be connected to Deanna’s past somehow, or perhaps to Nancy’s past? Has Lara unwittingly adopted two innocent kittens out to a murderer? Everyone tells her not to get involved, but she can’t help herself, knowing that the kittens could be in danger.

Fortunately, she has help (see next section).

The cats

The main cats in this story are of course Noodle and Doodle and the cats at the shelter. We won’t introduce all of them here, but there’s Frankie, who wants to be an only cat; Ballou, a feral who’s learning to be more comfortable around humans; Bootsie, who’s been waiting forever to find a home; and Munster, the shelter’s unofficial greeter.

And then there’s the real main cat, Blue. She is a ghostly Ragdoll who appears at will but only to Lara. Blue has a talent for pointing out clues by pushing important papers and such in Lara’s direction (not that Lara always pays attention at first). And though she can’t be seen by others, Blue can influence them by moving objects to get their attention. The object-moving thing works for distracting crazed killers too!

Our verdict

So basically, we want Blue to come visit us (wouldn’t that be so cool?). And we want to go to Whisker Jog and visit Lara’s cat shelter. We would try to plan our trip for when they’re not having a murder, though, because it sounds like there are some dangerous people in the area.

What I am trying to say is that we loved Claws of Death. The plot is excellent and kept us guessing right up to the end (and no, we did not figure out whodunnit before the killer was revealed), and the characters are people (and cats) you really want to spend time with. We loved seeing the cats at the shelter meet their new families, even though things don’t always turn out as planned. And of course we loved seeing how the cats touch people’s lives, even if those people don’t like cats.

Claws of Death has just the right mix of charm and mayhem, and we highly recommend it!

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!

Book Review: A Passion for Haunted Fashion

On this Mysterious Monday, we are pleased to bring you our review of A Passion for Haunted Fashion, the latest Haunted Vintage mystery from Rose Pressey. This is the series that combines murder, fashion, ghosts, a generous dose of humor, and a cat who uses a Ouija board to communicate. It is such fun!

The plot

In A Passion for Haunted Fashion, vintage clothing boutique owner Cookie Chanel is working on costumes for the Sugar Creek Theater’s upcoming production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Somehow, Cookie always finds herself sorting through trunks or racks of old clothing in a dusty attic or basement or some such place, and more often than not, she manages to stir up a ghost. This is in addition to her more or less permanent ghostly companion, Charlotte, who is bossy and sassy and very, very funny. The new ghost in this case is named Peggy, and she’s been in the theater since the 1950s. Can Cookie and Charlotte help her figure out why she’s there?

Sounds like enough to keep a person and two ghosts busy, but then one of the actors is found stabbed to death, with Cookie’s best friend, Heather, standing over him, covered in blood. Obviously things look bad for Heather, and now Cookie and the ghosts have two mysteries to solve, and if they don’t solve the more modern one, Heather could be headed to prison.

Fortunately they have plenty of suspects, both from the theater and from the victim’s personal life. Unfortunately, Cookie is not the smoothest investigator you’ve ever met, as she tends to get flustered when trying to question someone. Having two ghosts there to critique her performance doesn’t help, especially when Cookie can’t respond to them because she’s the only one who can see them. If she suddenly starts talking out loud to invisible people, everyone will think she’s nuts.  (Everyone probably already thinks she’s nuts anyway, but whatever.)

The cat

Also fortunately, they have the help of the white Persian cat named Wind Song. Wind Song has an interesting story herself. See, one time during a séance, Cookie’s grandmother’s spirit got trapped in the cat’s body. Now the grandmother (who is also sort of psychic—because why not?) communicates through a Ouija board. Except sometimes Wind Song the cat communicates through the board. Basically, if the message is relevant to the investigation, it’s from Grandma Pearl; if it’s about cat food, it’s from Wind Song. Anyway, Wind Song / Grandma Pearl are instrumental in providing clues that point Cookie and the ghosts in the right direction.

Our verdict

When we first started reading this series, we thought we might not like it so much because fashion is really not our thing. Honestly, when the outfits are described, we often even don’t know how to picture them; if it’s not jeans and T-shirts, we’re a little lost. But you don’t have to love fashion to love these stories, because they have a lot to offer. We love the role Wind Song / Grandma Pearl plays, and we like that Cookie keeps meeting new ghosts whose mysteries she must solve. Cookie has an endearingly fumbling method of crime solving, and Charlotte cracks us up (be sure to read her tips on the afterlife at the start of every other chapter; they alternate with Cookie's vintage fashion tips). Plus, we enjoy mysteries set in the South.

In A Passion for Haunted Fashion, Rose Pressey gives us another fun mystery full of characters we love. 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!

Book Review: Magick Run Amok

On this Mysterious Monday, we are thrilled to bring you our review of the latest book in the Abracadabra mystery series by Sharon Pape. Magick Run Amok keeps this fun series going with a perplexing series of murders, a little magic, a famous sorcerer who’s seriously in the wrong time zone, and of course a clowder of cats.

The plot

We return to New Camel, New York, and meet up with Kailyn Wilde, owner of a magick shop called Abacadabra. Her aunt Tilly has had a premonition of a murder—another murder—and soon Kailyn’s love interest, local TV reporter Travis, tells her that his friend Ryan is missing. Then Ryan is dead, apparently the victim of an unfortunate car accident. Then Travis reveals that Ryan was not just a friend; he was an adopted brother. And he was murdered, probably because he’d been investigating a string of earlier murders that had been passed off as unrelated deaths from various causes. Travis is going to investigate Ryan’s death and all those others. Does Kailyn want to help?

Dumb question, right?

So Travis and Kailyn begin interviewing victims’ family members, trying to find out what all those deaths have in common. Kailyn’s abilities in spell casting and teleportation come in handy, and the investigative duo starts to form some theories. But as they get closer to the truth, it starts to look like one or both of them could be the killer’s next victim. It’s a good thing Kailyn has cats! (See next section to find out why.)

We can’t review an Abacadabra book without mentioning Merlin. Yes, the Merlin. King Arthur, Knights of Round Table, etc., etc. The famous sorcerer has been pulled out of his own time and is stuck in the modern world—not that this is totally a bad thing. He loves ice cream, television, pizza, and getting into mischief. In Magick Run Amok, he tries a run for the town board (not a good idea, since he’s not a citizen and can’t reveal where he’s really from), transmutes himself into a duck and can’t undo it (so funny!), and puts a little glamour on Kailyn so everyone thinks she is a certain King of Rock ’n’ Roll (too bad she still can’t sing). He is quite the character!

The cats

Kailyn has a whole clowder of cats, headed by Shashkatu, a senior who spends most of his time sleeping in the shop. There are five other cats, plus Tilly’s Maine coon. Shashkatu and his underlings play an important role in saving their people from a dangerous jam. Bad guys in your house? Send in the cats! We enjoyed that scene, and we especially enjoyed the little wink Shashkatu gives Kailyn when it’s over. Yeah, he planned it all. The cats are mostly side characters in this book, but they sure do show up when needed.

Our verdict

We love this series. We still haven’t read the first book, but we are anxious to get to it and find out how everything started. That said, you can enjoy Magick Run Amok even if you haven’t read the previous books, although we suspect you’ll enjoy it more if you have read the earlier volumes. The mystery is well constructed and is truly mysterious. It is no wonder no one connected the dots earlier, and if not for Kailyn, Travis, and friends, a killer would remain free. The action and suspense are relieved by healthy doses of humor, and the characters are some of our favorites in the world of cozy mysteries. The magic is more complicated than the “I’ll just whip up a little spell and everything will be fine” variety; it’s helpful, but not foolproof (quack quack!). And the cats are excellent. We do love a cat who saves the day.

If you haven’t tried the Abacadabra books yet, you should. We think you’ll love them as much as we do!

Highly 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!

Book Review: Clowders

On this Mysterious Monday, we are pleased to bring you our review of Vanessa Morgan’s Clowders, the dark tale of what happens to an American family after they move to a small, cat-centric town in Luxembourg. This is not the sort of light read we often review here, so prepare yourselves.

The plot

Aiden and Jess arrive in the village of Clervaux with their daughter, Eleonore. Aiden is a veterinarian who has taken a position at the local clinic, but he soon finds that the village’s inhabitants have a strange attachment to their cats. Killing a cat—even euthanasia of a desperately sick or injured cat—is the worst thing you could do. Aiden has no idea why, but then he doesn’t know about the town’s dark secret.

Neither does Jess, but as she spends days alone, trying to find a job in a country where she doesn’t speak the language, she begins to sense that something is not right with this place. For one thing, there’s the sound of claws on the floor, and for another, there’s that odd sense of always being watched. Then there’s the fact that her husband seems to be forming an attraction to a local cat rescuer named Lorenza.

Things get worse when Aiden and Jess go out with Lorenza and some others for a night of fun at a club. When it’s time to go home, everyone determines that Jess is the most sober, so she is stuck driving. A cat darts in front of the car, and she hits it, killing it. Everyone except Jess and Aiden freaks out, but the newcomers don’t understand why. Sure, it’s sad that the cat died, but they had tried to save it, in the end it’s just a cat, right?

Wrong. A cat in Clervaux is never “just a cat,” because a mysterious, terrifying creature known as the Tengu protects all cats there. And if a human harms a cat, that human—and any other humans who were involved—will pay. So it isn’t long before the people who were in the car that night begin disappearing, and Jess is becoming more and more afraid as she keeps hearing and seeing unexplainable things. Is she just caught up in the local folklore, or are they all in danger?

Our verdict

We mostly enjoyed this book. The overall story is intriguing, and the climax had us turning pages at a furious pace. We read so many cozies, it was a nice change of pace to read something dark and unsettling, which Clowders certainly is. That said, we were a little disappointed that we didn’t get a stronger sense of foreboding and creepiness. The pace slowed for us in the sections focused mostly on Jess and Aiden’s faltering relationship, but it definitely picks up toward the end. All in all, a good read!

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 purchase the book through this link, old SoLT and I could get some coin for our kibble account. Thank you!

Book Review: The Bengal Identity

On this Mysterious Monday, we are pleased to bring you our short review of The Bengal Identity, book 2 in Eileen Watkins’s Cat Groomer mystery series. This book features plenty of mystery, most of it centered around one spectacular cat whose identity is unknown.

The plot

Cassie McGlone is the owner of Cassie’s Comfy Cats, a grooming and boarding facility in Chadwick, New Jersey. One day a young man comes in asking if he can board his big brown cat there. His house has just burned down, and he is desperate to find a place for the vocal, high-energy cat, whose name is Ayesha. Cassie agrees, but things take a strange turn when she gives Ayesha a bath and discovers that the brown fur color washes out to reveal distinctive spots. It seems that this cat may in fact be a very valuable kitty—a Bengal—in disguise. Things get even more strange when the man who’d brought Ayesha in turns up dead, possibly a murder victim. Could he have been killed by someone who was after Ayesha? And was the mysterious young man protecting the cat or stealing her? And could Cassie, her shop, and her one employee be in danger from whoever might be after this rare cat?

Our verdict

We loved this book from start to finish. This is the first book we have read in the Cat Groomer series, but it was very easy to get into even without knowing all the detail from the first book. The main story is engrossing, and the side plots (the main ones involve a mysterious wild cat; a missing auto mechanic; and Cassie’s veterinarian boyfriend, who’s having problems with his staff) add depth without distracting from Ayesha’s story. The final attempt to take Ayesha was not terribly surprising, but we didn’t mind because the reason behind this whole situation was so … let’s call it infuriating. It was something we could not have imagined. It was disturbing to us and may be extremely disturbing to people who are extra sensitive to mistreatment of animals. Things turn out okay, though, so if you can get through the disturbing part, we think you’ll enjoy how the story ends.

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!

Book Review: Engaged in Danger

On this Mysterious Monday, we are pleased to bring you our review of Engaged in Danger, book 4 in the Jamie Quinn mystery series by Barbara Venkataraman. We enjoyed the first three books in the series, so we were eager to find out what Jamie, who practices family law in Hollywood, Florida, is up to now.

The plot

In this volume, Jamie’s boyfriend is headed to Australia to work with wombats for three months. But no worries, right? It looks like Jamie is going to be busy with a divorce case anyway—one involving Marvin Glasser, a high-profile, well-connected lawyer whose wife wants a divorce. The twenty-six lawyers Mrs. Glasser has already contacted have refused to take the case, and Jamie is inclined to refuse it as well, because who wants to get mixed up with Marvin Glasser? He’s into some shady stuff, and he’s seriously out of her league. But soon enough Jamie’s best friend, Grace, a corporate lawyer, has convinced her that they should pair up on the case. It will be fun to work together, not to mention lucrative. They never counted on a personal rift that would leave them not speaking to each other as they work to prepare their case.

Meanwhile, Jamie has also agreed to help her neighbors look into the circumstances of the plane crash that killed the wife’s twin sister. The crash was blamed on mechanical failure, but could the failure have been intentional, and why do suspicious names connected to Glasser keep coming up in this case? Most importantly, will the rift between Jamie and Grace spell the end of their friendship—or of their lives?

The cat

The cat in this series is Mr. Paws, a 12-pound gentleman whom Jamie inherited from her mother. Their relationship has not always been easy (Jamie called him Mr. Pain in the Ass in book 1!), but they are settling in nicely together now. Mr. Paws has more of a presence in this book than in previous volumes, making him seem more like a part of Jamie’s life.  He demands Fancy Feast, he purrs, he walks on her stuff.… In short, he’s a pretty great cat. He’s not a major character in the book, but he is nice to have around.

Our verdict

We don’t usually go for lawyer stories, but we really like Jamie Quinn. She is easy to relate to—not all fancy schmancy—and her life is in just enough of a state of disarray to make her a lot of fun. We found Engaged in Danger to be pleasingly complex, with a totally believable situation that includes mysterious Russians, money laundering, video gaming … and of course Mr. Paws. I have to hold back one paw just because the cat is a minor character and this is a cat blog, but otherwise we recommend this series. We think you’ll enjoy getting to know Jamie just as much as we have!

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!

Book Review: Claws for Concern

On this Mysterious Monday, we return to Athena, Mississippi, to bring you our review of Claws for Concern, the latest Cat in the Stacks mystery by Miranda James. This volume finds Charlie Harris and his Maine coon named Diesel working on a 20-year-old multiple-murder case from a nearby town. The twist is that these killings might have been committed by a man who claims to be Charlie’s cousin by marriage.

The plot

There’s been a stranger hanging around the public library where Charlie volunteers. That in itself isn’t such a big deal, but things get weird when the stranger, whose name turns out to be Bill Delaney, comes to the desk and asks about Charlie’s late Uncle Del—not realizing Del’s relationship to Charlie. Bill reveals that Del was his father, and to Charlie, the story has the ring of truth. Surely there must be something he can do to help his newfound cousin … but before he goes too far down that road, Charlie learns of something disturbing.

Twenty years ago, four people (two of them children) were shot to death in their home, and Bill was the main suspect. Police never could break his alibi, though, and the crime was never solved. Now, Charlie has been contacted by true-crime writer Jack Pemberton, who wants to write a book about Charlie’s involvement in solving local crimes. But before they get started on that road, Jack and Charlie decide to team up to work on the 20-year-old case and determine once and for all whether Bill was the killer. The trouble with that is, people who may have thought their secrets were safe won’t take kindly to someone digging things up.

The cat

Just in case you are not familiar with Diesel, he is a large Maine coon who is Charlie’s near-constant companion. We enjoy his repertoire of warbles and chirps that he uses to communicate, and we love his fascination with Charlie’s baby grandson. Diesel is a real “people cat,” and he accompanies Charlie to the library and many other places. He does not like to be left alone; if Charlie is going someplace where he can’t take the cat along, he has to arrange a babysitter so Diesel won’t get lonely. While Diesel doesn’t solve the crime or save the day, he is nevertheless a magnificent cat—easily one of our favorite fictional felines.

Our verdict

Claws for Concern is superbly written, with a believable and compelling story and characters that we just can’t get enough of. Really, it is hard to imagine how James’s stories or characters could get any better. Charlie Harris is the sort of person you want to spend time getting to know. He is a southern gentleman of the best kind, and he loves cats and books, so he is pretty much perfect. We read so many books with female protagonists that it’s a nice change to have a male as a lead character. The Cats in the Stacks books don’t have the sense of fun quirkiness that we enjoy in many other series, but there are plenty of cozy vibes from the way Charlie treats others and his devotion to his family and Diesel. And speaking of vibes, this series is southern through and through, and we love it. We could almost feel the humidity and taste the iced tea.

Highly 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!

Book Review: The Fast and the Furriest

On this Mysterious Monday, we are pleased to bring you our review of The Fast and the Furriest, book 5 in the Second Chance Cat Mystery series by Sofie Ryan. This is such a fun series, featuring an excellent cat named Elvis whose hobby is watching Jeopardy!—when he’s not charming customers in Second Chance, the shop where Sarah Grayson sells repurposed items. Other characters—and I do mean characters—include Charlotte’s Angels, the group of, um, mature investigators who seem to get entangled in every mystery that comes to North Harbor, Maine.

The plot

In this volume, Sarah, Elvis, and the Angels have to use their skills to prove that their friend Mac is not a murderer. The trouble starts when Erin, a woman from Mac’s past, shows up out of the blue to look for him, only to turn up dead later that day. Suddenly, secrets from Mac’s earlier life come spilling out—like what happened to his beloved wife, and the suspicion that his wife’s family had toward him. Surely Mac could not have killed anyone, but when a witness claims to have seen him with the latest victim shortly before she was killed, well, the local police naturally suspect him. Sarah and the Angels start digging into the past to find out just who might have tried to kill Mac’s wife and why, because that will surely lead them to Erin’s killer. The question quickly becomes, Which of the people with financial motives would have been desperate enough or greedy enough to kill, or could any of them have had some other motive? Oh, and will Sarah and the Angels figure it out in time to save Mac from being charged with murder?

The cat

Elvis is a cool black cat with a little scar on his nose. As I mentioned earlier, he enjoys watching Jeopardy!, but his real skill is that he can tell when people are lying. This comes in handy when there’s an investigation ongoing. In this instance, Elvis confirms that Mac is telling the truth when he says he never killed or tried to kill anyone. Of course Mac’s friends already believed him, but it never hurts to get independent confirmation. Elvis is a near-constant presence, and we love how he is just always there, being his charming self and following pretty much whichever of his human friends he chooses to. If you haven’t met Elvis yet, you really should, because he is a great cat!

Our verdict

The Fast and the Furriest may be our favorite Second Chance mystery yet. We love a book with a strong sense of place and deep connections to the past, and this book has both. North Harbor is just the kind of coastal New England town we’d love to visit on summer vacation, and we would surely stop in at Sarah’s shop (if it existed; too many of our favorite places are fictional!). Mac is front and center in this book, and lots of details of his earlier life are finally revealed. This only makes us like him more, and we continue to wonder just what is up between him and Sarah. But then there’s also Nick, her sort-of boyfriend, although she and he don’t always get along so well. The relationships are complicated, but not in a confusing way. Just the way we like it. Then there’s Charlotte’s Angels.… They are definitely worth meeting, and they’re often good for a laugh (plus, they’re pretty good investigators).

This is easily one of our favorite books so far this year.

Highly 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!

Mysterious Monday: Death by a Whisker

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!

Book Review: The Cat of the Baskervilles

On this Mysterious Monday, we bring you our review of The Cat of the Baskervilles, the third volume in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series by Vicki Delany. I have still not gotten tired of saying that this is one of our favorite series, and this third book only reinforces that feeling.

The plot

It’s July on Cape Cod, and the famed Nigel Bellingham, formerly a big star, now somewhat of a drunken has-been who nevertheless has a devoted following, is set to star in the West London Theater Festival’s production of The Hound of the Baskervilles. This is big. Really big. Gemma Doyle, a native of London (the one in England) who has senses of observation as keen as those of Sherlock himself, is part owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. She gets roped into helping with a fundraising tea being put on by Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room, which is run by Gemma’s best friend, Jayne Wilson. Jayne’s mother, Leslie, also helps, and she seems particularly interested in Nigel. Unfortunately, Sir Nigel disappears after embarrassing himself during the tea, and Gemma discovers his very dead body at the bottom of a cliff.

Now the question is, Did he jump or fall, or was he pushed? And if he was pushed, might Leslie have done the deed as an act of revenge for.… Well, just why would she have done such a thing? And what about Sir Nigel’s long-suffering assistant, or his understudy who takes over the role of Holmes? And how is a series of thefts connected to the murder, if indeed it was a murder?

Gemma has been warned repeatedly by the local police not to get involved in any more investigations, but when Jane’s mother is under suspicion, she can’t keep out of it. And let’s face it: these fictional police need all the help they can get. The real question that must be asked is, Who benefits?

The cat

The cat in this series is a black fellow named Moriarty who is friendly with just about everyone except Gemma. We do wish he would be more involved in the actual mystery part of these books, but he is a great cat even as he appears along the story’s sidelines. Actually, I think we see more of Moriarty in this book than in either of the previous books, so we did enjoy that. We especially appreciated the scene in which Gemma observes him smirking from, appropriately, the “gaslight” shelf of the store (that’s where she shelves books that are not about Sherlock but that are set in his time period; but “gaslight” means something else entirely to anyone who has seen the wonderful 1944 movie starring Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman, and in Moriarty’s case we do not think the double meaning is an accident!).

Our verdict

As I hinted in the opening paragraph, we enjoyed every word in The Cat of the Baskervilles. Vicki Delany continues to impress us with her ability to bring together the many strands of a story in a way that feels completely plausible and is a delight to read. We even enjoy seeing Gemma disparage Sherlock items that we would totally buy, because we love the many versions of Sherlock just as much as patrons of her shop do. We were also delighted to see that the name Lord Peter Wimsey gets a mention in this book (so appropriate, given Gemma’s British background). Gemma herself continues to grow as a character, trying to be less, um, irritating as she casually points out things that people don’t really want to have pointed out. And as she becomes less irritating to others, we wonder just where her relationship with Detective Ryan Ashburton is going, if it is going anywhere. And then there’s Moriarty, who is such a great shop cat—friendly to all the customers, somewhat violent toward Gemma. What will his role be in future books? We cannot wait to find out!

Highly 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!

Book Review: Small Town Trouble

On this Mysterious Monday, we review Small Town Trouble, by Laura Benedict. This title is book 5 in the Familiar Legacy series, and it is the first book of the series we have read. Based on how much fun we had reading it, we will be trying to make time to go back and read the earlier books as well!

The plot

Trouble the black cat is in Kentucky, where Erin Walsh is caring for him while his main human, Tammy, is off in Italy. This sounds like a pretty good deal, since there is a nice lake to explore and plenty of interesting people to keep an eye on, not to mention a dog named Jocko who is, well, a dog. Things take a mysterious turn when Shelby Rae, Tammy’s young stepmother, is kidnapped during a big party. A ransom note demands that Erin’s father, Bruce, pay $50,000 in cash. The police must not be involved. The ransom is paid, Shelby Rae is recovered (yay!?), but the question remains, Who took her, and might they do it again for more money? This is far from the only question, though, as soon a woman is murdered on the Walsh property. Now the police have to get involved, although the Walshes still try to hide the original abduction.

 Could the killer be the man, recently released from prison, who was responsible for the death of Erin’s mother even though he did not pull the trigger? Or perhaps his son, Noah, who seems to be attracted to Erin? Or does it all have something to do with the woman who has been embroiled in a nasty lawsuit against Bruce Walsh’s car dealership?

The cat

Obviously, it’s going to take a cat to sort all this out, and fortunately Trouble is on the job. He is an excellent cat. I mean an excellent cat. Sherlock Holmes is his role model (which would explain his very British vibe, despite his being from Wetumpka, Alabama). Portions of the book are told from his viewpoint, so we get to know exactly what he is thinking and planning—and he thinks and plans quite a lot. It is Trouble who finds major clues (indeed, it is Trouble who finds the body in the first place). It is Trouble who heroically saves Erin from the killer. It is Trouble who … oh, but I don’t want to give too much away. Let me just say that the crime in this book turned out to be way more diabolical than I suspected.

Our verdict

We loved Small Town Trouble, from the mystery itself to the tangled relationships and untidy pasts of the characters, and even the budding romance between Erin and Noah. Erin herself is pretty awesome. She is a young woman who’s not had an easy life, losing her mother at a young age, only to see the shallow Shelby Rae move in to replace her … and then she starts having feelings for Noah, whose father is such a slimeball. She is pulled in many directions in this book, but she handles it as only a true heroine can. She and Trouble make a great team. Which brings me to Trouble, who, as I said, is excellent. It seems like we’ve been reading a lot of mysteries in which the cat is a minor character, and we were so ready to read one that puts the cat right where we like him: front and center. We enjoyed getting an inside look into Trouble’s thoughts, and we just love his bit of Britishness. This is a cat we plan on reading a lot more of!

Small Town Trouble is a thoroughly enjoyable, quick-paced read, well plotted, with characters we loved getting to know.

Highly 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!

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!