Book 37, 2016

After I logged off Wednesday night, I finished the book The Whole Cat and Caboodle by Sofie Ryan. It's the first in the author's "Second Chance Cat" mystery series. I have three or four of the books, so it was past time I started on it!

Sarah Grayson owns a shop in North Harbor, Maine, where she sells re-purposed and up-cycled items. She also has a rescued cat named Elvis. When Sarah and her older friend Charlotte go to check on their friend Maddie, they find her in her garden, along with a dead body. Now Maddie is the primary suspect in the death of the man, who was a philanderer. Of course, Sarah believes Maddie is innocent, and along with their other friends, Liz and Rose, they set out to find evidence to prove Maddie is not a murderer.

The story was fun all around. Sarah's friends are all contemporaries of her grandmother, who is "off-screen" on her honeymoon. They don't let their status as retired and/or senior citizens keep them out of the action, and Sarah is hard-pressed to keep them in line. I especially enjoyed old Mr Peterson, who wore his pants up to his armpits but was a top-notch computer hacker. Elvis insists on getting in on the action, too, and Sarah comes to suspect that her cat may be a feline lie-detector. They mystery was engrossing, as it is revealed that the victim had at least four wives and was fleecing other women of their money.

Sarah has a potential romantic interest in her childhood crush, Nick. He's not a cop, per se, but he is an investigator with the ME's office. Her friend Jess was a hoot, and it was touching to see Sarah reconnect with her childhood friend Michelle.

Favorite line: "We have coffee, bacon, chocolate and Fancy Feast...I think that covers the major food groups: sugar, salt, fat, caffeine and cat."

I hear ya, sister.

Four of five:

****

Book 38, 2016

Before logging on this evening, I finished reading All Dressed Up and No Place to Haunt, which is the second book in Rose Pressey's "Haunted Vintage" mystery series.

Vintage clothing shop owner Cookie Chanel scores big when she provides period costumes to a movie being filmed in her small Georgia town of Sugar Creek. While visiting the set, Cookie overhears an argument between the lead actor and actress, and she later discovers the actress floating in a nearby pond. After that, Cookie is visited by the ghost of Alice, the woman who originally owned the dress the actress was wearing. Alice wants Cookie to give a message to her first love, and she also insists on helping Cookie solve the murder. Cookie wants no part of another murder investigation, but she can't help but get roped into it.

Assisted by her other ghostly friend, Charlotte, her flesh-and-blood friend Heather, and her psychic cat, Wind Song, Cookie is soon putting puzzle pieces together. However, her involvement has garnered attention, and Cookie finds herself in danger. Will hunky Detective Dylan Valentine be in time to save her? Dun dun DUN!

Favorite line: "This is making me a nervous wreck," Charlotte said. "I can't handle this kind of stress. If I wasn't already dead it would kill me."

Cute, fun story, and now there seems to be another handsome hunk vying for Cookie's attention, too. Ooh la la!

Four of five:

****