Book 25, 2023

[chez_jae]

Purrfect Murder by Nic Saint

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I've finished reading Purrfect Murder by Nic Saint, which is the first in the "Mysteries of Max" series of cozy cat mysteries. The main character is a ginger cat named Max, along with his human, Odelia.

Max and his cat friends can communicate with the Poole women in their lives, including Odelia Poole, reporter for the Hampton Cove Gazette. The cats' ability to glean information for Odelia, simply by hanging around town and being ignored by other humans, has allowed Odelia to get the scoop on many a story. When a body is discovered at a writer's retreat and is determined to be the missing author Paulo Frey, Odelia is determined to crack the case with the help of Max and his best friends, Dooley and Harriet. Standing in their way is the new cop in town, Chase Kingsley, and his cat Brutus. Chase doesn't want Odelia interfering in his investigation, and Brutus begins throwing his weight around, intimidating the other cats. Nevertheless, Odelia is determined, and Max is savvy and clever. Together, they put the clues together on their way to catching a killer.

Um. I had high hopes for this book. It was disappointing. I enjoy cat cozies, especially with a twist such as a talking cat or a magical one. If the author had left out jackass Chase and his asshole cat, Brutus, I would have enjoyed this story. I was utterly gobsmacked at the character of Brutus. I'm a cat lover, but I f*cking hated Brutus. Congratulations, Mr Saint. You've made me hate a cat. Me! Chase was a condescending jerk, so of course Odelia can't control her vagina around him. Likewise, Max and Dooley's friend, Harriet, lost control of her vagina around Brutus. Oddly enough, all the cats were spayed or neutered, so I don't know why the author seemed to think a spayed female cat would be attracted to a neutered male. I had to read the author's bio to make sure he wasn't an incel, because he sure seemed to throw around the term 'alpha male' often enough in regards to Chase and Brutus. Max and Dooley were the "nice guy/friend zoned" males, while the pretty girl tripped over her tongue the first time she encountered an "alpha male". I'm not entirely convinced the author wasn't projecting. There was also mention that Chase only fed Brutus raw meat. A quick Google search showed that, while cats can eat raw meat, it isn't recommended by vets.

Favorite lines:
♦ At that moment he suddenly reminded me of Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter's nemesis.
♦ We might be cats, but that was no excuse for a lapse in grammar.

I'd like to say that I won't read any more of this series, but alas, I have several uploaded to my Kindle. Eventually, I'll see if things improve. I might have given this an average score of three, but my loathing of Brutus knocks it down to a two.


1. Does the mc work at/as one of the following: baker/bakery/sweet shop/tea shop/coffee shop, library/librarian, antique/vintage shop, book store, fashion/boutique, bed & breakfast? No, she's a reporter
2. Does the mc live at her (or his) place of occupation? No, she does not.
3. Is the love interest involved in law enforcement? (Police officer, sheriff, detective, PI, FBI) Yes, guh
4. Does the mc have a dog/cat as a pet? Yes, she has a cat
5. Is the mc's BFF either a gay guy or a ditzy/zany woman? She doesn't have a BFF.
6. Did the mc find the body? No, so there's that.
7. Did the mc wind up in mortal danger at the end of the book? No. Impressive!
8. Is the mc's mother either: dead, absent, far removed, ditzy and dithering, or overbearing/disapproving/meddling? No, her mother seems normal enough.
9. If mother is dead/absent, does the mc have another mother-figure (grandmother, aunt, mom's friend, or an older friend)? NA
10. Is the mc child-free? (Either no children or else grown children--i.e. no small children to look after) Yes, she's child-free

Comments

[pauraque]

Unironic use of the term "alpha male" would be a dealbreaker for me in any book!

[chez_jae]

I literally grimaced. Ugh!

[felaine]

Too bad;
a different job, no mortal peril and doesn't find the body are pluses.

But I've got to agree with the first commenter.
Alpha Male not followed by
"you're shi..ing me, right?"
is a headdesk moment.

[chez_jae]

These days, I'm just glad when the romantic interest isn't in law enforcement. Guh.