Book 28, 2025

[chez_jae]

Purrs and Peril by Jinty James

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


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Have just finished reading Purrs and Peril by Jinty James. It’s the first book in the author’s “Norwegian Forest Café” series of cozy mysteries. The main character is Lauren Crenshaw, who owns and runs the café with Annie, her Norwegian Forest cat, and her cousin, Zoe.

Lauren enjoys her life, running her café with her cousin. It’s even a certified cat café so that Annie can interact with customers. Lauren and Zoe are shocked when they learn one of their regular customers, Steve, has died. When the police determine he was poisoned, the cousins begin to suspect everyone, even elderly Mrs Finch, who’s been teaching them to knit. However, with Annie’s help, they soon zero in on the killer. Unfortunately, the killer is zeroing in on them, as well.

This was cute enough to be termed cutesy. Very little drama, but that can be refreshing at times. Characterizations were okay, and the plot made sense as it progressed. I did get annoyed with how each time Lauren interacted with the detective (or thought about him), she thought of him as “Detective Denman—Mitch”. Typically, a character does the opposite: thinks of the police officer by his first name before mentally correcting herself and reinforcing his title. I half expected her to whip out a spiral-bound notebook and begin writing “Mrs Lauren Denman” on it. Sheesh.

Favorite lines:
♦ “I told myself if my cat wasn’t scared of the weather, then I shouldn’t be, either.”
♦ “There’s just something about him that makes me wonder if I’ve committed a crime I’m not aware of and he’s going to arrest me.”

Fun, but rather basic. Average score of three.


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? Yes, she works in a bakery/cafe
2. Does the mc live at her (or his) place of occupation? Yes, the cafe is attached to her home.
3. Is the love interest involved in law enforcement? (Police officer, sheriff, detective, PI, FBI) Yes, she has the hots for the detective.
4. Does the mc have a dog/cat as a pet? Yes, her cat, Annie
5. Is the mc's BFF either a gay guy or a ditzy/zany woman? No
6. Did the mc find the body? No—hooray!
7. Did the mc wind up in mortal danger at the end of the book? Not really
8. Is the mc's mother either: dead, absent, far removed, ditzy and dithering, or overbearing/disapproving/meddling? Yes
9. If mother is dead/absent, does the mc have another mother-figure (grandmother, aunt, mom's friend, or an older friend)? Yes, Mrs Finch
10. Is the mc child-free? (Either no children or else grown children--i.e. no small children to look after) Yes