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Fur Love or Money by Sofie Ryan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


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I squeaked out one last book for the month, finishing Fur Love or Money by Sofie Ryan. It’s the 11th installment in the “Second Chance Cat” mystery series, starring Sarah Grayson.

Sarah and her friend Rose are visiting another young friend when their dog leads Sarah to a storm cellar…and a dead body. The victim, Ian Stone, was already presumed dead, although many thought he faked his death after swindling investors out of millions of dollars. It seems they were right, but now Ian is dead for certain. Soon, Charlotte’s Angels, the senior citizen sleuthing group led by Rose’s beau, Mr Peterson, is on the case. It seemed plenty of people wanted Ian dead, from those he duped to his former wife to his half-sister. It’s going to take some clever investigating to get to the bottom of this case.

The story moved along at a quick pace, interspersed with snippets of Sarah’s downtime. The author dropped one small clue that helped me figure out who dunnit, but I enjoyed reading along as it played out. Characters were portrayed well, and the narrative was sprinkled with humor and romance.

Favorite lines:
♦ “Is it an official meeting if we don’t have tea and cake?”
♦ “I like those two chairs,” I said. // “You like every chair you see. They’re something to sit on, not two kittens.” // “Fine. Just make sure they go to a good home and I want to say goodbye to them before they leave.”
♦ “Do I get to wear a disguise and a wire?” // “No. No disguise and no wire.” // “That doesn’t sound like fun at all.”
♦ “If Earth is flat, why haven’t all the oceans drained away by now?”

And this clunker: I walked down the driveway to meet the officer who was driving and let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding when I saw that I knew him.

Very good, four stars

Hooked on a Feline by Sofie Kelly

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Late last night (or early this morning!) I finished reading Hooked on a Feline by Sofie Kelly. It's book #13 in her "Magical Cats" mystery series, featuring librarian Kathleen Paulson and her extraordinary cats, Owen and Hercules.

Kathleen, along with most of the population of Mayville Heights, is eager to attend the concert that brings a local music festival to an end. To everyone's delight, hometown boy turned star Johnny Rock is on stage, along with his former friends and band mates. It's a surprise that no one saw coming, as the musicians had kept it a secret. Just days later, one of the bandmates is found dead, his death ruled a homicide. At first it seems like a robbery gone wrong, but Kathleen recalls that Mike had been doing some genealogical research at the library. When the police begin to suspect that the death of one of Mike's older family members may have also been murder, Kathleen begins to wonder just what Mike was researching that was worth killing for.

Wonderful story, peopled with familiar characters you'd like to get to know. Kathleen isn't just good at putting clues together, she's also good at getting people to open up and talk to her. However, not all of the narrative was consumed with her investigation. Kathleen went to work, hung out with friends, and relaxed at home. As a bonus, she did not stumble upon any bodies. Keep letting go of those cozy mystery tropes, authors!

Favorite line: "What binds people is love, not strands of DNA."

Very good, four stars

A Case of Cat and Mouse by Sofie Kelly

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Earlier this evening I finished reading A Case of Cat and Mouse by Sofie Kelly. This is the 12th book in the "Magical Cats" series, featuring librarian Kathleen Paulson and her extraordinary cats, Owen and Hercules.

Everyone in the small town of Mayville Heights is excited that the reboot of a popular baking show is being filmed there. Adding to the interest is that a couple locals, Rebecca (a friend of Kathleen's) and Ray (a member of the artists' co-op) are participating. Kathleen has been tabbed to do some research for the show to take advantage of the local fare and flair. When Kathleen discovers the body of one of the show's judges and Ruby's friend, Elias, is considered the primary suspect, Ruby begs Kathleen to investigate. Kathleen reluctantly agrees, and soon she's delving into the pasts of everyone involved with the show and checking out alibis. With the help of Owen and Hercules, she closes in on a killer. The killer, however, is closing in on Kathleen.

This series is delightful, and this book was no different. I know I've mentioned it before, but it's refreshing to read about Kathleen going about her life rather than immersing herself completely in her investigation. There were subplots going on as well, involving the feral cat colony at Wisteria Hill and a prankster who keeps leaving oddball items in the library's gazebo. If I have a complaint about this book (and the series) it's that Kathleen is the one who always discovers the victim, and she always seems to end up in mortal danger at the end. Honestly, how many of us ever see a dead body in our lives that isn't at a funeral/visitation? Why not have the main character simply learn that so-and-so died and the police are considering it a suspicious death? Guh.

Favorite lines:
♦ "I have never met a carbohydrate that didn't make me say, 'Come to Mama.'"
♦ I thought about how when it came to families I had won the life lottery no matter how crazy mine made me sometimes.
♦ "If Hercules was a Great Dane instead of a cat, it would have been an episode of Scooby Doo."

And, my favorite--the 'holding my breath' line:
- I was holding my breath, I realized.

This should be a solid five stars, but I'm knocking one off for the annoying, repetitive fact that Kathleen keeps finding bodies at the beginning of each book and nearly getting killed at the end. Four stars.

Claw Enforcement by Sofie Ryan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Before lunch, I polished off Claw Enforcement, which is the 7th book in author Sofie Ryan's "Second Chance Cat" series of cozy mysteries. The main character is Sarah Grayson, who lives with her cat, Elvis.

At a local reception to celebrate the redevelopment of the harbor front, Sarah and her friend Nick leap into action when a man collapses. They administer CPR, but the victim dies. Later, Sarah learns that Christopher Healy was poisoned. She also learns he was the stepson of a friend of Mr P, the elderly computer expert who works with other senior citizens to investigate crimes. Mr P wants to solve this case as a way of helping his friend. Sarah soon finds herself embroiled in the investigation. She also has a business to run, a potential relationship that is trying to develop, and a brother who isn't happy that one of his friends is the focus of the investigation. Sarah will need all the help she can get from her friends, as well as from Elvis.

Delightful story! I enjoy books that don't focus solely on the investigation. Sarah works, socializes, and even lounges around watching TV. Her friends, family, and co-workers are an interesting, eclectic group, and they are all wonderfully characterized. Even Elvis has a distinct purrsonality! The plot flowed smoothly, and I am happy to report that I figured out who-dunnit before anyone else in the book. Yay!

Favorite lines:
♦ "I'm little and stealthy. Just think of me as a geriatric ninja."
♦ "And never say no to cake."
♦ "I have nothing but good feelings when it comes to lasagna."
Sarah is a gal after my own stomach heart!

Charming and fun, five stars!

No Escape Claws by Sofie Ryan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This afternoon, I completed the book No Escape Claws, which is the sixth installment in author Sofie Ryan's "Second Chance Cat" mystery series. The story is told in first-person pov by the main character, Sarah Grayson.

Sarah is busy running her secondhand shop, taking care of her cat, Elvis, and missing Mac, who's been in Boston to settle some family affairs. Her routine is knocked off-kilter when a young woman comes to the shop, asking the quirky senior citizen detectives, the Angels, to investigate her stepmother's death. Mallory's father is in prison for negligence in conjunction with Gina's death, but Mallory doesn't believe he left Gina to die in a house fire. Soon, Sarah finds herself caught up in the investigation, and the biggest question seems to be: who would benefit from Gina's death?

I enjoyed the story. Sarah is reluctant at first to get involved in what seemed to be an open and shut case, but as she and the Angels uncover more clues, it becomes more and more apparent that Mike Pearson has been wrongly convicted. As with other books by this author, I appreciate the fact that the entire narrative isn't consumed with the investigation. Sarah goes to work, socializes with friends and family, and hangs with her cat.

Favorite lines:
♦ "I'm not certain but I believe it was pickle flavor."
♦ "Some people can talk to the dead. I can find cake."

Very good, five stars

A Tale of Two Kitties by Sofie Kelly

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Wednesday night, I began reading A Tale of Two Kitties by Sofie Kelly, and I finished it last night. It's the ninth book in the author's "Magical Cats" mystery series, which features librarian Kathleen Paulson and her extraordinary cats, Owen and Hercules.

When Victor and Leo Janes return to Mayville Heights, their arrival sets tongues to wagging. The twin brothers had a falling out years ago, when Victor had an affair with Leo's wife. They are interested in a tentative reconciliation, but before that happens, Kathleen finds Leo dead. Now his son (and Kathleen's friend), Simon, is a potential suspect, but Kathleen knows Simon would not have killed his father. She begins asking some questions around town, trying to get to the heart of the original falling out, as well as to who may have actually murdered Leo. Kathleen is aided by her cats, who turn up several clues during her investigation. Unfortunately, Kathleen's digging may put her in the killer's sights.

An enjoyable story, as all of these are. Again, Kathleen pursues other activities than simply investigating a murder. It was fun to reconnect with familiar characters and meet new ones. One thing did take me aback, and that was that Kathleen's tai chi classes seemed to meet several times a week...? In other books in this series, I got the impression it was a once-a-week thing. No explanation given.

Favorite line: "It's okay to feel mean and petty, just try not to act that way."

Not my favorite of this series, but still a very good read.

Was up until almost midnight last night, finishing Copycat Killing by Sofie Kelly. It's the third installment in the "Magical Cats" mystery series, featuring librarian Kathleen and her talented cats, Owen and Hercules.

After days of torrential rain, everyone in the town of Mayville Heights are sick of the weather. The library's parking lot is flooded, which means Kathleen can't work. She keeps busy helping her friend Maggie move items from the art studio's ground floor to the second level. On one such excursion, they find a body in the flooded basement. Jaeger Merrill was making a nuisance of himself, and someone may have silenced him for good. When another artist recognizes him as a former forger who was arrested and did his time, Kathleen can't help but think Merrill's past caught up with him. Fortunately, police officer Marcus is on the case.

When Kathleen and Marcus go out to feed feral cats at the rundown Wisteria Hill manor, Kathleen is drawn to the creek bank. The wet ground gives way beneath her feet, unearthing skeletal remains. Now, it seems that the local police have two crimes to solve, and Kathleen is right in the middle of both of them. With a little help from her cats, she starts working to unearth the clues that can lead to not one, but two killers.

I'm not sure I've read a mystery with two such different cases before. I couldn't help but think they must be connected. I like this verse and the town and its characters, so it was fun to revisit. Kathleen's attraction to Marcus moves along at a snail's pace, but I find that refreshing for a change.

Favorite lines:
♣ Not only do cats not get sarcasm, they don't get shameless bids for sympathy either.
♣ Even cats know stupid when they hear it.

Very good, four stars:

****

Today, I finished reading Curiosity Thrilled the Cat by Sofie Kelly. It's the first book in her series about librarian Kathleen Paulson and her two cats, Owen and Hercules.

The Mayville Heights library is in the midst of renovations, and the computer room is not yet ready. This fact vexes the eccentric musician and conductor who is in town to lend his talents to their local music festival. He and Kathleen have words, although Kathleen mollifies the man and sends him on his way. The following morning, she goes to the theater early in hopes of finding a local carpenter to ask him to help out with the renovations. Instead, Kathleen finds Gregor Easton, dead at the piano.

Kathleen is now a "person of interest" in the crime, meaning she must field questions from Detective Gordon. In the meantime, she has come to the realization that her cats are not simple house cats. Owen can become invisible, and Herc has the ability to walk through doors, leaving Kathleen wondering about her own sanity. On top of making inquiries of her own into Easton's life and death, Kathleen still has to deal with the renovations, which seem to be moving at a turtle's pace.

The book was fun, but I just could not shake the feeling that I've read it before. I always, ALWAYS put my initials inside a book I've finished reading, even if I plan to give it away, and yet...it was so darned familiar. I even went back through all of my book reviews posted here, but I didn't find it. I'm still not convinced I didn't already read this one. Nevertheless, it counts towards books read for the year, even if it was a re-read.

Favorite line:Plus, I had my big flashlight, my pepper spray, a cat, and six brownies.

Looking forward to reading more. Four stars:

****