Cat, Elvis, Takes Lead Sleuth in Second Chance Mystery Series by Sofie Ryan - Character Review, plus spotlight excerpt on "Scaredy Cat"...

 

The story goes a little like this...a stray cat. maybe from a ghetto, showed up around the big garbage bin of a local restaurant and the owner came out and gave him a little food. Much later that night, the cat showed up during the Thursday Night Jam and decided to sit down and listen while the owner and his band was playing a set of Elvis' music. The cat stayed until that set was over and they moved on to "Satisfaction." The cat immediately left, but came back the next morning and the owner saw him and called to him, "Come on, Elvis, you ready for breakfast?" And the cat followed him...

Later that day, Sarah stopped in for coffee and stayed to talk. Seeing the cat, she immediately asked her close friend and owner of The Black Bear, Sam, where it had come from. Sam told her the story, but added that he couldn't exactly call him Mic, when the cat had left when they started playing Satisfaction. And so the name stuck... 

And, when Sarah was ready to leave, Elvis immediately followed her and jumped up onto the front seat! Yeah, you all are going to enjoy meeting Elvis in this very special and wonderful series! Now Sarah was...all shook up...when she couldn't get the cat to leave her car and wondered just how she was going to be able to live with a pet for the first time. Well, let's just say, Elvis was a one person cat and intended to stay, so he treated her gently until she started to love him tender... Soon she was a cat lover just like me! LOL

I added the above, after I started this article--so much has happened since I originally read this tenth book in the series. Namely, I have gone back, started from the first book and read straight through! During that time, I lost my baby, Stevie. She was borne by the cat who lived at my cabin when I first came well over a decade ago. Bill, my brother-in-law fed her so she stayed. The country is not an easy place for cats, and I remember once, years ago, Stevie had disappeared for a few days and then one day she came wobbling back. I was so upset, that I went to her, picked her up and brought her into the cabin, wrapped her up in a towel, and just held her. She stayed mostly inside thereafter. I really miss her and even though there are other cats that live outside, it had taken many years to establish our relationship. She was a one-person cat and she had selected me, just as Elvis chose Sarah... Although Elvis, unlike Stevie, was quite amenable to meeting and greeting other people, especially if they had food to offer... 

Stevie was growing old with me... and I am reminded of many of her antics and changes as she slowed down as well...

While I was reading I also started physical therapy 3 days a week, which cuts into my time, since it was nearby but I still had to leave the house and go there. Additionally, I developed an infection and had to have tests to determine what medication I could be given. So I'm still weaker than normal and finding it hard to find time to writing about all the Second Chance books I read (most of the time at bedtime and even during the night if I woke up)...

So, back to this wonderful series, in addition to talking about Elvis, I decided to talk about the characters in this series. I must first say that I've never read a book series that has included such loving characters... Some are related, but most of the relationships have been formed as friends, as well as relatives... And that does make a difference, doesn't it? Many of you will know what I mean. You may love relatives as relatives, but a very few also become close friends... I've been thinking about each character for days, trying to fit somebody you might know to "play" each of them...

Sarah is the focal, main character and owns a shop called Second Chance, which means that they sell just about anything that somebody has thrown out just because it was old, broken, out of fashion... and more. I must admit that this basic business activity was a main reason for my high level of enjoyment. We live in a "throw-away" world, it seems... What is in fashion quickly goes out of fashion, so that new can be purchased! 

But not when Sarah is around! Most of the time you'll see her in work clothes as she sands the top of a new cabinet or shelf. You may recognize Angie Harmon as Ruzzoli and know how she moves and thinks... Sarah takes one look at what the options are and selects based upon her "vision" of what it could become...and moves on from there... Second Chance has just about anything you can think of but they do more with the shop, they "create" the scene where you might place this new addition to your home--a refurbished dining set will also may be covered with pristine white lace or an older and precious heirloom tablecloth that was saved for when guests came. That's the time they also brought out the cloth napkins that matched and used the silver that somebody had received for their wedding years ago and sold at an estate sale. 

You'll be watching a relationship develop for Sarah and Mac, so I'm not going to talk much about him except to select a hottie that I was able to picture from Sarah's descriptions, sighs, and later, hugs  that seems to fit how Sarah describes him as she slowly considers her future... If you don't know Shemar Moore from Criminal Minds, I've even seen him pulled into some daring acts for commercials recently! But as he and Sarah watch each other carefully, he hides a big secret and shyly works beside her quietly proving to her that he could do just about anything at Second Chance...and, maybe, for her, starting with moving into a small space in the shop attic and having coffee ready each morning when she gets there...

Now the fun part... Let me tell you about the Angels!

No, not the ones that work for the hidden boss on Charlie's Angels! But, a group of friends that have, based upon helping with a few mysteries, now formed Angel Investigations or just The Angels...For surely, in the time to create ten books--and counting, the Last Chance crew has increased greatly and has a staff that are also now involved in another enterprise --Angels Investigations has officially opened an office that is now part of the fairly large complex where friends have come together to work, play, and solve crimes as needed...LOL

This unlikely character eating ice cream and commonly called Mr. P, is actually the genius and official licensed private investigator who officially began (Charlotte's) Angels! He has a way with computers that far surpasses anybody I ever knew... Plus in his spare time, he is teaching and coaching his assistant to sit for the test to become a PI... So, just so you know, this character probably solves most of the crimes because she provides all the baked goodies for their meetings...

Yes, if you haven't already picked up on it, all of the team, except Sarah, is what you might call of the silver generation...

Sarah's early years brought her to the small, but bustling, town where she decided to settle when she lost her job on the radio by being replaced by "canned music" with stops for commercials. Almost as bad a chopping block as I went through years ago... 

Anyway, the lovely lady that does most of the baking for everybody is Rose, who was also a school teacher and now works part-time at Last Chance. She is the one that has the greatest interest in helping people in need, even if it it as small a task as helping to find a missing cat... And, yes, she's very involved with the PI, who often stays overnight--working on cases, of course...

Another teacher, Charlotte, is also a member of the Team of both Angels and those working at Second Chance... and Nick's mother She is also very much interested in having Sarah a member of her family and has been pushing her son about possible marital bliss so that she could have grandchildren. She also keeps those needy people who cannot cook or wish not to, to eat a good meal once in a while. If you have watched Rachel Maddow, a newscaster on MSNBC, you just may be able to picture how she will be found in this series...

Nick is her son and Sarah's best friend since early school years. They love each other, but everybody around them wants much more than friendship for them... Nick is a law officer who is decidedly against senior citizens working as PIs...until he, too, is pulled in to help once in a while...

I love Seely Booth in Bones so you can now consider just what you might find with Nick as he and Sarah work together... Of course, that did end in marriage, but I don't think Seely, is Sarah's type... For one thing, Sarah and Mac are sympatico... and that's what evolves into a great relationship it seems to me...

And then there is Liz. I immediately thought of how Elizabeth Warren speaks out and moves quickly to act... In fact, I thought I'd include the book descriptions on her:

Liz was Elizabeth Emmerson Kiley French. She was elegant and imposing and she had zero tolerance for people who had no thought for others. She ran her family’s charitable foundation, the Emmerson Foundation, and she was also very generous with her own money, although she tended to keep that kind of thing quiet. She was not someone who took no for an answer when she had decided to do something... Of course, I admire Warren and think of her as a role model for women...so Liz struck me in the same way, although Warren is probably a lot more outspoken whereas Liz wa subly sneaky, at least in my opinion. For instance, when she wants Sarah to go with her as part of a case, she will often tell her what to wear...and remind her to show her legs (See pic above, you rarely saw Ruzzoli in other than slacks.)

In other words, Liz had been around enough to know how to play the games that people play and if it involved possible financial malfeasance, Liz was the Angel they had conduct any interviews...

Her grandmother, a minor character timewize, who married a much younger man is away touring on a long honeymoon for most of the series, but it is her friends that have stayed close to Sarah and soon bonded into a close-knit and extremely intelligent group of ladies! Can you think of a sassy older woman who married...and became a "cougar?"

Also, another character I really enjoyed is Avery, Liz's granddaughter who is staying with Liz... She also started working at Last Chance and soon began to exhibit some rally great creative skills, as well as an above-average teenager intelligence... Can you think of anybody that could "play" Avery in a movie? Well, I have one idea... She's Rachel, with a portrait below who is already in a similar business of refurbishing furniture. Her skills in bringing mid-century furniture back for use today is, to me, quite exceptional at her early twenties age!

Now that you've heard about the main characters who appear or are mentioned in each book, check out a short preview of Scaredy Cat!

~~~

I looked around the office. “Was Elvis with you?” “I haven’t seen him this morning,” Mr. P. said. “The furball is probably sleeping on your desk,” Avery said. “I’m going to get a muffin.” She looked at Mr. P. “And I’ll get your coffee.” He smiled at her. “Thank you.” Elvis wasn’t on the workbench or anywhere in the workroom. He wasn’t in the shop, either, and Avery said she couldn’t find him anywhere upstairs. “I’m going out to make sure he didn’t wander over to the workshop,” I said. Elvis wasn’t there. He wasn’t hiding under my car, either. How could a small black cat seemingly vanish? I was about to text Mac to see if he had any ideas when I saw Emily Hastings coming along the sidewalk with Elvis in the wicker basket of her bike. I felt a rush of relief. Emily raised a hand in hello when she spotted me. I walked down to meet them. “Hi, Sarah,” she said. “I found this guy two streets over just sitting at the corner. I thought I better bring him back.” She reached down to stroke his fur. “Thank you,” I said. “We’ve been looking everywhere for him. He’s never wandered off like that before.” I looked at Elvis. “What were you doing?” He ignored me and nuzzled Emily’s hand. “I think you have a friend for life,” I said. She smiled. “Elvis is a great cat. I’d like to have a cat of my own but some guests can be allergic or just afraid of them.” She looked down at Elvis. “How could anyone be afraid of him?” Elvis murped his agreement. “How’s the case going?” Emily asked. “Mr. P. is working on a couple of things,” I said. Looking at Emily standing there scratching behind Elvis’s ear I just couldn’t believe she had killed Mark Steele. With her warm smile and kind eyes I couldn’t imagine her stomping on a cockroach. “Good,” she said. “I wish I knew who killed Mr. Steele or that there was at least some kind of way I could help figure that out. And I really wish that stupid car of Gram’s hadn’t gotten a flat tire.” So she had been driving Annie’s car. “I know,” I said. “Gram says I’m lucky. Because of that flat tire everyone knows I didn’t kill Mr. Steele, but if that hadn’t happened, I might have been a suspect.” She shook her head. “I better get going,” she said. She picked Elvis up and handed him to me. “Thanks again for rescuing him,” I said. “You’re welcome to stop in and visit him any time. He really does like you.” “Thanks,” she said. “I will.” Emily waved to Elvis, got on her bike and rode away. I shifted the cat so we were face-to-face. “You scared me,” I said. He licked my chin. 

I thought about the expression on his face while Emily was stroking his fur and talking about the murder. He had looked blissfully happy the entire time. No sour look of annoyance. “Did you go looking for Emily?” I asked. He didn’t blink or so much as twitch a whisker. I realized how crazy what I was thinking was. My cat hadn’t orchestrated a meeting between Emily and me so he could prove she hadn’t killed Mark Steele. That wasn’t possible. He’d just gotten bored and wandered off while Charlotte and I were talking. It was the only thing that made sense. That and the fact that Emily Hastings wasn’t our killer. So now what?

I met Elvis in 2016 in The Whole Cat and Caboodle. Check out my review and get a feel about how this series began... Recently, I saw the notice that a new book was out - and it was tenth(!) in series! I got it immediately and was thrilled that it explored something that I've gained a new interest and appreciation for! You see, my caretaker, in addition to helping me get to appointments on time and to help deal with medical and other issues, my niece Rachel has started a refurbishing business as well! I've been so proud of what she has done to mid-century furniture to give it a new face that others will want to buy for their homes. 

I was so invested that I went out and bought books 2 through 9 to read and digest any ideas that I may be able to pass on to her! But Rachel gets her interest and some training from her parents who enjoy shopping for antiques and her father builds furniture... Still, it's the business management that I find interesting in this book in particular. 

Especially how work gets done while solving criminal cases!

We stepped into the store proper. “Perfect timing,” Charlotte said. She was with a customer who looked to be in his mid-twenties. He was checking out our selection of guitars. “Tell me about this one,” he said, pointing to my latest find. I lifted the instrument down from the wall and offered it to him. -

Once someone played one of our guitars they were more likely to buy it. “This is a Seagull guitar,” I told him. “They’re made in Canada. The top is solid spruce and the sides and back are cherry.” He tried a couple of chords, adjusted the tuning a little and then played something I quickly recognized as Neil Young’s “Long May You Run.” I saw a smile play across the man’s face and I knew I’d made a sale. 

A couple of weekends ago Mac and I had driven down to Port Clyde to see a man who was building his third wooden boat. While they talked I had spent some time prowling around a flea market that was being held at the local high school. I’d spotted the guitar in a back corner of one of the booths. I’d offered forty dollars for it, seeing the amount as a point to start dickering over the price. To my surprise my offer was accepted. The woman running the booth wrapped the guitar in a large blue recycling bag and as she took my money something about her smile and the gleam in her eye gave me the feeling that as far as she was concerned she was the one who had gotten the deal. The rest of the afternoon was busy. Right after the guitar player left, a tour bus returning home to Nova Scotia after a couple of days in Atlantic City stopped in. Two of the picnic baskets sold, along with several of the framed maps, a set of dishes that Rose and Avery carefully packed for the bus ride home, and a small table I swaddled in an old moving blanket, which Mr. P. and the bus driver managed to fit in the luggage compartment of the bus in a space that it really shouldn’t have fit in but somehow did.

~~~

This is the first cat mystery cozy series that includes a number of individuals working on the inevitable "murder mystery."  A legit PI also is rare in cat mysteries, at least in my experience. And, in addition, having a group with the majority main characters  in their retirement years and having a new, second professional career makes this, indeed, My Own Type of Favorites! May this series run far into the future! I loved every single story that was written for the Second Chance crew to solve! Tell others about these books!

GABixlerReviews

A Merry Christmas Anniversary Mystery - Latest from Anna Celeste Burke

 

How about a cozy fire and seasonal music to go with the champagne?" Felix didn't wait for us to answer. One of Jack's favorite jazz singers began to sing a sweet, dreamy version of White Christmas. A fire was crackling by the time we reached the fireplace. "It's been good talking to you, Felix. Thanks for all your help, but I'll take it from here. Goodnight."

           “Can we help it if we’ve turned out to be a good team in love and murder, my sweet?

We'd just finished breakfast on our third morning in the lavish hotel when the shaking began. Max had kept his word not to intrude, although it was beginning to worry me that he hadn't called to arrange our dinner date. We'd had two gloriously peaceful days exploring Max's strange new world taking shape in New Arcadia. I should have known that wouldn't last. 

"Don't worry," Jack said as he picked up Miles and followed me under the table. "Max claims his architects and engineers designed this hotel to withstand the biggest quake Mother Nature can unleash." As the room continued to shimmy and shake, Jack appeared less confident. I was fighting the urge to bolt, but where would I go? "If this isn't 'the big one,' I don't want to be around for it," I grumbled. Rattling sounds came from all around us, and the entire hotel swayed—or rolled was more like it. "Are you sure this place isn't going to sink like the Titanic? We might as well be in a storm at sea." "It's supposed to roll, Georgie. The entire building has flexible joints that can slide with the quake's motion." "What's the rattling noise?" I asked as I heard a soft plop. My laptop settled onto the carpet nearby after sliding off the table above us. "Probably the blinds and windows. The items in drawers and cupboards, too, although magnetic locks are activated once the motion reaches a certain level. We'd hear more than rattling if the cupboards and drawers were flapping, and stuff was spilling all over the floor. These quakes don't last more than a minute or two. It'll be over soon." 

As Jack spoke, the motion lessened and then stopped. The cats, who usually demand an explanation for unusual human behavior like sitting on the floor under a table, hadn't squirmed or made a sound. No purring from them either, though. "Whew!" I said, scooting toward the edge of the solidly built, exotic-wood table that could seat eight for dinner, more if you added another leaf. That didn't matter since Jack and I weren't planning to have any dinner parties. I was grateful for the table's hefty size, though, if it didn't collapse and flatten me like a pancake. I wanted to check to see if my laptop had survived. "What's that sound?" Jack asked, putting a hand on my arm to keep me from going anywhere. A low rumble grew louder as if it were moving closer. "

Aftershock?" I asked. My answer was a blast that shifted the entire hotel building in one direction all at once. The windows didn't rattle but made an oomph sound—like a person who's had the wind knocked out of them. The building righted itself as the motion and noise stopped. "That was no quake," Jack declared.

The ninth, and last in the series, so far, was more dramatic and tense for readers as explosions occur and fear and action consumes all that a call for evacuation is made. But, of course, as a part of senior administration, Georgie will be staying, even though she and Jack are already vacationing, celebrating their first anniversary... And, of course, a body is soon found, so Jack, as a homicide detective, even if they are visiting "New Arcadia," is called upon to begin the investigation. I'm Loving This Series!

Our suite was virtually soundproof, but I heard the faint whine of sirens and horns blasting. I opened the French doors that led to our expansive balcony. We had fantastic views of the mountains on both sides of the resort and the city of New Arcadia. A golf course beckoned to us from in front of the hotel. Below us, and behind the hotel, a private recreation area offered guests swimming pools, tennis courts, a spa, and a path wandering between the biodomes. In front of the hotel, I could also glimpse the green spaces, homes, shops, and other buildings in one of New Arcadia's first neighborhoods. Max hoped to welcome the first residents to their homes in "Tomorrow's City, Today!" early in the new year. Farther out, where no development appeared to be underway, plumes of smoke rose into the sky. 

"I see smoke, Carol, but it's in the distance." I stepped closer to the far end of the veranda to get a better view. Strains of Blue Christmas reached me first, followed by horn blasts and screeching sirens. They were louder but not constant, even though I could see police and fire department vehicles racing toward the smoke. Ambulances and rescue squad vehicles were in the mix too. Why aren't they using the underground roadways? I wondered. People milled around on the patios and pool areas below as if in a daze. Dressed in Marvelous Marley World outfits, it was clear some were employees. Others who must have been guests huddled together speaking to each other or staff members. Several were on their cellphones like me. I moved back toward the French doors, suddenly worried that I'd left them open. So far, Miles and Ella hadn't shown much interest in getting out onto the veranda. Still, I wasn't taking any chances, given my distracted state of mind...

By now, most of the ongoing characters are known, but we do have a new family introduced, Frank and Jessica Huntington (the author has an entire series featuring Jessica). The family includes Anastasia, who caused a few minutes consternation on the part of Miles and Ella--and then they bounded off in a "welcome" race to new adventures! As time goes by, and Max is still missing, all of the employees begin to discuss what would happen if he was...not coming back. Of course, there was a succession plan for the leader but, as could be imagined as the chaos encircled their lives, those who had a vested interest in the potential new leader of Marley World, including Georgie, were the main thrust of the book... And, we know, don't we? That when there was a chance to increase power by individuals, it often leads to deception and criminal actions. Georgie was soon in the position of wondering just who she could trust...and just how far she could go in attempting to handle things on her own, without becoming a target herself?!

“Time to gang up on him and try a little tough love,” Sid added, wearily.  “Yes, something like that. I appreciate your willingness to share your concerns with me. I’ll ask Rita to send those documents by email, so we’ll get them right away,” I said. We both stood up, slowly, as if weighed down by the difficulty of the demands on us. Just then, the holiday music started. Sid and I both startled as Michael Bublé belted out the lyrics to It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.  “We’re not too edgy, are we?  

I still have a couple of Burke's series books that I haven't talked about...and will do so from time to time... In the meantime, I'm reading one of Kenneth Eade's legal thrillers... He's been on a hiatus from writing, but I've still found enough of his books to keep me happy! He's my favorite writer for this genre, and I've found that he's normally writing about something that is relevant to today's headlines... This time, about a Cop-Black Man Shooting Incident ...So watch for it coming soon! You can be sure that this writer makes sure that defendants get the best legal attention that is possible!

Glenda

God Bless

The Whole Cat and Caboodle Starring Elvis... by Sofie Ryan

He had been roaming around town for quite some time until they met. Sarah saw him first; but he knew immediately, even though she wasn't keen on the idea. Sarah had just been adopted. And he began to follow her, knowing, just knowing, that she would soon love him and take care of him and they would make a happy home together... His name, Elvis...

Elvis Preferred Cats...and Sarah...You Know...

The Whole Cat and Caboodle:

First in A Second Chance Mystery Series

By Sofie Ryan

I'd had Elvis for about four months. As far as I could find out, the cat had spent several weeks on his own, scrounging around downtown North Harbor. The town sits on the midcoast of Maine. "Where the past 250 years North Harbor stretches from the Swift Hills in the north to the Atlantic Ocean in the south. It was settled by Alexander Swift in the late 1760s. It's full of beautiful, historic buildings, award-winning restaurants and quirky little shops. Where else could you buy a blueberry muffin, a rare book and fishing gear all on the same street?

The town's population is about thirteen thousand, but that more than triples in the summer with tourists and summer residents. It grew by one black cat one evening in late May.

Elvis just appeared at the Black Bear.  Sam, who owns the pub, and his pickup band, the Hairy Bananas--long story on the name--were doing their Elvis Presley medley when Sam noticed a black cat sitting just inside the front door. He swore the cat stayed put through the entire set and left only when they launched into their version of the Stones' Satisfaction.

The cat was back the next morning, in the narrow alley beside the shop, watching Sam as he took a pile of cardboard boxes to the recycling bin. "Hey, Elvis. Want some breakfast?" Sam had asked after tossing the last flattened box in the bin. To his surprise, the cat walked up to his and meowed a long yes. He showed up at the pub about every third day for the next couple of weeks. The cat clearly wasn't wild-he didn't run from people--but no one seemed to know who Elvis (the name had stuck) belonged to. The scar on his nose wasn't new; neither were a couple of others on his black, hidden by his fur. Then someone remembered a guy in a van who had stayed two nights at the campgrounds up on Mount Batten. He'd had a cat with him. It was black. Or black and white. Or possibly gray. But it definitely had a scar on its nose. Or it was missing an ear. Or maybe part of a tail...

Elvis was sitting in the middle of my desk when I opened the door to my office. The cat, not the King of Rock and Roll, although the cat had an air of entitlement about him sometimes, as though he thought he was royalty...

"How did you get in here?" I asked.

His ears twitched but he didn't look at me. His eyes were fixed on the vintage Wonder Woman lunch box in my hand. I was having an early lunch, and Elvis seemed to want one as well...

~~~

If you don't know by now, my personal slogan is "Books--Cats--Life is Sweet." So add one more thing--a mystery--and I'm in Heaven!

It's been awhile since I read one, but I'm gearing up to be reading some non-fiction, so I figured you and me both needed a little fix to keep us going. It was sooooo fun to meet Elvis...I've read the author under a different name, but this new series and its star is extraordinary...

I don't think I've ever read a more "in tune" cat-owner relationship. Ryan writes and talks as if Elvis can understand every word, so that when Elvis responds in sound or action...it's directly in response. Ok, cats can't understand human language. But it sure is fun imagining it! My cats sometimes know key words and make nonverbal communication hoping I'll understand, which a lot of times I do... That's why I just love Elvis... He even appreciates his music! LOL

A little about the mystery... and the characters. Elvis' Mom is the owner of a second-chance store and she meets the victim when he brings a silver tea set in to her shop one day...but then, comes back and buys it right back. Obviously Sarah is curious about him...

Sarah's grandmother is on her honeymoon in this first book, but her three best friends, who love Sarah like their own, sometime help in the shop or meet with her in other ways...One of those friends is presently involved with the man who brought in the silver tea set... And, one day when he is invited to lunch at Maddie's home, she finds him outside, sitting at the table, dead... 

Of course, Maddie is accused of the murder--he was poisoned! And since everybody except the police believe she is innocent, they start their own investigation, soon deciding they are just like Charlie's Angels...except in their 70s...

Sarah tries hard to prevent their getting involved, but fails. She, at least, decides she'll try to keep them out of trouble...but gets pulled in just as much!

An interesting little twist is that Sarah's one time best friend, is now the lead investigator, which makes for limited conversation to say the least... On the other hand, Sarah's "first kiss" participant is in town and Nick is quite pleased that she's back.

The mystery is a good one, not easily solved so will keep you interested. I, for one, enjoyed the cat-human dialogue and the new older investigators' activities as the primary enjoyment of the book... Let's just say there's a lot going on and much to help turn the pages quickly and with enthusiasm.  And, really, with Elvis as the primary focus, you'll have no choice but love it as I did! Highly recommended!

I hope Elvis finds a cute little cat who also loves Elvis! What do you say?!!! Besides, our Elvis is thinking about getting up his own show...

GABixlerReviews

Are you a "cat person"?

Very much so. I love cats. I like their independent spirit. I don't have one because my husband is extremely allergic to them. (If he dies first I'm getting a cat. People laugh when I say that because they think I'm kidding.) Even though I don't have a cat myself, I do have "cat friends"--cats in my neighborhood that I spend time with so I can get my kitty fix. 

Jillian Hart Meets Unexpected Ghost Cat in Latest Cats in Trouble Mystery Series by Leann Sweeney! Featuring Ghost Cats~

Dustin knelt and extended a hand. "They're not afraid of strangers?"

Syrah answered by starting toward Dustin, but all of a sudden he stopped, arched his back and hissed. Strange thing was he didn't seem to be hissing at Dustin. The cat was focused on something behind me and I wondered if a bug or a little lizard had come in the door behind us. I turned and looked at the floor. Nothing.

The Cat, The Mill and the Murder:
A Cats in Trouble Mystery

A killer's been milling about...

By Leann Sweeney

"It's nothing...Let's hurry and get iin here."
But is was something--that feeling again,
the brief touch against my leg...Maybe
this creepy place and Jeannie's belief
she had a companion cat no one else could
see had seeped into my mind, because it
definitely felt as though a cat had just
touched me...
~~~

Personal weekend time allowed me to check out the latest Cat in Trouble that was published many months ago... But that's alright, a book never gets too old, does it? And if you haven't read it yet, it brings the readers just as much fun! Check this one out!

Jillian Hart thinks she might be going crazy in the latest Cats in Trouble Mystery...She doesn't believe in ghosts, but she's been experiencing some sensations that are not easily explained. After all, she has three feline companions so she knows the moves they make and what it feels like...

So, if you felt something soft lightly rubbing against the side of your leg, Jillian did what any cat owner would, she looked down, expecting to see one of her own cats... But nothing was there! That she could see...

I held up a hand to Shawn, hoping he'd keep
quiet. "I'm Jillian. What's your name?"
"Clara Jeanne if you'd met my mama, but I
was always Jeannie to the rest of my kin...
Couse Mama's been gone so long. I can be
Jeannie, period. Just Jeannie." She looked
toward the saucer on the floor. "Aim't that
right Boots?"
"Boots?" I said.
"My kitty. She's pretty, huh?" Jeanne smiled,
revealing her rotting teeth.
An invisible cat. My heart ached with sympathy
and concern. This woman definitely needed
our help..."
~~~

It all started when a large former mill was going to be 

But when a woman's voice yelled,
"What you think you're doin' in here?"
I jumped back and got a taste of my
own heart...
The clouded eyes of a woman stared
up at us. The odor hit me then, the
unpleasant combination of spoiled food
and an unwashed body...
"This place is dangerous, lady, Plus,
I'm thinkin' you don't have a key."
Dustin cleared his throat. "This isn't
a healthy place to be...staying."
The woman drew her legss up to her
chest, wrapped them with her arms and
began to rock...
~~~

converted into some other type of building. Jillian is always on call to help Shawn who runs the local shelter. The mill had been home for many feral cats, so now he was being asked to move them. 

But when they went into the mill, they found a woman was also living there! As
Jillian talked to her, the engineer went on to investigate the building, but when they found a skeletal hand, everybody knew that was going to stop the project at least for awhile!

Penelope, head of the community council was working with the two financial groups that were looking at the Mill. One was the former family owner of the Mill who wanted to convert to condos, while another was looking toward shops and a variety of spaces. They knew Dustin, the engineer was scheduled to visit that day so Penelope on her own had scheduled  a tour! But nobody was going to tour...a new crime scene!

"She cam back. I knew she would."
"Boots is here. My sweet Boots..."
Boots? I blinked several times, Jeannie
said Boots came back....
I sat on the floor, too, but when what
had to be a hallucination curled into
the space created by my crossed legs, a
shiver ran up my spine. I peeked down
to my lap. Nothing there. Yet I felt as
if I could stroke this invisible cat--
she seemed that real...
~~~

By the next time Jillian and Dustin visited the mill, they had found Jeannie had fallen and needed to be taken to the hospital. Asked how it had happened, she said she was running from the creepers who came at night, which might or might not be true. This would be fortunate for the investigation of the skeleton--they assumed that the individual had been murdered since it was wrapped and surrounded by bricks. Everybody had a guess as to who it might be, but before that could be confirmed, Penelope had been murdered!

So now we had Jillian, who had had the smallest hand to reach in 
and find the skeleton at the mill...also was the one who found Penelope at her home, where she had been murdered...

One of the things I like about this set of characters is that Candace, the routine investigator for the local police is Jillian's best friend, so there is rarely friction during Jillian's nosing into the murder cases--most of the time. But, then, she is a smart woman who doesn't go off by herself or keeps people notified of where she's headed... Until the last time when she didn't have time to reach anybody...and was caught by the killer at the mill! 


The investigation had been going on for some time and everybody was getting anxious, especially those outside financial people who had been in town to tour the mill and discuss their plans.  Boots had decided to stay with Jillian and did make up with her two male cats who finally were playing and racing through the house. Whether the female could actually see Boots and just ignored her wasn't shared but my guess is she was fully aware that another cat had entered her domain...

But all three of Jillian's cats were grateful when Boots saves Jillian's life when she was confronted...and I'll only give you one clue... Feral cats are also afraid of ghosts!

If you haven't already read this one, Enjoy! And you might be just like Jillian and start believing, and then seeing a ghost cat who comes to the name of Boots!

I loved this one! Highly recommended!


GABixlerReviews

I have been writing for more than twenty years and feel very lucky to have become a career writer. Many times I worked my day job as a nurse, wife and mom and then wrote well into the night. My books are "gentle mysteries" and my towns are populated with people I'd like to meet. Not that I "like" all those characters, I'd just like to meet them. There will be justice in the end and no animal will ever be harmed, only rescued. I hope you can escape into one of my stories.

Please note that I couldn't find too many pics of Boots...after all, most of the time she's invisible, so I added some ghost friends of hers, from the feral community... LOL

Hamlet - {Sigh} My New Hero!!! Stars in Black Cat Bookshop Mystery Series by Ali Brandon!

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A Novel Way to Die:
A Black Cat Bookshop
  Mystery

By Ali Brandon

My Cat Ricci Checking Out Hamlet! And Other Hunks!

I didn't have a choice with this one, readers. Ricki was still swooning over how Hamlet acted in the climax of this story, that she refused to let me invite him to BRH...love at a distance, and all that, I guess...

But that was alright with me, because this was the first time I'd read Ali Brandon's new series, although I immediately went out to throw the first book in the series in my shopping cart! So I really wanted to spend some time telling about this book.

First of all, this was a fantastic mystery! I love cozy mysteries, but, in my opinion, this novel could easily move into the full-fledged mystery genre. It doesn't follow the normal pattern for several reasons...

For one, you rarely get thrills in cozies...but you do in this novel! You get action that is exciting, dangerous, and a confusing possibility of whodunit that keeps you guessing all the way until the end--and even then there were surprises, nice ones...which was cool!

"Let's get this over with," Darla told the girl.
"Go ahead and bring your things:--she'd learned
not to let a potential hiree leave behind anything
they'd have to come back for later--"and we'll go
down to the main store to find him...
"That's the nickel tour," Darla ended with a
smile. "Now, about Hamlet--"
"There he is." Madison cut her short, smiling
and pointing to the nearest bookshelf. There,
...the cat was stretched at full length, snoozing.
But Hamlet was not the stereotypical scrawny
Halloween scaredy-cat.
"Cliche as the notion was, Darla had always
thought of Hamlet as a scaled-down panther...
"Before Darla could warn her, the girl hurried
over to the cat. She put out one French-
manicured hand in his direction, as if to pet
him. Barely was Madison out of claws' reach
than Hamlet sprang to his feet and swiped..."
~~~

Darla Pettistone also does not intentionally become the only investigator on the case. She has a PI who lives in her newly inherited building and is not afraid to call on her at any time. She also has a bookstore manager and has just hired a part-time helper in this book, as well as a police officer who is willing to share info as appropriate... That allows readers to hear, digest, consider, and reconsider who is guilty...

Of murder, of course!

Hamlet on the other hand is unique. He's not a friendly cat. Even Darla and he are still quite formal with each other.

You see, Darla doesn't even like cats, and certainly would have never planned on having one live (and work) with her! But Hamlet came with the building! So did James, the Manager and a former English professor, and Jake, the PI, was already living in one apartment. Darla's apartment is above the shop and has an indoor entrance to the bookstore... Why am I telling you so many details? Well, I just know cat mystery followers are going to follow and we need to get to know the basic characters as quickly as possible, right?!

hppride.forumeiros.com
"Yo, fist bump, little guy," he said,
still grinning [next applicant, Robert!]
"Darla held her breath and winced. To
her astonishment, however, no claws
ensued. Instead, Hamlet gave a quick
meormph and, to her even greater
amazement, appeared to return the
gesture..."
!!!

Darla is interviewing people for her part-time job as the novel opens. So far, none have been acceptable to Hamlet! That's right, Darla has to give him final authority; otherwise, that individual will undoubtedly not stay because of what Hamlet is bound to do to them...Ha! Have you ever had to try to persuade a cat to accept you? I have, and it's not easy and there's no fast way to get it done! But  my Tracey became one of my very favorite companions, so it is well worth it! Check out her eyes! You definitely know when this cat doesn't like you!

Hamlet, on the other hand, turns his back on you, flips up one of this legs and starts showing his opinion of you, while cleaning himself, or worse! Ahhh, I didn't dare add this pic or Ricci would have been horrified....

Anyway, the murder! Well, there were two men in town who were restoring the brownstones...and they had become customers at the Bookstore, sending special orders in for books related to restorations. Curt was not a guy that Darla could easily deal with, while she had eyed up his partner Barry as...potential. That day, however, Curt had come in to check on a special order and at the same time, Robert's ex-boss, who was called "not-so-great ape" had come in, giving them both a hard time! It was clear that Robert was somewhat afraid of this dude, so Darla had taken over and was settling things...Then the two men got into it, until Darla threatened to call the police...

But before that happened, Curt had warned Darla that there was somebody stealing scrap from the older houses and had even broken into some of the ones being used... He cautioned her to be more vigilant and Darla planned on doing just that, as well as alerting Jake!

Robert became a useful new employee and things were getting back to normal when Barry stopped in to pick up the order, which was there and then invited Darla to walk with him back to their site and see the "before" picture of their building. So it was actually Darla who saw the body first...Barry's long-time partner Curt was clearly dead...

And as the investigation started, and Darla and local shop owners were gossiping, it was discovered that Curt's girlfriend, and the daughter of one of the shop owners, had disappeared! Surprisingly, Jake had already started an investigation about Curt for that same shop owner! Who exactly was this guy?!

But Darla is in a panic, because she saw paw prints around that body! And she discovered that, somehow, Hamlet, supposedly an inside cat, was routinely getting out! All she could think about was how Hamlet would take off running, through her legs, often causing her to almost fall! Maybe Hamlet had caused this!

Hamlet's Clues
"Hamlet flipped over onto his side and gave her a cool green look as if to say,  I've done my part, clueless human. Now go prove why you're supposedly the dominant species. Which wasn't much help at all.

This is a clue in the book that I threw in...cause I love the song!

I am so excited to find this new series...the last cat cozy I read really was a downer and, of course, I was disappointed. I haven't decided whether to write a review--I do so hate saying a book wasn't good, don't you? Especially, my favorite kind! For those fanatics like me, YES, Get it! For those who like a good mystery but don't like the cute stuff...you won't get it in this one--pure mystery, legitimate clues (see below) and a climatic ending that will set your heart pounding! Highly recommended...Easy a 5+ novel...

OK, review readers, Here's a quiz from BRH! Who was another cat who did this type of clue demonstration and/or the author of the cozy series...

GABixlerReviews

ALI BRANDON is the national bestselling author of DOUBLE BOOKED FOR DEATH, the first in her new Black Cat Bookshop mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime. Writing as DIANE A.S. STUCKART, she's also the author of the popular Leonardo da Vinci mysteries, which have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, as well as a Florida Book Award Silver medal. Under the names Alexa Smart and Anna Gerard, she published several critically-acclaimed historical romances from Pinnacle Books. A native Texan with a degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma, Diane now lives in South Florida. Visit her at www.dianestuckart.com or www.alibrandon.com for more info, or see her other Amazon author page at https://www.amazon.com/author/dianestuckart