Emmie Lyn Presents Claws of Justice: A Cozy Cat Mystery with Humor and a Murderous Twist...

 "The truth has a nasty habit of revealing itself.”

Who am I? Just a struggling young woman trying to make ends meet cleaning up after all the rich people in town who treat me like I don’t even exist...

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Even a pillow over my head couldn’t silence the racket in the morning. Between Jasper’s barking and someone’s frantic pounding on my front door, I gave up trying to get an extra few winks. I glanced at my bedside clock and moaned. Half past six. Was another half hour of sleep asking too much? Jasper’s wet tongue on my face answered that question. “Okay, okay. What’s the emergency?” I asked her, sniffing the air. Nope, no fire. Glad I eliminated that potential catastrophe, but I smelled something. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled my nose. What? I leaped out of bed and dashed down the stairs. Hitch, all bright eyed and ready for the day, stood in my kitchen in his snug jeans and a t-shirt that hugged his muscles. But I wasn’t paying attention to his sculpted body. “Did you sneak in through Jasper’s doggie door?” I asked, leaning against the door frame with my arms crossed. I snorted, imagining him half-way in and half-way out like he’d found me. 

“Didn’t have to,” he said, handing me a cup of steaming coffee with just enough cream to turn it a sweet caramel color. My heart flipped when I realized he’d remembered how I liked it. “Jasper let me in.” Hitch made a grand gesture for me to sit down at my own kitchen chair like I was his guest. A bag from A Donut A Day shop on the table tempted me. “Actually, your door wasn’t locked, Sunny. You really need to be more careful, especially—” 

“Because anyone will just walk inside, Hitch? I don’t think so. Not with Jasper on the inside sounding like he’s ready to bite an intruder’s head off. You know, I’ve managed a-okay while you were off in New York playing security guard and getting yourself shot. So, which one of us needs to be more careful?” I shot him a glare that I hoped let him know that I got him on that one. His lips twitched at the edge. Not, the response I was going for. I resented how he thought he could just swoop back into my life and take charge like he hadn’t broken my heart once already. 

“We’re business partners,” I spit at him as if that explained all my hurt feelings. “And, business partners make kind gestures for each other. That’s all this is.” He swept his hand over the table. “Coffee and something from your favorite shop in town to get your day off to a good start.” He leaned toward me. “What did you think I was proposing?” “Oh.” Maybe I had read more into his visit than necessary. “I thought I did lock my door,” I added a bit defensively as I opened the bag expecting my favorite cinnamon covered donut holes. Instead, I found a toasted breakfast bagel with egg and melted cheese on a layer of cream cheese, topped with a sprinkle of chopped chives. That was a close second. 

“I already ate mine,” he said. “Dig in.” He pulled a giant dog bone from his pocket for Jasper who’d been sitting politely while a pool of drool puddled on the floor in front of her. At least I hadn’t drooled on the table. Hitch leaned back and stretched out his long legs, bumping into my foot. “Here’s what I’m thinking, Sunshine. Since it’s still bright and early, we’ll get our list of supplies put together to get started on the Kitty Castle, then drop in on Gina.” 

“Why Gina?” I said around a mouthful of bagel, spraying more than a few crumbs on the table. “Sorry.” I covered my mouth. Hitch grinned. “I’m glad that you’re just being yourself around me, messy hair, pj’s, and talking with your mouth full. Kind of like we’re brother and sister, don’t you think?” 

“No! That’s not at all what I’m thinking. You barged in without an invitation, and I had to see what was going on. If I’d known you were planning to visit—” 

“You would have showered and put on clothes?” He hitched his eyebrows up in question marks. “I would have double-checked that the door was locked,” I shot back. Hitch let out a deep belly laugh. “Well, I’m glad that’s cleared up.” He tapped his lip. “You have a big blob of cream cheese right there, Sunshine.” I finished the bagel in a pouty silence. “Hey… truce? I’m sorry I barged in and woke you up. It’s just that this missing bonsai tree is really bothering me.” I sipped my coffee. Perfection. “Harry hired me to protect it, and I don’t like to leave a job unfinished even though it’s not really my job anymore. I don’t know why, but I still feel responsible.” 

“Responsible or needing to find answers?” I asked. “I mean, Maxine’s involved. How did she get Harry’s collection of orchids and the bonsai tree to begin with? And, Conrad’s story seems logical, but who knows, especially with Charlotte going missing all of a sudden. Is he really looking out for her interest or his own? It’s awfully convenient for Conrad that Harry isn’t around to weigh in on his version of the whole break-in mess. Was it really Harry’s idea to steal the bonsai tree and make an insurance claim?” Hitch looked at me without commenting. “I don’t know, Hitch, this is a big tangled mess.” I took another big bite. I could easily get used to this kind of surprise every morning. Hitch crumpled up the bagel bag and threw it in my recycling bin, then sat down again. “I couldn’t agree more, and you summed it up well. That’s why I want to go to Gina’s house. Just a friendly drop-in to find out what she knows about the bonsai tree.” 

“To catch her off-guard, you mean?” He chuckled. “That’s usually the best way to get information. If she came back and took the tree from your yard, I don’t want to give her a chance to ditch it if she knows we’re coming. But I’m not convinced that she does have it.” “I agree. What would be the point? If she was after money, how would she find a buyer? That leaves Maxine and Conrad.” 

“Or our friendly Officer Mick Walker. Don’t forget that he was poking around.” I almost spit out the last bit of coffee I’d just gulped. “I’m not a fan of Mick, but I’m not sure he’d cross the line into stealing something, valuable or not.” “No, but I don’t think he’d hesitate to help Maxine if he thought there’d be a nice payoff waiting. Maybe she said she owned it, and he believed her.” “Great. We have to watch our backs around that guy. I thought with the state police involved, we could forget about Mick.” Hitch drummed his fingers on the table, mulling over our puzzle. “Look at it this way, Sunshine. If Mick is involved with something illegal or unethical, he might have to resign.” I felt my lips spread into a big grin. 

“What are we waiting for?” “For you to get dressed?” I looked down at my cartoon jammies and felt my cheeks heat up. While sitting here with Hitch, eating and bickering like… well, brother and sister, I grudgingly admitted to myself that I’d completely forgotten I’d jumped out of bed and rushed downstairs half-dressed. “Feed the kittens while I make myself presentable?” I said.

~~~~~~

If there's a cat on the cover of a book, more than likely I'll be buying it... 

This is Gabby and I take full responsibility for adding this video...

This book starts off with a bang! Actually several different kinds! The first is the auctioneer looking at our main character, Sunny Shaw, and yelling SOLD! Sunny, of course, is looking around to see who had bought the building that was once owned by her grandparents... Only to discover that, supposedly, she had...

Sunny had been talking with the man who had come to stand by her during the auction. He mentioned that he had hoped to buy the building that had just been sold. But accepted she had won and walked away... Shaw looked around and was trying to figure out what was going on...

But before long, there were screams and shouts of alarm. A murder had occurred! Sunny was to discover that it was the man who had just left her side... Now what?!

“Harry shot you?” was all I managed to say. My kitchen door slammed, and I heard footsteps approaching. “What happened to the two of you?” Tilly shouted. “Did you forget about me and my coffee?” “Does she know?” I whispered to Hitch. He nodded. “Oh,” Tilly said after she took one look at what had to be our glum expressions. She set the coffee carafe on my little side table. “Here, I brought some magic to cheer you up.” She pulled Stash out of her pocket. “This little puffball has been sleeping in here since you handed her to me.” “Poor thing.” I took her in my arms and stroked her soft fur. She rewarded me with a satisfied purr, a magic spell that instantly made me feel better. “She must have been terrified in that big empty abandoned building.” Stash stood on all fours, arched her back, and jumped off my lap, curling up between Jasper’s big front paws. Jasper sniffed the tiny kitten and wagged her tail, which made Princess Muffin jump out of Hitch’s arm and pounce again. “Well, look at that—Jasper, the kitten whisperer. Stash and Jasper are best friends already. Jasper can be the nanny in our new Kitty Castle.” From Hitch’s raised eyebrows, I remembered that I hadn’t shared my plan with him yet. “There’s plenty of room for your orchids and my shakes and cakes plus kitties.”

Two main themes concurrently run in this delightful story. One is that two friends have reunited after Hatch had taken a job in New York and left Sunny behind in a town where Sunny had lived most of her life. Now he was back with a big surprise! He has purchased a building that had been owned by her family and was now proposing that they go into business together...

Second, of course, is a murder that took place in the first few pages and continues as a mystery to be solved throughout the book. I confess I missed identifying the villain before the book ended. Kudos to Emmie Lyn who kept me guessing all the way through!

Lyn has also provided great characters... One main neighbor who lives across the street from Sunny, admittedly, provides most of the humor that is spotlighted in the subtitle...

“Tilly!” I yelled as I barged inside without knocking. “In here, Sunny,” she answered, wiping drool from the edge of her mouth and trying to sound like she hadn’t just woken up. I’d seen this act before. “Where’s the fire?” she asked like I was overreacting “I haven’t seen anything happen on our street.” She blinked several times, giving me her innocent look. What could I say? At this point, I supposed it didn’t matter. She looked at me, then out the window. “Oh. Did I fall asleep for a minute?” “Probably more than a minute.” I sank onto her couch. “The bonsai tree is gone.” “And, my flamingoes?” I knew she was trying to lighten up my mood. “All dead.” I tried to grin but couldn’t manage.

I slid the card out and read, “To my dearest friend, Charlotte. Your loss is my loss. Harry is forever in my heart. Love, Mildred.” I choked. “Mildred? Who are you pretending to be?” “If you must know, that’s my legal name. I’ve never liked it, and I don’t even know when my father started calling me Tilly. I think it had something to do with me running around singing Silly Tilly instead of Silly Milly which I guess I couldn’t say. Anyway, it made my father laugh and the nickname stuck. I was always Silly Tilly in my father’s eyes.” Hitch grunted and mumbled, “Silly Tilly and nothing has changed.” She swatted his arm, but we all chuckled because the name fit her to a T.

And it had really all started back in New York, when Hatch had been working as a bodyguard...for...plants... One in particular, a Bonsai Tree

The owner had insured the Bonsai but had to ensure security was provided. Hatch had been hired to provide protection, but had failed when an attempted robbery occurred. His employer had instead wounded Hatch! While this led to Hatch returning home, it also was the possible cause of the murder... For the plants that Hatch had been guarding were also now in his home town, in the home of an individual who also had a collection of rare plants. Indeed, it was Hatch's dream of, in partnership with Sunny, that he have space to create and maintain an area for growing and selling orchids... 

Once Sunny had absorbed the fact that she was now part-owner of a building that she had always wanted to own, her idea was to have an ice cream and cookie shop... Later, her dream had expanded into having a rescue and home for kittens and cats...

But while that planning was being considered, the Bonsai Tree had really been stolen... Kinda! And soon placed as an ordinary plant in a flower display in Sunny's front yard, where, to help disguise it, was soon encircled with Tilly's pink pelican yard display. LOL... This was especially funny to me since my mother decided to add pelicans to our backyard, country garden. I always felt that the legs used just would not fool anybody, and I guess they didn't in Sunny's garden, because, before long it was again gone! So, at least it was beginning to given a good lead that whoever the villain was, the murder and theft was perhaps all tied together in one big mess... P.S., I had some qualms on some of the scenes with the bonsai... a very old and possibly fragile plant given how often and where it was traveling! Thank goodness, it was a fiction book! Still... I thought care of an expensive plant should have been better handled...

Harry’s valuable bonsai tree was the key to unlocking his murder. Which one of the people stalking the bonsai killed him?

I have a small bonsai--artificial, because I knew better--in my home. It brings a bit of realism to my small collection of oriental miniatures. And having orchids as a primary plant after just reading the Nero Wolfe book, a major collector of orchids, brought a bit of my gardens inside as well. Enjoy this book and do think about a kitty corner somewhere around your home too! LOL

GABixlerReviews

Jessica Brimer Presents Book High And Low (Messy Bookshop Mysteries 2)

I organized the bookshelves, which went faster once Princess heard Jane jamming out to Ava Max songs.

~~~

   “I’m calling to warn you about Jacob Rome.” There were voices in the background, but I couldn’t make out a word. Was he standing outside somewhere? “Have you met Jacob?” “I have,” I grumbled. Jacob Rome came into Sevier Oak while Leo was away. Every business and restaurant in town learned about him, and not in a good way. “I’ll try and put this in a nutshell,” Leo said “it’s been a hectic morning. Jacob might be coming into your store. Gramps fired him this morning and then tried to kick him out of the office building. Things got out of hand. Cops were called. Just when things got settled, Jacob started shouting at someone in a green sedan. He’s in a foul mood. Maybe you should call one of your officer buddies?” Wow, I thought. This was a lot to take in. “First, I wasn’t aware Jacob was working at Voss-of-Books. Second, I can handle difficult customers. And third…” And what? You call me out of the blue only to warn me about a self-absorbed guy? Not, “Hey Garnet, how’s it going? Wanna go out for dinner tonight?” “Garnet?” I pulled myself together. Now wasn’t the time to wonder where we stood as…booksellers? Friends? A couple?

Princess

Butterscotch

Now was not the time to have a serious talk about the bookstore. I wanted to bring up the topic without being annoyed or hurting Jane’s feelings. For now, I pushed aside boxes in case Roland came in with a delivery. “I think it’s time to open,” said Jane. Time always seemed to slip away. We made our way to the front. Sure enough, the hanging clock said we were five minutes late. 

Jane darted upstairs while I unlocked the door. I smiled when I turned around. I kneeled down and petted the second cat. “Well, good morning, sleepyhead. How many times have I walked by you without seeing ya?” Butterscotch, Princess’s sister, rubbed her head on the pumpkins. If Autumn had a cat, it was Butterscotch. Her long fur had orange and ginger woven into the black. The tortoiseshell spent most of her time in the office sleeping. It was rare when she came to the sales floor. I pet down her back as she weaved between the pumpkins, rubbing her lips on them as she went. “You’re like the only cat who loves pumpkins.” She purred. After a few strokes, Princess trotted up. She batted Butterscotch’s tail, hoping to play, but the tortie only had eyes for pumpkins. I forced myself to get to work. If I didn’t walk away now, I would pet the cats all day. At the sight of Stiffanie, I got a sense of déjà vu from yesterday. A part of me wanted to throw it in my trunk and lock her in my basement. Wow Garnet, I thought, that was too dark. Still, I wondered how long it would take Jane to realize the mannequin was missing. “Not long enough,” I said to myself. Princess jumped on Stiffanie’s body. “She’s not your new bed,” I said. Princess ignored me by sniffing, a sign she was looking for a comfy spot. 

Footsteps came in our direction. “I can’t find it,” Jane said. “I’m sure it’s around here somewhere. Maybe Butterscotch was lying on it.” I pointed at the feline, showing she wasn’t in the office. Jane’s expression softened. Butterscotch was now lounging across the pumpkins. There was no way she was comfortable, yet she didn’t move. “I’ve looked everywhere,” my boss said. “Including the office.” “Did you check your car?” “Yes.” Jane raked her hands through her hair and closed her eyes. “What am I going to do? I need to buy tickets before the prices jump.” I glanced around the store. Where did she put it? When we find it, I’d remember it for future reference. Then I spotted Princess’s back half sticking out of Stiffanie’s tote. “Maybe you accidentally put it in the bag?” Jane’s eyes flew wide. She kneeled, peaking around Princess. I cringed, remembering I’d hidden two novels. “Hey. Where did these come from?” she said, holding up the books. I struggled to come up with an answer. Thinking on my feet was not my strong suit today. Jane eyed me. “Are you stashing them?” “You stash books on the floating glass,” I countered. “I was going to buy them yesterday, but I forgot.” I looked around her. “Is your wallet in there?” “No.” As Jane stood, something white fell out from inside a book. Princess’s eyes lit up, and she pounced on it before it landed. Gently, I pushed her aside, wondering what Jacob had tucked away. Was it something important like a car deed? Or editing related? When I unfolded the paper, my eyes landed on the heading’s bold letters. A hard knot formed in my stomach. Jane hovered over my shoulder. “A copy of a death certificate.” Why did Jacob have this? Did he know the deceased? Why hide it in a book? The knot grew heavier when I noticed it came out of Amanda Flower’s latest novel, 

Because I could not Stop for Death. (See all three wonderful mysteries based upon the poetry of Emily Dickenson with a search in the right column on her name to find out her "weird" titles that actually came from poetry!) 

“You know a Phoebe Harris?” asked Jane. I pondered. Harris was a common southern surname. I knew some Harrises, but no Phoebes. According to the certificate, Phoebe passed away twenty years ago. I was two at the time. Growing up under the roof of a police officer, I’d heard a lot of stories. Yet I recalled nothing. Upon closer inspection, I got my answer. I didn’t have to attend the police academy to know why the State of Tennessee had declared Phoebe Harris dead. There weren’t many explanations why a judge approved one without the cause of death listed. She was a missing person, and after seven years, the family could file their loved one as being so. “Well,” Jane prompted. “Her name doesn’t ring a bell.” We stared at the copy. Phoebe’s birthplace was the same as her last address. Nashville. The more I read, the more questions swirled. I didn’t like this. Not one bit. “Who traded in these books?” Jane asked. Her concerned tone matched how I felt. I refolded the paper and pressed it against my chest. My heart went out to Phoebe and her family. I didn’t want to imagine how they were dealing with not knowing what happened. 

“Jacob Rome brought these books in yesterday,” I said. “He wanted a book similar to Strangers on the Train.” A perfect crime novel, including the book I referred to Jacob. I shivered at the thought. My hands reached for my necklace and ran the garnet charm up and down the chain. Jane hummed as if in deep thought. Is there a connection between Phoebe Harris and a supposed hidden gem? How did Jacob fit into this? Belinda’s words came to mind. Stalkers. Was this why people were following Jacob? Had he learned something that might solve Phoebe’s disappearance? A woman who lived in Nashville twenty years ago? I stopped myself from coming up with more theories. Otherwise, like petting the cats, I could think of questions all day. I told Jane about Belinda stopping at my house last night. “Is this the same Belinda who lives on my street? The one with the snake tattoo on her forearm?” asked Jane. I rubbed my wrist book tattoo, sensing Jane didn’t approve of them. “Yeah. She’s known as Snake Lady. Have you met her yet?” Her chocolate-colored eyes narrowed. “Once. I was pulling weeds out of the flower bed when Belinda introduced herself. Or rather lectured me how it’s illegal to kill black snakes, and yes, I’ve checked.” Jane shrugged. “Belinda seemed like she meant well. She told me if I find a snake to come get her. After that, our only encounter is when we’re both driving on our road. Do you believe Belinda has anything to do with that?” She nodded towards the paper in my hand. “I’m not sure.” Jacob Rome. Stalkers. Belinda Anderson. And now a death certificate. I had to walk away and headed towards the counter. “Nothing good comes with carrying death certificates.” Jane spoke like a lawyer. 

Princess ran and jumped on the counter before I got there. Unlike us, Princess seemed excited. Her whiskers arched forward, and she was purring. I petted her, feeling a little better. Jane leaned against the counter with a faraway expression. She didn’t like this any more than I did. Thank goodness there were no customers in the store. We needed a few minutes to think this over. I decided lunch today would be at Dessert Bar instead of Kountry Wings. Today was a double fudge cake kind-of-a-day. We jumped when the phone rang. For a moment, I feared Leo was calling again to warn about Jacob. A lot had happened to him in the last twenty-four hours. Around this time yesterday, Jacob had been fired for stealing books, punched Leo, dealt with cops, and all while carrying a missing person’s death certificate before trading the mystery novel here. While Jane answered the phone, I texted Leo to check if his bookstore was missing the titles Jacob had brought. Jane wandered onto the sales floor with the phone pressed to her ear. I put the certificate under the laptop and searched behind the counter for Erin Sterling’s hardcover. Jane had searched here because customers’ orders and holds were moved. At least she left them in their piles. But like Jane’s wallet, the hardcover too was gone. Either she bought it or put it on the sales floor when I went to lunch. While Jane helped the customer on the phone, I did my morning routine. I felt the tip of the paper teasing me. Watching. Something about a missing woman’s death certificate didn’t set right. Phoebe Harris was once a living person, not tucked away in a fictional story as if she never existed. I couldn’t stop stealing glances at it. “I need to show this to Deputy Underwood,” I said as Jane put the phone back. “It doesn’t feel right handing it back to Jacob.” And the police could deal with him as to why he had it. Jane’s face brightened and she smiled. “Great idea..."

Whenever I need a real break from reality, I know that I can go to a cat cozy mystery and it will allow me then to have a good night's sleep! This second book is clearly a character-driven novel that will keep you so busy, there is no way you can foresee what will happen! 

Take for instance a man named Jacob... He's has so many negative characteristics that even readers can't stand the guy! LOL The thing is, he's not the villain--or rather, he's so obnoxious, cruel, plus a thief, he gets murdered. What that means, however, is that there are soooo many who could have wanted him dead, that there is no way to be sure whodunit! I picked my choice out early and stuck throughout the book while following the potential bad guys... I got it right, LOL... Believe me, there are quite a few who either have a bad temper or just want to be left alone, even though they got involved with, or rather, Jacob had forced himself into their world...

But let's go back to learn about the two main characters. Jane has just inherited a community store selling second-hand books. She hired a local from the community, Garnet, who happens to be related to most of the immediately past sheriffs of the town. So she has an "in" to at least a couple of officers who knew her when she was small and coming in to visit often... Good thing too, because the sheriff who replaced her relatives is not really qualified for the job and is upset that Garnet was the one who solved the last murder that occurred in town, while he was new to the job... So you'll see him scurrying around, seemingly, butting in to everything, while a long-time officer and Garnet share information in order to actually solve the crime...Of course, her Dad and Grandfather also come into the story, as well as her Grandmother who is just as involved as everyone else... But, quickly, another relative comes into the story at the very last... My guess is that he will be a welcome addition to future books in this series!

The basic plot is fairly simple, a cold-case disappearance or possible murder happened many years ago... People are involved in writing that story, hoping to publish, but also, some interesting personal papers are found in several books that soon get lost in a book swap activity that the second-hand bookstore uses to keep content available... Garnet is the first to discover a death certificate! But don't get excited because not every death certificate actually means that somebody is dead--do you know when that can happen?!

There are many interesting characters developed by the writer, which even include a female mannequin which, mostly, gets knocked over and her arms or body falls apart, only to reappear in a different outfit... Which gets me to the fun part of the story... Jane, the owner and boss, is always losing things and/or buying more books than can easily be shelved... In the meantime, Garnet just may have OCD which means she prefers everything in its place, including every book, which is kind of hard to do when books are moving and being bought constantly... Obviously Garnet has a secret problem with her boss--so when Jane brings in boxes of, for instance, seasonal decorations, Garnet sneaks them out into her car and stores them in her basement! Yes, this is a quite messy book shop... Which leads me to close with one character's suggestion--change the name of the store! Even to "Messy Bookshop" would be better than the present one...LOL Which I refuse to even look up to type because I can never remember the exact words... And what reader really even knows how books are put together--i.e., what is the word used? If you don't know, comment below and help the author make a wise choice to change her lovely new shop's name! LOL

Garnet is our amateur detective for the cozy, but with her connection to the police, she might have quite a bit of knowledge of police procedural methods as well. In any event, she also has some romantic issues, which, in this case, has little to do with the relationship between her and her boyfriend... Guess who is causing the problems? 

Let's face it, a bookstore with cats! Ahhh, "Books, Cats, Life is Sweet..." Enjoy Book High and Low in the Lovely Messy Bookshop Mysteries!

GABixlerReviews

Sleep wouldn’t come, and it was a shame that I couldn’t blame it on a book. A good story...

~~~

Whew, Jammin' with Jane is exhausting...now a little nap~

Speaking Cat by Beverley Coghlan - Traveling to Weybridge Where Some Residents Speak Cat!

 

The Surrey Tale The first of three Surrey women murdered in Weybridge that exceptionally cold winter of 2009, was a dignified civil servant, Celia Greenwood.  Laura Matthews had worked with Miss Greenwood in the same department of Jobcentre, for going on five years. She became concerned when her colleague hadn’t returned to work after her annual holiday. ‘Mr Van, I’m worried about Miss Greenwood,’ she told her manager, ‘she’s normally so reliable and should’ve been back at work on Monday 29 November, after her hols. Remember, she went off on Friday 5th and it’s now Wednesday 2nd December and I know it’s only a few days over, but she's seriously dependable and always on time. Has she phoned in sick?’ ‘Nee, no, I don’t think so,’ replied Kobus Van der Merwe distractedly.   ‘Would you mind if I popped over to her house at lunchtime? I think she lives in York Road, off Queens Road.  I’ve seen her go into a house there and she told me she lives in York Road.’ ‘Ja, that’s right, she lives in York Road. We share a gardener and I have dropped off his pay there a couple of times.’  

Fergus

A few minutes after noon, still eating her sandwich, Laura was at Celia’s front door.  The thick snow lay fluffy and undisturbed. She knocked several times but there was no reply. A long-haired black and white cat appeared next to her. Laura waited several minutes and then knocked again. There was no response.  ‘Well cat, where could she have got to?’ The cat looked up at her and mewed loudly as she continued talking quietly to herself.  ‘I know she was planning to go away on some kind of coach trip and I think she mentioned the coast. Humm, our Celia was polite and superficially friendly but didn’t talk much about her private life.  In fact, the way we all call her Miss Greenwood is quite weird in this day and age.’  Laura realized that she knew very little about her colleague. 

The black and white cat was joined by a tortoiseshell cat; they watched her as she made her way back down the road.  At around 14:45 she tapped on the manager’s glass office door. Kobus Van der Merwe waved her in.  He was eating a large pasta salad from a pink Tupperware bowl. She reported to the burly rugby forward who hailed from South Africa.  ‘Now, Mr Van, I’m even more worried about Miss Greenwood. She’s not at home. We must find out if anyone knows where she is and why she hasn’t come back to work. Would you mind checking her file to find out if she has any family or friends listed? I think she has a nephew.’ ‘Ag, doll, she’s probably met a toy-boy and run off. Let’s wait until next week before we start phoning and bugging her family.’  He had a broad Afrikaans accent. Laura wasn’t smiling when she quickly responded.  ‘Indulge me, Mr Van, indulge me. Please get hold of someone?’ When Kobus looked at Miss Greenwood’s file, there was only one contact - a nephew, Luke Greenwood.  He lived in Brighton.  ‘Ag hell, I suppose I’d better give him a ring,’ he muttered.  About thirty minutes later Kobus stood in front of Laura's desk. She looked up. ‘Ek is nou bekommerd,’ (I am now worried) he said, in his native tongue.   ‘Luke Greenwood, Miss Greenwood's nephew, said that he last spoke to her the day before she was going away.  She told him that she was taking a bus trip to St. Ives in Cornwall.  It was one of those organized things that these old aunties take.   After I spoke to Greenwood he called the tour company and they said she didn’t arrive at the bus station on Saturday 6th November and they assumed that she had made other plans because of the snow. The nephew also tried several times to get hold of Miss Greenwood on her mobile but there was no response, nothing!  This Luke okie said he’d leave work early and come up to Weybridge today.  He’s got a key to his auntie’s house.  Ag, sorry to do this to you, doll, but I have given him your mobile number; I’ll be away from tomorrow for a few days.  I told him to let you know what was happening. That OK, doll?’ Laura pushed a strand of her straight blond hair behind her ear, pulled at her pony tail. She looked at him with relief.  ‘I really don’t mind at all. I’m pleased that someone is going to check up to see where she has got to. She may be ill.   And by the way, if you call me doll once more, I will empty my coffee on your head.’  He thought this was hilariously funny. ‘Hey, where I come from, it’s a compliment.’ ‘Well, it’s not remotely funny or complimentary where I come from!’ she replied, stood up, straightened her short black skirt and walked to kettle in the staff room more to mask the smile on her face than to get another cup of coffee. That evening Luke Greenwood phoned Laura.  He apologized for bothering her at home but he was worried. He said that he had found his aunt’s house in order but her handbag and another carrier bag were on the bed upstairs and a large suitcase was packed and ready. Her mobile phone was on the windowsill in the hallway downstairs.  ‘...and so Miss Matthews, I don’t think she went away at all. Where can she have gone? Did she tell you of any change in her plans?’   ‘No, sorry, she’s a very sweet lady. I’ve worked with her for years but she’s a reserved, private person.’  ‘Yes, I know. When I arrived earlier, Fergus, my aunt’s cat greeted me meowing and making a fuss. After looking around I went next door to the neighbours’ to see if they knew anything. They told me that they had offered to feed Fergus in the heated greenhouse as arranged; but now they too were worried because my aunt had said that she would be back after two weeks, as she wanted to have a week at home to potter around and it was now well into the third week and she hadn't returned. They tried ringing her mobile but it went to voicemail and when they went up to her door, they could see it on the window-sill. Naturally they thought she had left it at home by mistake. This is not like her at all. Where on earth is she?’ ‘I really don’t have a clue,’ Laura answered quietly.  

I hope by now you all know that I'm somewhat of a cat fanatic... I love cats--as pets, as characters in books, and especially as part of the team that solves mysteries. Beverley Coghlan has created a fascinating story that not only includes cats as characters, but her main character is an individual who speaks cat! In fact, there will be several others through the book that is discovered to speak cat! Now I must sadly say that I don't speak the cat language, but I've had a number of cats throughout my life who have been very good at listening to what I say and responding to my words. Of course, their names are fairly easy to pick up if you start calling them by their names right from the beginning. I take it a step further and mimic some of their sounds and have found they immediately come to see what's going on... LOL

Coghlan has given the  skill to speak cat to the main detective, Detective Sergeant Veronica Witherspoon. She happens to be a member of an aristocratic family--maybe that is what differentiates the royalty from we common people? Readers will not learn whether that is the case, because Veronica doesn't let too many people know that she is really Lady Veronica... She even uses Ronny as her name for most everybody--to me, that means she's not an uppity individual who wants to be known for her title as opposed to herself... What we do learn is that she is an excellent police officer! And she is now lead in a series of murders that have started to occur.

Civil Servant Celia Greenwood had planned on a short bus tour. When  she was gone beyond the day she was to return to work, one of her coworkers brought her absence to their boss. The coworker talked her boss into allowing her to take a longer lunch and drive to her home to check on her. She was not there and when her boss called the company with whom she would be traveling, he was told that she never arrived. By that time, they checked and discovered that she only had one relative--a nephew, Luke, who quickly made a trip to her home. Having a key, he discovered that her luggage was still in her bedroom and contacted the authorities. Fergus, her cat, was quickly on the scene when the two came into the Greenwood home. And he was quite surprised when Ronny bent over when Luke was in another room and told Fergus that she'd be talking to him later! As an aside, a romantic connection began at that point as Ronny decided she found Luke Greenwood attractive... Ronny knew that Luke should be considered at least a "person of interest..." But...

After a marvellous dinner, the dancing started. Prince Jojo Zwelithini, a young man of about thirty swung me onto the dance floor. My word, what a brilliant dancer!   At the end of the second dance I was far from my table and I saw Luke making a bee-line for me.  Despite every effort to avoid him, he made it very clear that he was having the next dance with me. We went around the floor a few times before he spoke. ‘Shall we say that our previous meetings are off-limit tonight?’ ‘Hummm...good idea, thanks Luke.’ I relaxed, the music swirled around us. I lost track of time as I was enraptured and transported to a beautiful, dreamy place. Then the musicians started playing Lady in Red, (I don’t know if it was requested by Luke - that is something I have yet to ask him). I was embarrassed but I felt intense, paralyzing desire for the man who was holding me in his arms as if he too never wanted the music to stop.  When the song ended we walked out onto the balcony. He put his coat around me and took my face in his hands, beautiful hands. ‘Ronny, please don’t mess me around,’ he said, his voice hoarse with emotion, ‘this amazing overwhelming pleasure, love - it’s mutual, isn’t it?’

As we rounded a bend in the path, Luke came into view.  At first he didn’t see us.  He was singing.  ‘Well, well...here’s your man, Baby.’ ‘Shall we pretend we haven’t seen him?’ I whispered. ‘Yes, pull in behind the holly bush.’  We watched and listened as Luke sang.  He had a marvellous rich smooth tenor voice and he was singing a hymn, How Great Thou Art. Then he stopped and looked over the valley. It was a still, ethereal moment and I knew that more than anything, I wanted to be part of his life. I can still go into that magic memory place; the crisp cold air, snuggled next to father, dogs panting, and the delicious mossy smell of the undergrowth. Then the dogs broke cover and ran up to Luke. He turned to see us hiding.  ‘What a sunset!’ he said, his face glowing. ‘How can you not believe in God when there is such beauty all around us? My heart just swells with joy and I want to praise Him.’ ‘OOOOOOK,’ said father who was agnostic.  ‘Luke, my boy, you’ve got a good voice there. Good voice.’  After a short polite exchange, father remembered something that required his urgent attention and strode ahead purposefully. Luke and I ambled back to the house.

~~~ 

The investigation began tracking Celia Greenwood, but was getting nowhere. And soon a body was found floating in the Thames, but not Greenwood! The housekeeper had already contacted the authorities and reported her employer, Emily Zulch, had not returned as expected. Soon, Lilka Kowalski’s body had been found in a bunker on the St. George’s Hill Golf Course. While Greenwood had not yet been discovered, the closeness of the three disappearances was soon leading to officials thinking they had a serial killer in the area...

So, of course, each of the three women had cats who were instrumental in helping Ronny with these investigations... I read an ebook of this novel. There were pictures of the cats included. With the upgraded methodology for inserting pictures in an ebook and then being able to increase the size, these pictures added depth to the story. Here is an example of the original picture and how it looks resized.

I was fairly certain I knew who the serial killer was, but when there are lots of cats, a song or two...hey, I enjoy a book no matter who was the bad guy! I think you'll enjoy this one as much as I!

GABixlerReviews

A Midwinter's Tail By Sofie Kelly With Thoughts of Love and Marriage in the Air!

I drove up Mountain Road thinking I’d warm up
 the last of the chicken noodle soup I’d made on
 the weekend for supper. That would give me a bit
 of extra time to spend with my cats before I had
 to get ready for the gala. Owen and Hercules
 had been out of sorts the past couple of days.
 If I hadn’t known better, I would have said that
 they were miffed because they weren’t going
 to the gala. The boys, brothers I’d had since  they’d
 followed me home, weren’t exactly your everyday
 run of the mill house cats. Sometimes I had to remind
 myself that they weren’t people, either, even though
 they seemed to think they were.
~~~

There's a bit of a cat fight between Owen and Hercules so I decided not to ask either of them to come visit and tell about the latest book I've been reading by Sofie Kelly. Seems they've been having some issues on toy ownership...




A Midwinter's Tail:
A Magical Cats Mystery

By Sofie Kelly

You know, I'd like to live in Mayville Heights... Oh sure, it's a "created" community only found in books, but I've been there enough now that I know most of the members of the community and they are very nice people. The thing that amazes me is that the community is always sponsoring different types of events. Sure, they are money-making, but still they always seem to be interested, working together, volunteering as needed...

There's just one minor thing that stops me from moving from my log cabin into this nice little town...

Everytime an event happens, there seems to always be a murder too... Does make you stop and think doesn't it? Still, Kathleen has finally acknowledged Marcus and they are now officially a couple, while Marcus has even recognized that Kathleen has a certain knack in solving crimes and, even though he doesn't share information with her, he's willing to listen and accept all that she finds out...LOL... he's no fool, right?

"I look like Fred the Funky Chicken's
mother," Rebecca said. And because
she was so kind, she immediately
added, "And it's not that I don't like
bright yellow chickens..." Her voice
trailed off.
"You just don't want to look like a
giant version of Owen's favorite catnip
treat on your wedding day," I finished.
Owen was one of my two cats. Rebecca,
whose house backed on mine, kept him
supplied with cdatnip chickens, which
he loved, much to the annoyance of his
brother, Hercules, who didn't get the
attraction of catnip or neon yellow
chickens...
"It's not you," Roma agreed. "But
don't worry, We'll find you something."
..."This wedding is turning into shredded
wheat," Rebecca said, fingering the soft
blue scarf around her neck...
Roma frowned..."Shredded wheat,"
"The more you chew on it, the bigger
it seems to get..."
~~~

But the happy couple who are actually planning their wedding is Kathleen's neighbor, Rebecca, and Everett Henderson who is the man who first hired Kathleen... Everett is doing the planning for the wedding, wanting to show the world how happy he is, but Rebecca would be happy to just have an informal, small event. Right now, that doesn't look good, but before the end of the book, you never know what could happen!

In the meantime, Kathleen has started a wonderful mentoring program for reading, called Reading Buddies, which paired younger children with 4th and 5th graders. The library was putting on a fundraiser evening--it would be at the Stratton Theatre...

The stage had been dressed to resemble a French
bistro, with several local businesses providing
elegant desserts. In a wonderful twist of coincidence,
Eddie Sweeney's college roommate was the leader
and saxophone player in a jazz quartet, Jazzology.
They were providing the "atmosphere." Eddie was
generously--and quietly--covering their expenses.
~~~

And, yes, that's where the murder occurred!

Vincent Starr, an expert on American literature and children's books was visiting the library and would be giving a talk about rare books. He was a big supporter of projects for children's literacy and would be mingling and talking to potential donors during the evening...

But the evening really never got off to a start--all the people had come dressed in their finery, delighted with the atmosphere created for this important event. Nearly everybody in town was already impressed with the Reading Buddies program since it had started and proven to be a success...

Our of the corner of my eye, I saw the
door to the cafe swing open and a well-
dressed woman step inside. I knew
immediately that she was, as my friend
Harry Taylor would put it, from away...
Rebecca turned her head, probably to
see what I was looking at. She put one
hand, palm down, on the table and some
of the color seemed to drain from her
face. "Oh my word," she said softly. "It
can't be..."
Roma shot me a worried glance. "Rebecca
do you know that woman?" she asked.
Rebecca nodded. "I do," she said. "That's
Dayna Chapman, Burtis Chapman's wife."
~~~

With all of the planning for the fundraiser, the wedding, everybody was busy. But not busy enough not to stop and gape when a former resident walked into town and back into the lives of her ex- and her son... Burtis Chapman had not seen his ex- since she'd left them and the town years ago. Her son wanted nothing to do with her... And Burtis had recently hooked up with a local woman and they were dating...

So the night of the fundraiser comes and Dayna walks in, not taking long to get into a conversation with Burtis and Lita. While there, Kathleen had given the signal to proceed and a small box of candy was being handed out to each of the guests to welcome them.

Burtis took a box, handed it to Lita, and then another one and handed it to Dayna, with everybody assuming that it was purposely done to make a point with whom he was with.

Kathleen was the first one to notice Dayna take a bite and almost immediately touch her throat...she was unable to breathe...and later died...

But everybody had noticed that Burtis had handed the candy to Dayna! 

I love that the community members start talking to Kathleen about the murder. Everybody goes to her rather than Marcus since he represents the law and makes it harder to communicate, or at least that's how some of the locals see it. By now, even Marcus expects it... So Kathleen starts by finding out about this woman who had once lived in her adopted town but had chosen to leave, as Kathleen had made her own decision to stay...

Oh, Owen and Hercules still got involved, but sometimes only to make trouble for Kathleen, like the time that one of them locked Kathleen out of the truck and sat smirking and looking at the lock which he had just pressed down,,,

And then there was the time...

Well, they get their time in any of the magical cats mysteries, you can be sure... 

This mystery was a little tougher. Kelly has added a higher number of suspects with more twists and turns... Yeah, I missed naming the killer before reading it! Great mystery! Even if, once again, Kathleen almost doesn't make it through the danger when facing the killer!

Good thing, too, since the wedding that actually happened was simply lovely...

GABixlerReviews

Sofie Kelly is an author and mixed-media artist who lives on the east coast with her husband and daughter. She is the author of the Magical Cats mysteries, including Final Catcall, Cat Trick, and Copycat Killing, and the Second Chance Cat mysteries, including The Whole Cat and Caboodle.

Sofie Kelly is the pseudonym of young adult writer and mixed-media artist, Darlene Ryan. As Sofie Kelly she writes the Magical Cats mysteries. And as Sofie Ryan she writes the Second Chance Cats series. Sofie/Darlene lives on the east coast with her husband and daughter. In her spare time she practices Wu style tai chi and likes to prowl around thrift stores. And she admits to having a small crush on Matt Lauer.

An Army of Noses! Dogs and Cats Unite to Solve Murder Mystery! Spunky Leads the Charge!

While the boys frolicked among the trees, Mom and I stuck
to the trail. Our here, Mom lets me run free, but I still stay
close. Today, her pace was brisk, and she seemed energized
by the beautiful weather. "Doesn't spring smell beautiful
girl? Everything's so crisp and fresh. Just look at those
beautiful crocuses. And what about that sky? It's such a
magnificent blue! As soon as the lilacs and honeysuckle
bloom, it will smell just like heaven."
Abruptly her steps slowed. "Oh, Spunky, what has John
gotten himself into? I sure hope he can explain all this,
but between you and me, I'm worried. A lot of cops in this
town aren't known for their liberal viewpoint. In fact,
I've met some who act like they enjoy the power of a badge
and a gun way too much...                                                ~~~

Hi Everybody! It's been awhile since we first visited Book Readers Heaven, so first wanted to say that I'm so happy to be back to tell you about our latest adventure! If you haven't read the earlier book review of our series debut, check it out before you leave Blogger... An Army of Noses certainly kept me busy because Mom was worried about the man who had been arrested for the murder...he was in one of her groups and a friend...So I had to take the lead and help her--I think we had just about every single cat and dog in town on this case. But believe me it was worth it because the real killer got caught, of course...  The "nose" did it again! 

Oh, two of my mates are here with me! Bobby had us all scared during this investigation and had to be taken to the vets twice. Sweetie, his brother, was so concerned that they had to take extra time to ensure things were going well for him. You know how siblings are! We also wanted to let fans know that he is doing well after all the chaos and confusion! 

An Army of Noses:

A Spunky Murder Mystery

By Holly L. Lewitas

You may not be aware that Mom, played by the author, is a psychologist who does her counseling

After her last session, Mom
checked her cell phone and played
back Frank's message, "Hannah,
I got your message. I'll try and see
what I can learn about John's arrest
but I want to be very clear about one
thing--I'm not butting into another
cop's case. Call me when you're
done seeing patients, and I'll let
you know what I've learned."
~~~

electronically! Cool, right? Lots of time we even participate... Imagine, one of us might sit on Mom's lap and start talking or hold our paws up to the person. Almost always we are able to get their minds cleared and feeling a little bit better as they smile and talk to us. It works really well. I'm letting you know about that because her work has to take priority and it puts more on me sometimes, to solve the mystery. It was especially important this time because Mom didn't know the cop that had been assigned to the murder, so wasn't satisfied he would do the job as it needed to be done

Mom and I have a long relationship--much more than the others and we have establish a form of non-verbal communication plus, although she hasn't yet realized it, I can give her mental thoughts if I can get her settled enough--I call it in the zone-- to place ideas in her mind... You see, I knew who the real killer was almost right from the beginning...or, at least, I knew what he smelled like! I had found a bit of the shirt that he had worn!

Before Mom could comment, John raised a
hand. "I know, I know. It was a stupid choice.
I wanted him to like me, so I let myself be
manipulated into something I didn't want to
do. Believe me, I've learned my lesson! But
I learned it too late. I went with him to that
private club for gays...Turns out it's really
the private home of some rich dude...
I was disgusted. This time I did stand up for
myself, and I told Richard I wanted to leave.
...I didn't stick around to see what
happened...
~~~

Later, though, I also smelled the same scent in the office of a professor friend of Mom's so the entire campus and town became the possible locations to find this man. 

Mom had also made arrangements with another friend to have his firm represent John. They had soon been able to get him out on bail. For a short time... Then he was arrested again! To say that Mom was mad would be quite true, of course...

"Hannah, hush a minute. This isn't about being gay or
straight." Frank's tone became slow and firm. "This is about
murder."
"What?"
"Hannah, two hours ago, Richard Keeley, the same guy who
took John to that club, was found murdered in his apartment.
It appears he was strangled to death. The evidenced suggests
that it may have3 occurred during a sexual encounter. John's
fingerprints are all over the place...
~~~

Fancy-Pants stuck his nose up a little
higher. "We prefer the term 'free
spirits...'"

By this time, I have all my feline friends totally involved with what I was thinking, and I knew even with their help it wouldn't be enough. When I mentioned this, Fancy Pants my other friend here with me today, spoke up and told me about a couple of guys who lived in the campus library basement. I immediately asked if they were feral since sometimes these guys and me don't get along..

And before I knew it, I was meeting the Lion King. Let's just say it was a little bit tense when we first met...

Every cat respects boundaries--every cat, that is, except Lion King. He rules, and he walks wherever and whenever he wants. He can go anywhere, anytime, any day. No one messes with the King. He struts his stuff down the street as if he owns it--and none of the regulars ever questions that he does.
When he struts his stuff, the message is clear, "Get out of my way or I'll hurt you." Fancy dropped his voice. "But, I'll let you in on a secret. When I was living on the streets it was common knowledge among the regulars that if you paid the King the respect he was due, then he'd look out for you. He saved my young cojones on more than one occasion. He stays the King because all the cats respect him. If he's your friend, you're safe. He's like you, Spunk!"
~~~

So first I had to establish a relationship with the Lion King so that his army of critters would

help. We wanted to check out all the buildings on the campus, for one thing. But as we learned more and more, I knew we needed even more backup...wonder whether I can get the dogs and cats of the community to work together... And then I was surprised to even get help from a specialist in communication...Ollie! What a great help he was! 

Now of course I had a plan, but everybody keeps telling me to keep it all hush-hush for now, so maybe sometime in the future, if we meet, I'll be able to tell you all the gritty details how it all came together. Even Frank was there to help make the arrest!

Well, both Bobby and Fancy-Pants are making faces at me to get me to shut up...But, shucks, it isn't often I get to shine as a "hero" as I guess I did leading this Army of Noses..." But, it sure would make me proud for you to check out the book that tells you all about what happens! That way, I won't have to embarrass everybody when I tell the world how me and all my friends got together to chase down a murderer...with our noses!

Oh, yeah, one more thing... I'm supposed to let everybody know that this is BRH Recommended! And thanks so much for inviting all of us to Book Readers Heaven!

Have a great week! Spunky...

Holly Lewitas loves a good mystery and she loves animals. So she decided to combine the two and that is how the Spunky Murder Mystery series began. Holly lives with one dog and eighteen cats - all rescues.

Holly is a transplanted Yankee, now living in Alabama - living in the south means all 18 cats do not HAVE to live inside - which makes the dog very happy -and the cats are all quite content with their heated beds. Holly never met a cat yet who didn't like a box or a basket.