Tag Archives: Cats

Cowboys and Chaos by Elizabeth Pantley – a Review

Posted on by
12

Cowboys and Chaos by Elizabeth Pantley – a Review

 

Amazon

 

Description:
This is no ordinary book club! When the group chooses a book, they are whisked away from reality to find themselves totally immersed in the story. The characters, the setting, and the murder all come to life. In order to exit the book, they’ll need to solve the mystery and reach The End.

This time, the club chooses a mystery that takes place in a quaint western town – in the old Wild West. That sounds like great fun, until they arrive in the dusty old town in the Arizona desert, among cowboys and saloons. They discover that the outhouse isn’t the worse thing about this trip.

The good news is that Paige, Glo, Zell, Frank, and the other members of the club discover plenty of surprises here, and they have a great time visiting a piece of history. They’ll get to live through many exciting moments as they unravel this cozy mystery story.

 

 

Review:

Cowboys and Chaos by Elizabeth Pantley is the 3rd book in her fun Magical Mystery Book Club series.  Refresher: Paige and her Aunt Glo, inherited the grandmother’s country inn, which comes with a magical library.  The magical library consists of 8 members, who choose a book, and they are transported into the story, with cozy mysteries that they have to solve.

In Cowboys and Chaos, Paige, Glo, Frank (cat who talks), and the rest of the book club members are transported to the Old Wild West, Bandana, AZ.  Upon arrival, they are shocked to meet with Gee Gee, their beloved great grandmother, who they thought was dead, but instead was living the rest of her life in the old west, where she had remained when in her last story.  There is also a new addition to the book club, Atticus, who joins the club.

When checking out the town, they end up in the saloon, which has two levels; first level is bar, food, and card playing; the second floor is a brothel. They overhear others discussing a girl named Molly, who has been missing; which leads them to follow-up on her disappearance, as this was the mystery they needed to solve.    Early on, to their shock, they meet Molly, who is dead and a ghost, only the book club members can see and talk to Molly. Molly was a fun, lovable character, who was determined to help the book club members find the person who killed her.  

Cowboys and Chaos was another fun story, with all of the members in the middle of this mystery. There were many suspects, with different clues, as they continued to get more information and also work with the sheriff, still convincing the town that they were friends of Gee Gee.  It was a lot of fun, to become part of the past, with cowboys, cute dresses and bonnets, not to mention the dangerous situations, with gunslingers, and villains.   There were a number of surprises throughout, which was so much fun and a blast to read.  I really like Paige, Glo and other members, but of course I loved Frank, the talking cat.  Cowboys and Chaos was a wonderful lighthearted mystery, which was very well written by Elizabeth Pantley.  I look forward to the next book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for review

Share

Whiskers and Lies by Sofie Kelly – a Review

Posted on by
10

Whiskers and Lies by Sofie Kelly – a Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Google Play / Apple / BAM / Book Depository

 

Description:
Baker Georgia Tepper has been hired to provide delicious and spooky cupcakes for the Reading Buddies Halloween Party at the library, and she and Kathleen are meeting to finalize the menu of festive confections. Unfortunately, once Georgia’s former mother-in-law ambushes her at the library and threatens Georgia with legal action, the afternoon of fun is soured.

When Georgia’s litigious in-law is later found dead and the friendly baker is implicated, Kathleen is eager to help prove her innocence. Luckily, Kathleen and her intrepid magical cats, Hercules and Owen, have solved their fair share of mysteries. As a result, she knows that in life as well as crime solving, it is all relative, but with hard work, she can make sure the right criminal is booked.

 

Review:

Whisker and Lies by Sofie Kelly is the 14th book in her wonderful Magical Cats Mystery series.  Our heroine in this series is Kathleen Paulson, the librarian of Mayville Heights, as well as her adorable two cats, Hercules and Owen, who have some strange magical abilities like walking through a door, or just disappearing.  It’s fun to see Hercules and Owen find ways to give Kathleen little hints to help solve crimes. 

Kathleen’s friend, Georgia, is a baker, and helps with the Halloween party.  Georgia went on the run, when her husband died, and his parents wanted to take full control of her young daughter, Emmy. Years later, they find her and threaten to take her daughter away. When the mother-in-law is found dead off a cliff, Georgia becomes the suspect. Kathleen is determined to find the real killer and prove Georgia’s innocence. 

There are so many wonderful secondary characters, and Kathleen will talk to the local people in trying to find clues. I loved Hercules and Owen, who were so much fun.  I also loved Kathleen and Marcus (her detective boyfriend) together, as they made a great couple.    

Whisker and Lies is a lighthearted, fun and comforting mystery, that was so very well written by Sofie Kelly.  Again, Hercules and Owen were delightful, as they always managed to get Kathleen’s attention ‘pawing’ out the clues. The story was fast paced, and kept me glued to my kindle.  If you want a fast cute fun mystery, I wholly suggest you read this series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

 

Share

Cat Chase the Moon by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Posted on by
10

Cat Chase the Moon by Shirley Rousseau Murphy – Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / iTunes / Google Play / BAM / Book Depository

 

Description:
Joe Grey and his partner, Dulcie, are frantic when Courtney, their pretty teen-kitten goes missing. Aided by their two- and four-legged friends, they hit the streets of Molina Point in search of their calico girl. Has Joe Grey and Dulcie’s only daughter been lured away by someone and stolen? Is she lying somewhere hurt, or worse?

Courtney has no idea that everyone is desperately looking for her. Locked in an upstairs apartment above the local antiques shop, she’s enjoying her first solo adventure. When she first met Ulrich Seaver, the shop’s owner, Courtney was frightened. But the human has coddled and pampered her, winning her trust. Sheltered by her parents, her brothers, and her kind human companions, the innocent Courtney is unaware of how deceptive strangers can be. She doesn’t know that Ulrich is hiding a dangerous secret that could threaten her and everyone in this charming California coastal village.

With his focus on finding Courtney, Joe Grey has neglected his detective work with the Molina Point Police Department. Before his daughter disappeared, Joe found a viciously beaten woman lying near the beach. Now the police investigation has stalled, and the clever feline worries his human colleagues may have missed a vital clue. Joe is also concerned about a family of newcomers whose domestic battles are disturbing the town’s tranquility. Loud and abrasive, the Luthers’ angry arguing, shouting, and swearing in the early hours of the night have neighbors on edge and the cops’ on alert. One of the couple’s late-night shouting matches masked the sounds of a burglary, and now a criminal is on the loose.

Though the crimes are as crisscrossed as the strands of a ball of yarn, Joe Grey’s cat senses tell him they may somehow be linked. It’s up to the fleet-footed feline and his crime-solving coterie to untangle the mysteries before it’s too late.

 

 

Review:

Cat Chase the Moon by Shirley Rousseau Murphy is the 21st book in her fun Joe Grey series.  I have read every book in this series, and it is one of my favorite go to books when I want a fun relaxing story to read.  Refresher:  Joe Grey series is always sweet lighthearted mysteries with a group of wonderful talking cats, and their humans.  These are magical sentient cats that live in Molena Point, California, but only their humans close to them know they can talk, and the cats are the real ones who solve the crimes.   I am still amazed that into the 21sth book, Murphy can still win us over each and every time.  I adore our cats, Joe, Dulcie, Kit, Pan & the kittens.  They are awesome, sweet, daring, and clever.  The humans who are a major part of this series, are Clyde and Ryan; Wilma, Charlie (who is married to the police chief, and he does not know about the cats).  They are all an awesome group that makes this series so much fun and exciting.

In Cat Chase the Moon there is another mystery starting with a women found badly beaten, which will lead to a family involved in stolen goods, as well as being very abrasive and loud.  The town of Molena Point does not take well to the Luthers, who also do not take good care of their young daughter,Mindy, who runs away to find her grandpa.  The police and Joe Grey keep a close eye on the Luthers, especially trying to discover about the stolen goods. 

While this is going on, Courtney, Joe and Dulcie’s daughter suddenly goes missing.  This will bring everyone, cats and family humans desperately trying to find her.   When they finally find her locked up in a antique store and apartment,  Courtney wants to say to find out more information to help find why they kidnapped her, and what are their plans for her.  Currently they are treating her nice, but Joe and Dulcie worry. 

What follows is an exciting mystery, trying to help the beaten woman hide from those who are trying to harm her from revealing information about them; as well as trying to get Courtney out of the house she is locked in.  The police bring the women to a hiding place to protect her, and in time when Courtney is rescued, she will be put there too. 

There are trying times  for Joe and Dulcie, who know their sweet little girl is in danger, and perhaps moving on with her life away from them.  I loved how Charlie, Ryan, Wilma, Clyde all work closely with our wonderful smart talking cats, to solve the crimes.  Even 21 books later, the Molena Point police like the snitches who give them info, but they are still stumped who they are.  Of course, would they believe it is the cats that are snitches?  lol

Cat Chase Moon was a good exciting mystery with some very bad villains; who have to deal with Joe Grey on the job, and his little group of friends. This is a fun series, exciting mysteries, and fantastic characters, including cats and humans.  Do not let that fact that these cats can talk deter you into reading this series. It is a fun and awesome series, and so well written my Shirley Rousseau Murphy. Give yourself a chance to read this enjoyable series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

Share