Tag: cat book

REVIEW: Cone Cat by Sarah Howden

REVIEW: Cone Cat by Sarah Howden

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Owlkids Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Jeremy the cat was quick, flexible, and graceful.

But after a trip to the vet, Jeremy is now “Cone Cat.” Cone Cat is none of those things.

But with some creativity and perseverance, Cone Cat makes the best of his situation.

Review

This is so fun! I got a huge kick out of Cone Cat’s transformation from Jeremy to Cone Cat and back again. Cone Cat does a brilliant job of getting the cone to work in his favor. And the end was a funny (and sad) surprise.

This would be great as a read aloud or a lap book. And I think kids will love Cone Cat so much, they’ll beg to read it again and again.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Escape Claws by Linda Reilly

REVIEW: Escape Claws by Linda Reilly

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Lara returns to Whisker Jog, New Hampshire to check on her aunt, Fran. Lara hasn’t seen her in 16 years. A childhood friend tells her Fran is having some health issues. She’s also trying to take care of eleven cats. Lara feels responsible for checking up on Fran.

There’s tension between the women from the start. Lara feels guilty for being out of touch for so long. Fran is hurt that Lara never responded to her letters. Only, Lara never received them.

Before they can dig very far into the events of the past, the local land developer is found dead on Fran’s property. He was notorious around town for being a bully. And everyone in town had heard about the argument Fran had with him over property lines and his development plans. Now, Fran and Lara are prime suspects in his murder.

Lara is feeling torn between her responsibilities back in Boston and her desire to help Fran in New Hampshire. Maybe, if she can pin down who really killed the developer, she can clear Fran and get back to her old life.

Review

This was really good! The mystery was great. The rotten land developer is a fairly common set up for cozy mysteries, but there were some other twists in this case that kept the story fresh. There were plenty of suspects to choose from, and the overall solution kept me guessing regarding the motive and the big picture.

The characters were delightful in this book. The tension between Lara and Fran gave a nice layer to this story that is not typical in cozies. I hope future books will dig more into the lost years between them. Lara’s childhood friend and the potential love interests for both Lara and for Fran rounded out the core group well. I’m eager to see what happens next for these folks.

The cat angle was fun. They each had some personality, which was great. The mysterious Blue added yet another interesting layer to the story. I will definitely read more books in this series in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington/Lyrical Underground for the opportunity to read an early electronic review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Trouble with Murder by Kathy Krevat

REVIEW: The Trouble with Murder by Kathy Krevat

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Colbie and her son, Elliott, have moved in with her dad temporarily after her dad got sick. Their relationship became strained when she got pregnant at 18 and he kicked her out. Maybe now they can start repairing their relationship.

The new living arrangement is working pretty well. Elliott found a local theater group to join. Colbie is able to build her Meowio Batali Gourmet Cat Food business through local farmer’s markets. She even joined the Sunnyside Power Moms, a group of women with at-home businesses. Colbie is starting to find her rhythm.

The first wrinkle in the system is the nasty review Colbie’s business receives. Reviews like that could ruin her line before it even has a chance to take off. And she can’t pinpoint who the unhappy customer is – or if he is even really a customer. Then the head of the Power Moms is found dead. And Colbie is the prime suspect. With a police detective obsessed with finding her guilty, and a creepy guy threatening her family, Colbie is going to have to do her own sleuthing and find the real killer before she loses everything.

Review

This was such a fun mystery! The gourmet pet food home business is an angle I’ve read in another series. But the two distinguish themselves by the animals involved. Trouble, the cat in this book, is a great character. The whole cast in this book was terrific! Looking forward to reading another book in this series.

I was able to puzzle out the mystery, but there were still some nice surprises. It was fun watching Colbie work through each suspect on her quest for the truth. I hope future books include more of the lead police detective (the reasonable one), and the “puzzle guy.” They were probably my favorite characters after Trouble the cat.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington/Lyrical Press for the opportunity to read an early electronic copy of this book for review purposes in exchange for my honest opinion. This book was a delight to read!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½