by Sandra Murphy

This week we have a fun group of cat mysteries which seemed perfect for Halloween! A Catered Cat Wedding: A Mystery with Recipes by Isis Crawford, Feral Attraction: A Cat Groomer Mystery by Eileen Watkins, and The Cats Came Back: A Magical Cats Mystery by Sofie Kelly. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of all 3 books, along with links you can use to purchase them.

A Catered Cat Wedding: A Mystery with Recipes by Isis Crawford
Review by Sandra Murphy

Usually, those invited to a wedding are friends and family of the bride and groom, there to share in the love. This time, not so much. Susie has arranged for a lavish wedding—for two of her cats. The guest list is small, limited to people Susie hates. Well, she hates a lot of people, but these guests are people who she’s punishing. They’re at the wedding under duress to say the least.

Libby and Bernie, sisters who own a catering company, are on board to cater the cat’s wedding. Susie has spared no expense, flying in unsalted caviar from Russia plus serving salmon and other delicacies for the reception. Unfortunately, during the gift opening, a box proves to contain live mice, disrupting the “wedding party” as they chase the mice into the meadow and woods. Bernie and Libby are in pursuit although the rest of the guests are slower to move to help.

When the sisters have rounded up the last of the cats and go inside the house to report to Susie, they find her body in her office, stabbed in the throat. It’s not a surprise she is killed. The problem is, there are too many suspects, ranging from her niece and nephew, a disgruntled cat breeder, an animal activist, a bird lover, and more.

It seems there was a bit of a melee when the guests found out Susie was dead, and the crime scene was not just compromised, but pretty well destroyed. The chief blames Bernie and Libby.

Bernie and Libby are opposites. Bernie is fashionable, Libby is still wearing clothes from high school. Bernie takes risks, but Libby is cautious. Bernie thinks everything will work out as Libby worries she’ll catch the plague. Even the girl’s choice of boyfriends follows their personalities. Bernie has a hot bartender; Libby has a funeral director.

This is the fourteenth book in the series. Bernie and Libby are fun to know, don’t go looking for trouble, but it finds them and they’re darn good cooks. They manage to find themselves in all kinds of messes. They’re a pair you’d like to know, if for nothing else, the food they make.

Find two recipes at the back of the book, Linda Kleinman’s Borscht and My Grandmother’s Pancakes as strawberry jam filled pancakes.

Feral Attraction: A Cat Groomer Mystery by Eileen Watkins
Review by Sandra Murphy

Cassie McGlone owns a cat boarding and grooming shop. Cats often feel stressed when boarded where dogs are so a cat-only business works out well for her. Her friend, Dawn, owner of the natural foods store, is condo sitting for her mother who is on a long trip. The condo residents are in an uproar over feral cats. The local rescue group advocated TNR (trap, neuter, release) as a way to control the cat population.

Unfortunately, feral cats don’t always cooperate when traps are set. There are about two dozen ferals and the first round of traps only caught about half of them.

One woman thinks the big, black cat is spying on her and Sabrina, who feeds the cats, is a witch. Others think the cats lower property values. Some just don’t like seeing the feeding stations, winter housing, or the mess cats can make. Dawn, aided by Cassie, and rescuers, want to keep the colony in place.

When Sabrina’s body is found in the woods, it’s assumed she died of natural causes. It was cold and snowy, she was older, didn’t see so well, and used a cane, not the best way to maneuver around the woods at night. Dawn is sure Sabrina was murdered. When a second body is found, suspicion grows. Murder shouldn’t be something retirees have to worry about.

On a personal front, Cassie’s veterinarian boyfriend, Mark, has invited her to his family’s Thanksgiving dinner. Is this just dinner or is it “meet the family”? The day isn’t as bad as she expected, but then an old girlfriend shows up—and boy, have her looks improved over the years.

This is the third book in the series. Cassie and Mark are progressing nicely, in spite of their time-consuming jobs. There’s a lot of information given about different cat breeds and kenneling, but it’s scattered throughout the story and doesn’t get in the way of a good tale.

I like that Cassie is neither gung-ho to get married nor afraid to have a relationship. She’s a little leery because her last boyfriend was overly possessive, but she’s not paranoid about it. She’s someone you’d like to know and spend time with, even if you end up covered in cat hair. The Persian Always Meows Twice and The Bengal Identity were reviewed for KRL.

The Cats Came Back: A Magical Cats Mystery by Sofie Kelly
Review by Sandra Murphy

It’s music festival time in Mayville Heights, Minnesota, where Kathleen Paulson is the head librarian. She came to town to oversee the renovation of the library and then loved the town so much, she couldn’t leave. Now she’s got a home, been adopted by two special cats, and has friends close enough to be called family—and that’s not counting her sweetie, Marcus, the police detective.

Her cats, Owen and Hercules, have their quirks. Owen is addicted to Funky Chickens, toys filled with catnip. The unsuspecting will step on a decapitated chicken head if not on the lookout. Owen is also suspicious of his food and has to examine each and every bite. His other best trick is to disappear, as in go invisible. Hercules can walk through walls. Kathleen thought she was delusional or had lost her mind when she first found out but now is used to it. Sort of.

The cats are very expressive, so if she pays attention, they can get their point across. As a fundraiser, the popular cats are posing for Ruby, Kathleen’s photographer friend. The results will turn into a calendar. During one session, it’s hard to get the cat’s attention. Usually hams, they readily pose. When Ruby investigates what’s caught their eyes, she finds the dead body of a woman.

Marcus usually discourages Kathleen’s participation in any investigation but this time, she knows entertainers and they’re more likely to talk to her than to the police. In addition to the murder and all its complications, there’s a wedding in the works, a shower to be held and dresses to be fitted.

Kathleen and Marcus are a good couple. They share of love of cats, the town, and each other. Mayville Heights is a place you’d want to visit, including a stop at Eric’s diner and to check out the library. You’d probably see Kathleen on her way to tai chi class or to feed the feral cat colony at Wisteria Hill. The mystery is full of twists and turns, red herrings and clues, and bits of danger, but always with a cat to the rescue.

This is the tenth book in the series. Reading each is like a visit home.

To enter to win a copy of all 3 books, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “cat mysteries,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen October 27, 2017. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also check our our new mystery podcast! The October episodes are perfect for Halloween!

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Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She writes about eco-friendly topics, pets and wildlife for magazines and reviews mysteries and thrillers for KRL. A collection of her short stories, published by Untreed Reads, From Hay to Eternity: Ten Tales of Crime and Deception can be found at all the usual outlets. Each one is a little weird and all have a twist you won’t see coming.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.