76) Faux Paw by Sofie Kelly

The Blurb :

Normally, the arrival of an art exhibition at the Mayville Heights library would be cause for celebration. But thanks to the overbearing curator and high-tech security system that comes with it, Kathleen’s life has been completely disrupted. Even Owen and Hercules have been affected, since their favorite human doesn’t seem to have a spare moment to make their favorite fish crackers or listen to Barry Manilow.

But when Kathleen stops by the library late one night and finds the curator sprawled on the floor—and the exhibition’s most valuable sketch missing—it’s suddenly time to canvass a crime scene. Now Kathleen, her detective boyfriend Marcus, and her clever cats have to sniff out a murderous thief, before anyone else has a brush with death…

My Thoughts :

Another Magical Cats Mystery made it on to my audible listening list and this seventh installment actually brings me up to date with the series.  Although the next part releases this week so I will, technically, be behind again.

This series is very easy to listen to and the narrator is one I am used to and can actually switch to double time.  Which means I finish the book quicker and the speed I would most likely read it.  These books are never hard to follow or have too much information.  Maybe sometimes it feels like it but when I think about others in relation to this one, this series is very easy on the ears and brain.

It is nice to see things move along for Kathleen.  Her job, her relationship with Marcus and of course her place in the community have been slowly but surely making her feel at home and is, I am sure, a huge reason for people to keep reading.  I only wish that the cats had more of a presence and something new would happen on their end.  It is slowly becoming less magical and the series could just be called the Mayville Heights Library Mysteries.

I am looking forward to solving another murder with Kathleen soon.  I doubt I will be able to stay away from the series for long but I will try and keep the new release away from my shopping cart for as long as possible and listen to something else from my pile.  I do love everything about this series and therefore I want to make it last.  If I read the new installment straight away I will have to wait a whole year for the next one.  So I will resist!

A wonderful cozy mystery series and not just for cat lovers.  

59) A Midwinter's Tail by Sofie Kelly

The Blurb :

Winter in Mayville Heights is busy and not just because of the holidays. Kathleen is hard at work organizing a benefit to raise money for the library’s popular Reading Buddies program. She has her hands full hosting the event. And when a guest at the gala drops dead, her magical cats, Owen and Hercules, will have their paws full helping her solve a murder.

The victim is the ex of town rascal Burtis Chapman, but she hasn’t lived in the area in years. And though everybody is denying knowledge of why she was back in town, as Kathleen and her detective boyfriend, Marcus, begin nosing around, they discover more people are connected to the deceased than claimed to be. Now Marcus, Kathleen, and her uncanny cats have to unravel this midwinter tale before the case gets cold.

My Thoughts :

A Midwinter's Tail is the sixth book in the Magical Cats Mystery series and was, like the previous installments, a pleasure to read.  Well actually this is a series I am listening to because the narrator really does a great job bringing this series to life with her voice.  I actually am not sure if I would be getting so far into the series this quick if I was reading the books.  The audios are just too addictive.

If you haven't read the series yet then you may find some of this review to be a bit of a spoiler.  However I am sure, like me, you know that all those 'will they or won't they' relationships always end up with them getting together so it is no surprise that Kathleen and Marcus are finally a couple.  It works well even though I am not entirely sure how far their relationship has really taken them.  The author doesn't go into details which is fine because this a cozy mystery and not a romance but I wasn't sure if I could trust their relationship yet.  Will it stick?  Are they really close?

Again the magical cats played a part in the solving of the mystery and one of the felines was lucky he didn't go woof!  Because there was a bit of a fire at the end that trapped our leading lady and one of her kitties.  The plot that got them there was an interesting one and while it wasn't the most exciting it kept me hooked.

I can't wait to read (listen) to the next book in the series.  I am nearly all caught up and have really been enjoying the paranormal kitty twist.  Although I wish there was just a bit more of it.  Also it would be nice to have someone else in on the secret.  Which may come along sooner than later because the author mentioned it a lot this time around.  I think Marcus will be the one to get a shock and I can't wait to see how that all plays out.

35) Final Catcall by Sofie Kelly

The Blurb :

Small-town librarian Kathleen Paulson gets plenty of entertainment from her extraordinary cats, Owen and Hercules. But when a theatre troupe stumbles into more tragedy than it bargained for, it’s up to Kathleen to play detective....

With her sort-of boyfriend Marcus calling it quits and her ex-boyfriend Andrew showing up out of the blue, Kathleen has more than enough drama to deal with—and that’s before a local theatre festival relocates to Mayville Heights. Now the town is buzzing with theatre folk, and many of them have their own private dramas with the director, Hugh Davis.

When Davis is found shot to death by the marina, he leaves behind evidence of blackmail and fraud, as well as an ensemble of suspects. Now Kathleen, with a little help from her feline friends Owen and Hercules, will have to catch the real killer before another victim takes a final curtain call.

My Thoughts :

Final Catcall is the fifth installment in the Magical Cats Mysteries.  While the fourth book wasn't my favourite of the bunch, I have to say that this one was even worse.  Now it wasn't bad, should have given up and I am writing a bad review but the series started off better, the plot this time around was boring and I kept losing interest.

As this series continues I have to wonder why this is labeled with the series name 'Magical Cats' because despite there being two cats that are a little magical, they are absent most of the story and hardly do anything.  The whole magical cat angle hasn't been explored, in my opinion, to its full potential and the series title is slightly misleading.  There are two things that have kept me coming back for more, one being the 'will they or won't they' in regards to Kathleen and Marcus and the other is the expectation regarding the Magical Cats.

This time around the murder mystery plot was slightly boring but it was nice to have Kathleen's mother come visit.  Although I felt the story ended without closing that aspect of the story.  Also the appearance of someone from Kathleen's past was interesting, especially with her decision of whether she wants to stay Mayville Heights or not still not decided.  There was enough in the story to keep me going but Final Catcall was weak plot wise

I will keep up with the series, I do enjoy listening to this one,  However I think I will take a little break and come back in a few months.

24) Cat Trick by Sofie Kelly

The Blurb :

A group of Mayville Heights’ business people hope to convince the Chicago-based company, Legacy Tours, to sell a vacation package in their town. Legacy Tours partner, Mike Glazer, grew up in Mayville Heights, but it seems he’s not the same small-town boy people remember. Everyone seems to have an issue with the opinionated loudmouth Mike has become—until someone shuts him up for good.

When Kathleen and her cat, Hercules, discover Mike’s body near the boardwalk, she can’t help but get involved in the investigation—even if it might torpedo her relationship with Detective Marcus Gordon. Now, with a little help from Hercules and Owen, it’s up to Kathleen to make sure the killer is booked for an extended stay in prison before some else takes a permanent vacation.

My Thoughts :

I have spent a good two weeks trying to listen to this audio book.  The series is on my reading challenge for this year and I have been enjoying the audio versions.  However as I mentioned before I changed jobs and don't have a long commute anymore.  So I have less time to listen to a book.  Now I try and listen to it at home as well but it just isn't the same.  So it has and is taking me longer to get audios finished.

This is the fourth book in the series and wasn't the best so far.  I figured things out pretty early on and it was actually quite obvious.  I enjoy the characters and location a lot so I could over look the easy and pretty boring plot this time around but I really hope the next installment has a bit more excitement and is also more compelling.

The magical cats angle was feeling less magical this time around too.  Any cat can meow when you ask them something and they will run away and get into trouble anywhere.  So this book didn't really impress me.  I could ask my cats any question and decide that their actions are a response and interpret it to mean whatever I want.  Hercules and Owen are fun but they also need to up their game.

A nice series that is more cute than magical.  This one wasn't the best of the bunch so far but I am hopeful the next one will be.  Well worth listening to but I do find the narrator could speed things up a little.  I feel like she talking a lot slower than other audio narrators.

14) Copycat Killing by Sofie Kelly

The Blurb :

Everyone thinks their cats are special—but Owen and Hercules have powers that go far beyond an adorable look or an irresistible purr. Along with their owner, librarian Kathleen Paulson, they have an uncanny instinct for solving crimes...

It's been raining cats and dogs in Mayville Heights. The small town's been deluged, and now the local artists' co-op is on the verge of flooding. Kathleen has been up all night helping her friends move their creations to the safety of the upstairs studio.

The artwork survives, but when controversial mask maker Jaeger Merrill is found drowned in the co-op basement, Kathleen questions whether the death was accidental. After she discovers the artist was using an assumed name, she realizes she can't actually assume anything about him. With the help of handsome detective Marcus Gordon—and her cats' extraordinary powers of detection—it's up to Kathleen to unmask a killer.

My Thoughts :

The Magical Cats Mystery series has been on my shelves for years.  I managed to read the first two books somewhere along the way but the series has been constantly ignored.  Attempts at getting back into the series have been foiled by review books and addictions to other series.  So when I saw this one on Audible I knew what I had to do.  It was time to get back to the kitties and Audible once again helped rescue me!

I will start off by saying I love the concept, I love the characters and the location is quite nice but the Magical Cats angle, isn't, like the series name would make you believe, a big factor in the story or plot.  Sure the kitties have some 'powers' but I didn't really associate them being a big part of the mysteries this book covered and the solving of the crimes.  It was a cute little twist but not as prominent as I expected or remembered it to be.   So to conclude the cat concept is a little disappointing but maybe in later books it gets more paws on...

However despite the lack of kitty sleuthing I did enjoy the story and plot.  There were actually two murder mysteries with one being an older case and the other happening in the present time line of the story.  The plot was well thought out and both mysteries were nicely tangled into the on-going story and general cast of the series.  A good cozy read and a series that is definitely worth checking out.

The Audible version was a delight to listen to although there were times where I thought the narrator was a little slow.  It wasn't annoying or anything but I did think she could have told the story a little faster.  On saying that, I am looking forward to the next installment and will be keeping to the Audio versions because otherwise I fear I will never catch up with this series.

21) Sleight of Paw by Sofie Kelly

The Blurb :

Small-town librarian Kathleen Paulson never wanted to be the crazy cat lady. But after Owen and Hercules followed her home, she realized her mind wasn't playing tricks on her-her cats have magical abilities.

When the body of elderly do-gooder Agatha Shepherd is found near Kath's favorite local café, she knows Owen's talent for turning invisible and Hercules's ability to walk through walls will give the felines access to clues Kath couldn't get without arousing suspicion. Someone is hiding some dark secrets-and it will take a bit of furtive investigating to catch the cold-hearted killer.

My Thoughts :

About a month ago I got two cats.  So of course I really wanted to read this book about two magical cats.  It is the second book in the series and I couldn't remember much about the story in the first installment but it is a series I had marked to keep reading.

The concept for this cozy is nice and quite simple.  Two cats living with a librarian.  The twist is that one cat can make himself invisible and the other can walk through doors and walls.  Now these abilities and the cats themselves don't really take the main role in this book and it is Kathleen who is doing all the hard work as far as the mystery solving is concerned.  The magical aspect is played down and doesn't happen very often or should I say it doesn't happen as often as I would like it to.

The murder mystery was well written and thought out.  It kept me guessing and I didn't really figure things out until Kathleen did.  However this book had a lot of characters and it was hard to keep track of who was who and what was what.  Sometimes I had trouble remembering why a certain aspect that Kathleen found interesting was clue worthy and how it fit into the big scheme of things.  So it wasn't an easy story to keep on top of.

However I did like this book and the mystery.  It is a nice concept, a good location and some interesting characters.  The mystery surrounding the cats will most likely keep me reading more in the series and of course the relationship between Kathleen and Marcus will also make me come back for more.  Not a bad cozy but I was expecting more magic.

 

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53) Curiosity Thrilled the Cat by Sofie Kelly

The Blurb :

When librarian Kathleen Paulson moved to Mayville Heights, Minnesota, she had no idea that two strays would nuzzle their way into her life. Owen is a tabby with a catnip addiction and Hercules is a stocky tuxedo cat who shares Kathleen's fondness for Barry Manilow. But beyond all the fur and purrs, there's something more to these felines.

When murder interrupts Mayville's Music Festival, Kathleen finds herself the prime suspect. More stunning is her realization that Owen and Hercules are magical-and she's relying on their skills to solve a purr-fect murder.

My Thoughts :

I have been meaning to read this book for a while and for some reason it kept hiding from me. Over the Easter weekend I was taking part in a read-a-thon and was desperately trying to get some of the hundreds of physical books I have that are gathering dust since my Kindle came along. While looking through the shelves I came across this one and decided it was time I gave it a go!

At first I wondered if this was really the first book in the series. Some of the story seemed to be missing pieces but as the plot progressed all the little gaps got filled and I felt right at home in Mayville. The leading lady, Kathleen, was nice and I liked her instantly. Of course it helped that she was a cat lover and a librarian! Actually I was a little envious of her.

The plot in this book was pretty good and it kept me guessing to the end. The magicial cat aspect was quite fun and I am eager to see how the author expands on this twist in the tail. As a cozy mystery this one did shine and the slight paranormal angle really had me hooked. I can't wait to see what happens next and hope to visit Mayville again sometime soon.

Books, murder, mystery, cats and a smidge of magic made this a very enjoyable read. Worth checking out if any of these subjects appeal to you and you like a good Cozy.