A reality TV crew has come to town and brought librarian Kathleen Paulson and her two magical cats more than their fair share of real-life drama, in the newest installment of this New York Times bestselling series.Spring has come to charming Mayville Heights, and with it, some Hollywood glamour. The little town is abuzz because the reboot of a popular baking TV show is filming there. Librarian … filming there. Librarian Kathleen Paulson is working as an advisor on historical facts for the show, local restaurants are providing catering for the camera crews, and Kathleen’s faithful felines, Hercules and Owen, are hoping there is a cat treat challenge.
But then Kathleen finds one of the judges dead. She has solved many-a-murder with help from the supernaturally gifted Herc and Owen, and with the whole town on tenterhooks, the talented trio will have to have all paws on deck to chase down this killer.
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I love reading about magical cats, Owen and Hercules! They are definitely two of my favorite feline sleuths! A revival of the Great Northern Baking Show is filming in Mayville Heights and Kathleen’s friend and neighbor, Rebecca, is a contestant along with local artist, Ray Nightingale. Kathleen is helping out by doing research for one of the show’s hosts, Eugenie. When Kathleen drops by after the library closes one night to drop off something, she finds judge, Kassie Tremayne, dead. It is later determined that Kassie was murdered and Kathleen and her two furry feline sleuths are on the case. Kassie was not very well liked, but can Kathleen figure out which of the contests, hosts, or producer killed her? Also, someone has been playing elaborate pranks at the library’s gazebo and no one can seem to figure out who is behind them. I love this series and Kathleen’s relationships with her friends around town, the way the gang comes together to help the feral cats, and Kathleen and Marcus’s relationship. Owen and Hercules are always entertaining and it is so much fun how they can always seem to point Kathleen towards clues. I enjoyed this book tremendously and could read about these two feline sleuths all the time. Highly recommend checking out this delightful series!
loved this series
This was just what I needed.
I’d finished a heavy (but excellent) book and needed a change of pace.
This is great fun with a sharp witted main character (the scene with flour, and jar, and candle is perfect), magical cats (just enough for fun without being too much), and an interesting mystery.
A good, refreshing read.
I look forward to more.
A Case of Cat and Mouse by Sofie Kelly is a cozy little Mystery featuring tow cats with special powers: one of them can become invisible and the other can walk through solid barriers, like door and windows. Their special skills did not feature prominently in this unlikely tome of a murder by asphyxiation by whipped cream. Kathleen is a librarian and her boyfriend, Marcus, is a police detective. She gets into scrapes, her gets her out. Even the ambulance guys recognize the kinds of scrapes she gets into and come to her rescue with a smile. She is currently working part-time as a research for the emcees of a cooking contest that is being filmed in town. She supplies the color, so to speak. All seems to be going well, until it’s not, and there’s a murder.
This is the first of the series I have read so it should be no surprise that I found the characters confusing. This is the 12th in the magical cats series, which has been in publication for over 10 years. The mystery was a good one, if a little convoluted. There were a lot of things going on in the background that never revealed themselves until the investigation. Lots of subplots and unfinished minor stories. Kathleen was a good character with an interesting life and plenty of people with whom she associates. Her friends were interesting and I can see where readers are enthralled with the story. I found it a little hard to get into. I would start from the beginning. It would be much more satisfying. I recommend it.
I was invited to read a free ARC of A Case of Cat and Mouse by Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #acaseofcatandmouse
I loved this mystery! It is as unique as the series has been to date, with a small town of eclectic folks in Minnesota, special cats, and a whodunit that kept me guessing throughout. Seeing Kathleen and her special cats, Hercules and Owen, Fred the Funky Chicken, and her friends again is a high point in my reading year. This is a town I could enjoy visiting for a long while.
Kathleen is a librarian at the local library and has lived in Mayville Heights for four years. As a librarian, she has had to research many, many interesting subjects for people, making her a whiz at Trivia Pursuit. It also makes her a natural to do some work for The Great Northern Baking Showdown, a new version of an old baking reality show. The executive producer lives in the area, so it was the perfect place to film the series. As the co-hosts are from out of town, Kathleen is researching information on the locale and specifics about each challenge for them to tease the future viewing audience with as the bakers do their thing. The two judges are also from out of town. Some of the contestants are local, and it is like a dream come true for them to even be on it. The grand prize certainly is worth working toward, also!
Kathleen stopped at the community center to see one of the co-hosts after leaving the library. When the woman was not in her office, Kathleen went to the kitchen. It was quiet, and it appears that the meeting that was to be held is already over. Until she sees the legs of someone at one of the counters. Legs that are attached to a person who was dead, killed by an unusual method.
Kathleen’s boyfriend Marcus is a detective; they met when he suspected her of murder a few years ago. That event showed her how much she likes solving mysteries, and the trivia she learns at work very useful. As are her special cats, Owen and Hercules! Marcus is excellent at what he does, and her information gathering from various people around town contribute to his solve rate. This time, the father figure in the life of one of Kathleen’s friend is the suspect, and Ruby, her friend, pleads with Kathleen to help find the real whodunit.
Against her better judgment, Kathleen gets involved in helping find another killer. It is a challenge, since some of the suspects are not from the area. It kept my sleuthing cap on! I was completely surprised with the real whodunit and ending! It drew in my attention from the beginning and kept me riveted throughout. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys well-written cozy mysteries that are challenging and include good friends, libraries and books, cats, and a touch of magic!
From a thankful heart: I received a complimentary copy of this novel, and this is my honest review.
I like this series .
There’s a baking show being filmed in Mayville Heights and librarian, Kathleen Paulson, has been hired to find historical facts having to do with the show and background information on the contestants. But when Kathleen finds the body of one of the judges, she’s pulled into another investigation. Can she and her magical cats, Hercules and Owen, put the clues together and find the killer?
This is one of my favorite series and this book is a prime example of why. The author keeps the series fresh and you’ll be drawn into the book from the beginning. This book is well-written with wonderful characters. I’m eager for more of this series and am really hoping that it continues. I highly recommend both book and series which I suggest you read in order.
Sofie Kelly writes a wonderful series about a librarian and her two “magic” cats. This is a fantastic series and the books are extremely entertaining and fun to read. It’s best to read them in order but you are able to “catch up” pretty well within any book. If you are looking for a light, easy to read, humorous “book to take you away” then pick up any one of the Magical Cats mystery books. Enjoy!
A Case of Cat and Mouse, the 12th book in the Magical Cats Mysteries series is a prime example of the warmth and intelligence this outstanding series offers. Reading each book is like settling in and catching up with friends that you haven’t seen for a while. If you have ever read a book by Sofie Kelly/Ryan, you won’t need a review to tell you how great they are! If you are new to either series and you enjoy cozy mysteries, she is one of the best authors of high quality cozy mysteries that I have read. I am a bit late to the game so I have had the great pleasure of reading both series in the last years.
Librarian Kathleen Paulson is enjoying providing local research to the producers of a culinary competition show that is filming in her beloved Mayville Heights and includes one of her dearest friends. Although Kathleen is shocked to discover the body of one of the judges, the woman was just plain mean so the pool of suspects is wide open. With her background of helping the police find murders in the past, it is no surprise that, Ruby, a good friends asks her to investigate to prove that someone special to her is not the killer.
The book moves at a laid-back pace but is still a page turner as we spend time with her awesome friends, her special guy, and her even more special cats collecting clues and hints as we go.
I requested an ARC of A Case of Cat and Mouse from NetGalley and was thrilled to receive a copy the other day. Naturally I read the book as quickly as possible although travelling delayed me a couple of days. Delay is Torture! I adore this book and all my friends will be hearing about it! My thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley!!!!
One of my favorites cozy book series’, Magical Cats continues to stay fresh, exciting, and keep me engaged and looking forward to the next book. A Case of Cat and Mouse is the 12th book in this series and I loved it so much. I’m a huge fan of the baking contest shows and love that the author incorporated the revival of the show into one of the books in this series.
As a historical fact advisor for the show, Kathleen spends a lot of time either researching the contestants or on set discussing her findings with the hosts and directors. When Kathleen finds one of the show’s judges dead, she knows by the manner of the death that it was no accident. The baking show has a murderer in the cast and as Kathleen does her undercover sleuthing, she discovers there are many suspects with the means, motive, and opportunity. She also discovers many untruths have been told, making sorting through the clues even more difficult.
I really enjoyed A Case of Cat and Mouse. The pacing is steady, and the entire novel is easy to read and understand. Multiple suspects keep the reader guessing and keep Kathleen and Marcus on their toes. The continued world building and character development of Kathleen, her magical kitties, and Marcus, along with the secondary characters, is fresh and original with each installment.
The Magical Cats series keeps me entertained with the human and feline characters, plots, and mysteries. I recommend the series to all cozy mystery lovers. The books are descriptive without going overboard. I feel like I’m in every scene of the story. The books also have the right amount of suspense to keep the reader engaged all the way to the end. The romance included isn’t over the top and doesn’t overshadow the mystery solving. It’s a nice addition to give the story and characters realism.
I was provided an ebook of A Case of Cat and Mouse to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.