In this charming mystery from the bestselling author of The Cats Came Back, two magical cats have powers of detection that prove indispensable to librarian Kathleen Paulson… will need to rely on them more than ever when a twenty-year-old scandal leads to murder…
The arrival of the Janes brothers has the little town of Mayville Heights buzzing. Everyone of a certain age remembers when Victor had an affair with Leo’s wife, who then died in a car accident.
Now it seems the brothers are trying to reconcile, until Kathleen finds Leo dead. The police set their sights on Leo’s son and Kathleen’s good friend Simon, who doesn’t have much of an alibi. To prove her friend innocent, Kathleen will have to dig deep into the town’s history—and into her sardine cracker supply, because Owen and Hercules don’t work for free…
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Great book about unique cats.
Well paced and entertaining with a surprise ending.
This is such a good series. All the characters become more and more special in each book. Kathleen and her cats are wonderful.
Great series. I have them all.
A Tale of Two Kitties by Sofie Kelly is the ninth mystery in A Magical Cats Mystery series. Kathleen Paulson is a librarian in Mayville Heights, Minnesota and owns (well, as much as you can own a cat) two special cats named Owen and Hercules. When remodeling a local post office, undelivered mail and photos were discovered. The library has agreed to take possession of the photos. Kathleen wants to find a way to identify the people in the photos and get them in the hands of family. Twin brothers, Victor and Leo Janes have returned to town for Thanksgiving and the gossip mill is buzzing. People remember that Victor had an affair with Leo’s wife. Unfortunately, Meredith died in a car accident shortly afterward. This is a chance for a reconciliation between the two men. Mia Janes, a library student intern, is tickled to have her grandfather in town. Kathleen drives Mia to visit Leo one day after work and Kathleen notices the apartment door ajar. She goes inside to find Leo dead from obvious blunt force trauma. The police soon narrow their sights on Simon Janes, Leo’s son and Kathleen’s friend, when they discover he an argument with Leo and lacks an alibi. Kathleen with the aid of her two magical sidekicks, Owen and Hercules, delves into the case intent on tracking down Leo’s killer. Come visit Mayville Heights and help Kathleen solve her latest case in A Tale of Two Kitties.
A Tale of Two Kitties has good writing, but the pace is a little slow. There are nice, relatable characters and a charming small-town setting. Kathleen is a great character who has a wonderful job—a librarian! I enjoy her interactions with her fur babies. A Tale of Two Kitties contains an extra amount of cozy. There is socializing, meals, work at the library, romance, the cat’s antics, the found photographs and mail, plus much more. I wish the author had not devoted so much time to the lost (and now found) photographs and mail. It seemed to dominate the story. The mystery was interesting and I liked how it was structured (containing several different components that all fit together). The author included some good clues which will aid readers in solving the crime (plus the suspect list is very small). My rating for A Tale of Two Kitties is 4 out of 5 stars. A Tale of Two Kitties is a cute story and I delighted in the paranormal element. The magical cats are adorable and entertaining (especially Owen with his funky chickens). If you have not read any of the previous A Magical Cat Mystery novels, you will be a little lost (since there are so many secondary characters) in the beginning and it might hinder readers in solving the crime. A Tale of Two Kitties is a charming cozy mystery that will delight readers.
Series: Magical Cats Series
Author: Sofie Kelly
Genre: Paranormal Cozy
Publisher: Berkley
Kathleen Paulson’s two cats, Hercules and Owen, are very unusual and indispensable at times. They help her solve murder cases in their own unique way. So it is no surprise that she needs their help whether she asked for it or not to solve the latest murder.
Mayville Heights is filled with gossip and curious stares 3when the Janes brothers, Leo and Victor, are both back home after a long time away. Gossip rolls through the small town and Victor Janes is smack in the middle of it, again. Having stolen his brother’s wife and destroyed his family, Victor has come home to make amends, or has he?
Are the brothers really trying to reconcile or is there something more sinister at the heart of the unexpected homecoming? When Kathleen finds Leo dead, she wonders who other than Victor would want Leo dead. Perhaps he wasn’t the great guy everyone thought he was. Her police boyfriend believes Leo’s son is to blame and sets out to prove it. Kathleen isn’t so sure he is guilty, so she aims to prove he isn’t, one way or another.
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The most memorable characters really are the cats, Owen and Hercules. They are highly intelligent and magical cats that can walk through walls, or disappear in the blink of an eye. Kathleen as well as her Detective boyfriend, Marcus is very well written and fun to learn about. The story of Victor and Leo is compelling with just enough of reality that makes you care about them and how their lives have gone.
Mia, Simon’s daughter, and Leo’s granddaughter is a well-rounded character that develops into a lovely young woman whose heart is broken by the unexpected and violent death of her beloved grandfather. She puts a brave face on but is still young enough to break down every once in awhile. Mia tugs at the heartstrings of the reader. Her loss and pain are real, and Ms. Kelly has created a character that the reader will want a happy ending for her.
The story is well written and flows naturally. There enough hints to the killer’s identity that a reader can figure out the who did it, but not too soon in the story. Readers will continue to turn pages and become immersed in the story. It is fast-paced without sacrificing details and entertaining. This book can stand on its own as a solo cozy but fits in well with the entire series.
This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys a light-hearted mystery with no sex or actual violence and cats that are very unusual. It is highly recommended.