Purr-suing a killer … free snacks it serves to visitors—and that it must be shut down.
When Evonda’s body is found in her car clutching a copy of the cease-and-desist order, suspicion naturally falls on Lara and Aunt Fran. But there’s a whole litter of potential culprits, including a tenant in one of Evonda’s buildings who’d been ordered to give up his rescue cat, a disgruntled daughter-in-law, and more. Now Lara—with some help from her aunt and her spirit cat, Blue—has to pin the tail on the right suspect …
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Even though this is book #4 in the series it’s the first one I’ve read. Truthfully, it’s the 1st book by Linda Reilly I’ve read. And, I must admit to being impressed. I won this book in a goodreads giveaway & want to say thanks for introducing me to a really good author & a strong series.
Pros:
The book works as a stand alone. I never felt lost, or wondered about characters or their relationships.Everyone & everything ( including their home/shelter) was well described, without being overdone to death. I really appreciate that. I prefer to start a series at book #1 (who doesn’t), but I won this one, so… On a fixed income I’m not going to go buy the first three until I know if I like it or not. Well, like Mikey (showing my age) I like it!
The dialogue was very natural, the pace was very steady & it was extremely well plotted.
This book had an excellent, complicated mystery with a very surprising motive & murderer.It was very satisfying, and unique.
Cats, what more can I say? Everybody should be owned by at least one!
Cons:
I’m not sure if I’d call this a cozy, or a light mystery. It’s probably just me, but I like, and kind of expect, humor in my cozies. Back when I started reading cozies, it was with Joan Hess, Anne George and Jill Churchill, so I think that’s where my expectation for humor comes from.
Bottom line:
An excellent read. Really makes you look forward to the next installment.
Claws of Action by Linda Reilly is the fourth book in the A Cat Lady Mystery series. I enjoyed this book and have purchased the previous three books so I can start at the beginning and be all caught up.
The only thing that could make the High Cliff Shelter for Cats even cozier is a reading room where kids can snuggle up with a furry feline and a book. But as Lara and Aunt Fran prepare for the reading nook’s official opening, the health inspector in their New Hampshire town, Evonda Fray, decrees that the shelter qualifies as a “cat café,” thanks to the free snacks it serves to visitors—and that it must be shut down.
When Evonda’s body is found in her car clutching a copy of the cease-and-desist order, suspicion naturally falls on Lara and Aunt Fran. But there’s a whole litter of potential culprits, including a tenant in one of Evonda’s buildings who’d been ordered to give up his rescue cat, a disgruntled daughter-in-law, and more. Now Lara—with some help from her aunt and her spirit cat, Blue—has to pin the tail on the right suspect …
Even though I haven’t read the previous books in this series, it didn’t cause a problem as this can be read as a stand-alone. I think this will be one of my favorite cat mystery series.
I like the Protagonist Lara who runs a cat shelter in her home, and once again is at the center of a murder. The characters are well developed and very likeable, such as her Aunt Fran and Blue a rag-doll cat that only Lara can see who provides hints in the direction that Lara should investigate plus who doesn’t love cats.
There are plenty of twists and turns to keep me wanting to find out what will happen next. The book is engaging from start to finish, grabbing you from the very beginning. I cant wait for the fifth installment in this series, I recommend this to cozy lovers.
I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington Books – Lyrical Underground and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.
A cozy murder mystery as it should be: murder, mayhem, love and cats mixed together to create an excellent read!
“Claws of action” kept me wondering from page to page what would happen next. I really enjoyed this heart-warming novel and look forward to reading the rest of the Cat Lady Mysteries.
In this next book of the series the ladies have added in a reading room for the shelter and things are going well. All that is turned upside down when the local health inspector stops by and wants to close the shelter down. Lara is shocked and can’t figure out why the woman is so hostile and tries to reason with her. Things take a turn when the health inspector is found dead the next day murdered. Having visited the shelter the day before her death puts Lara and her Aunt at the top of the suspect list which puts the shelter in a bad light. Lara is worried about the shelter and how Aunt Fran is dealing with the whole situation. With everything that is happening around her Lara decides she must take steps of her own and start looking into who killed Evonda and why. She soon learns that there were several people who disliked the woman with good reason. Lara knows she must sift through the suspects and figure out who the most likely culprit is and then find evidence. Follow along as Lara investigates a list full of suspects, will she come out triumphant in the end or has she put herself into danger by looking into things. This is a great series filled with characters that are easy to get to know, several furry friends, and a mystery that needs to be solved!
A fun and entertaining cozy mystery with interesting characters. I loved the idea of a room were kids could read to cats.
Actually, I enjoyed the book so much, I bought the others in the series.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or remuneration.
#NetGalley #ClawsofAction
Claws Of Action
A Cat Lady Mystery , Book #4
Linda Reilly
5 Stars
Synopsis:
Purr-suing a killer …
The only thing that could make the High Cliff Shelter for Cats even cozier is a reading room where kids can snuggle up with a furry feline and a book. But as Lara and Aunt Fran prepare for the reading nook’s official opening, the health inspector in their New Hampshire town, Evonda Fray, decrees that the shelter qualifies as a “cat café,” thanks to the free snacks it serves to visitors—and that it must be shut down.
When Evonda’s body is found in her car clutching a copy of the cease-and-desist order, suspicion naturally falls on Lara and Aunt Fran. But there’s a whole litter of potential culprits, including a tenant in one of Evonda’s buildings who’d been ordered to give up his rescue cat, a disgruntled daughter-in-law, and more. Now Lara—with some help from her aunt and her spirit cat, Blue—has to pin the tail on the right suspect …(Goodreads)
Review:
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and she brought the town of Whisker Jog, New Hampshire, to life in my mind. I could picture High Cliff Shelter for Cats, imagining all of the cats being loved and cared for.
The characters are well rounded and well developed. I love the relationship between Lara and Aunt Fran, they compliment each other wonderfully. Lara is more apt to fly of the handle, and Aunt Fran calms her down and thinks things through. Gideon is a great boyfriend and I like how their relationship is progressing. And I love all of the cats, they bring so much to the story. I like the mystical Blue, I like how he always appears when Lara needs him.
The mystery was well plotted and carried along at a great pace. There were plenty of suspects to consider and clue to sift through. I was very surprised at who the culprit was, which is a good thing.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. This is one of my favorite cozy series to read and I cannot wait until the next one is released (I know I will have to wait a while, unfortunately).
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
This series quickly became one of my favorite cat cozy series with the first novel and has only improved from there. The characters are well-rounded and very likable, the setting in Aunt Fran’s Folk Victorian, and the beautifully planned and executed mystery a challenge to solve.
Lara and Aunt Fran established a cat shelter in this lovely Victorian home. The cats have access to the living areas, whether the cats they are keeping or the ones who will be up for adoption. Lara also has the occasional visits of Blue, a mysterious, gorgeous Ragdoll cat that only she can see. Blue has been a wonderful help when solving earlier mysteries, and has a great place in helping with this mystery.
A reading room has just been finished for their new program of Read to the Cats, where children come to the High Cliff Shelter for Cats to read to them. The shelter’s official grand opening is scheduled, as is the first official Read to the Cats day is only days away when Evonda Fray, the new health inspector, arrives to shut it down. She claims that it qualifies as a cat cafe, and since it doesn’t have the license to serve foods or beverages, she will bring an official cease and desist order the next day. Gideon, the man Lara is dating and their attorney, listens to Lara and Fran and outlines an action plan should Hurricane Evonda follow through.
Brian, not knowing whether they take cats for boarding, brought his beloved senior cat, Smuggles to the shelter. It is no coincidence that he chooses their shelter; he heard the new owner of his apartment building, Evonda Fray, on the phone telling someone that she was going there and what she planned to do. Evonda, seemingly a cat-hater, told Brian that his cat – who was approved on his lease – could no longer be there and if he didn’t get rid of his furry friend, she would. He begged Fran and Lara to keep Smuggles there until he moves into another place. They agree, and it is only a matter of time before they wonder if they did the right thing. Smuggles is no trouble at all, and is adorable.
The next day, Evonda is found dead before she could get the shelter’s order made official. Murdered. Due to the confrontation at the shelter the day before, Fran and Lara are called in for questioning. Brian is, also. There is a part of the story he didn’t tell them the day before, and he is concerned that he will be arrested. If he is, the ladies agree that Smuggles can stay with them as long as necessary. There is only one other potential suspect. As more clues are revealed, more suspicion is cast on Lara. Needless to say, the grand opening and first Read to the Cats day are postponed.
I love how the author shows us the characters through their conversations, actions, and in some cases, appearances, such as the women wearing the feathered hats. The plot is intriguing, and the twists and turns resemble a mountain road as clues are discovered. What surprised me is that I figured out who the killer was, and part of the why, before anyone else did. It didn’t take the fun out of the novel, however, as I didn’t know the complete reason, and at least one of the suspects still looks really good. I was satisfied with the resolution, and am already looking forward to the next in series! I highly recommend Claws of Action and the other books in the series to those who love cats and cat shelters, well-written cozy mysteries with humor and suspense, and an eclectic cast of characters.
From a thankful heart: I received an early copy of this novel and was under no obligation to review it.
I have to say this the Cat Ladies Mysteries series is one of my favorites out there today. Each installment just gets better and better. Ever time I think I have a new favorite from the series, the next book I read ends up knocking the last one out of the water.
Claws of Action is a fun fast-paced mystery that kept me guessing until the end. This can be read as a standalone, but I truly suggest you start from book one and go from there because that way you can really truly appreciate how this series has grown by each installment. In this installment, you read about the same loveable characters with the addition of a couple of more new characters, which I hope will have some cameos in future books.
I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves cozy mysteries.
Love this series!! The shelter gets a visit from the health inspector threatening to shut them down for being a cat cafe, even though they are not. The woman is later found dead and there are many suspects. Lara is determined not to get involved and tries to focus on her art and the baby kittens the shelter rescues. Can her guardian cat, Blue, keep her out of harm? Love the characters and all of the cats. Wish I had a cat shelter where I could go read to cats. It would be fun. Can’t wait to see what’s next for Lara and Aunt Fran and see Lara and Gideon’s relationship develop!
Claws of Action by Linda Reilly is the fourth book in the Cat Lady Mysteries. I love this series and this one did not disappoint.
We return to the High Cliff Cat Shelter in in Whisker Jog. Lara and her Aunt Fran are ready to open the cat reading room. The town’s new health inspector shows up and appears to have a problem not only with cats but the entire idea of the shelter. Lara knows there will be problems. The next morning the inspector is found murdered in her car with the paperwork to close the shelter. All eyes are on Lara and Aunt Fran. Lara sets out to clear their names and the shelter.
There are great characters, humor, romance, plenty of twists and turns, and cats. This is an easy to read cozy that will have you guessing until the end.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Kensington books for an honest review.
Claws of Action is the fourth book in Linda Reilly’s Cat Lady Mystery series. This is a light cozy with a well-plotted storyline and a great cast of well-developed characters, both human and feline. The story flows at a steady pace, with an intriguing mystery, and a hint of the paranormal. The plot moves swiftly, and there are lots of twists and turns, a few red herrings, and plenty of suspects to keep the reader engaged. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading cozy mysteries.
Lara Caphart is a talented watercolor artist who moved back to Whisker Jog, New Hampshire to help her aunt, Fran Clarkson. Blue, a stunning Ragdoll cat who only Lara can see, is her guardian cat with powerful protective instincts and the ability to point out clues to mysteries. Lara and Fran own and operate High Cliff Shelter for Cats, a unique animal shelter in their home. Lara enjoys spending time with her old friend, Sherry Bowker, who owns and operates Bowker’s Coffee Shop with her mom. The relationship between Lara and Gideon Halley, a lawyer, continues to progress. Fran and Police Chief Jerry Whitley are spending time together, but she’s having trouble accepting the fact that he doesn’t love cats, but he’s trying to do better. Lara and Fran are working on a cozy reading room where children can read to the cats, and as they prepare for the grand opening, a health inspector, Evonda Fray, makes a surprise visit and informs Lara that she is shutting down the shelter for running a cat café without a license, which they aren’t doing. Brian Downing asks Lara to take care of his senior cat, Smuggles, while he looks for a new apartment because Evonda, his landlady, will be evicting him if he doesn’t get rid of Smuggles. When Evonda is murdered, Lara and Aunt Fran are considered suspects. As Lara asks about the deceased and those who knew her, she learns that the woman made enemies most of her life.
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.
This series has been entertaining and the fourth book was a very enjoyable read. I’m not a cat person, but I love the way the main characters have set up their shelter, where the cats have the run of the house. It reminds me of where my sister boards her cats when she travels. Lara and Aunt Fran are very likable characters and keep the reader engaged in the story. The regular cast of secondary characters makes their return appearance with some new ones added for purposes of the mystery. I thought the mystery was well done. I particularly liked how the victim at first was someone who appeared unlikable but as the mystery unfolded ,Lara came to see that there was more to her than the first interaction she had with the victim. There were plenty of suspects and the way the clues were presented had me distracted enough that I did not guess the identity of the killer.
I like the characters in this series and think the author had done a wonderful job with their growth, personally and in relationships. There is a bit of romance for both Lara and Aunt Fran but it feels natural and does not detract in any way from the story. I will definitely be back for more books in the series.
I voluntarily read a digital ARC provided to me by the publisher through Netgalley.