It’s up to Syd and her feline partner-in-crime to save the local animal shelter from scandal in national bestselling author T. C. LoTempio’s charming second installment in her Cat Rescue mysteries.Getting used to life back home in Deer Park, North Carolina, Sydney McCall and her right-hand tabby, Toby, are helping her sister Kat run the local animal shelter. Syd and Kat are all excited about the … excited about the prospect of the shelter’s newest fundraiser: shopping channel queen Ulla Townsend. Shelter admin Maggie Shayne vehemently refuses to have anything to do with the woman, but the fundraiser ensues as planned. That is, until Ulla turns up dead in the middle of the event.
The cause of death is determined to be an allergic reaction, but Syd and Toby are sniffing out something fishy. When Syd met Ulla, it was clear she was distasteful and rude. And right before the event, Syd spotted some behind-the-scenes drama between Ulla and her manager. As they begin to investigate, they realize there is no shortage of suspects, and Maggie is at the top of the list.
Now Syd and Toby must claw their way to the truth before everything goes paws up at their animal shelter in Death by a Whisker by national bestselling author T. C. LoTempio.
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Death By A Whisker
Cat Rescue Mystery, Book #2
T. C. LoTempio
5 Stars
Synopsis:
Getting used to life back home in Deer Park, North Carolina, Sydney McCall and her right-hand tabby, Toby, are helping her sister Kat run the local animal shelter. Syd and Kat are all excited about the prospect of the shelter’s newest fundraiser: shopping channel queen Ulla Townsend. Shelter admin Maggie Shayne vehemently refuses to have anything to do with the woman, but the fundraiser ensues as planned. That is, until Ulla turns up dead in the middle of the event.
The cause of death is determined to be an allergic reaction, but Syd and Toby are sniffing out something fishy. When Syd met Ulla, it was clear she was distasteful and rude. And right before the event, Syd spotted some behind-the-scenes drama between Ulla and her manager. As they begin to investigate, they realize there is no shortage of suspects, and Maggie is at the top of the list.
Now Syd and Toby must claw their way to the truth before everything goes paws up at their animal shelter in Death by a Whisker by national bestselling author T. C. LoTempio. (Goodreads)
Review:
The characters are well developed and well rounded. Sydney is a likable, hard working woman. She gets along well with her sister, Kat, and all of the other workers at the animal shelter. Her roommate Leila is an investigative reporter and they make a good team when it comes to sleuthing. And that is exactly what they will have to do when another dead body turns up. Toby, her rescue cat, is also very helpful when it comes to solving crimes. All of the characters and secondary characters were engaging and I was happy to be able to visit with them again.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and I felt like I was right there, involved in the story personally. The community that she has created, Deer Park, North Carolina, is a place I would definitely like to visit.
The mystery was well plotted and moved along at a nice pace. There were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through, and enough twists and turns that it was not an easy mystery to solve.
I would recommend this well crafted cozy mystery to anyone who likes animals with their mysteries. The characters are great, the setting is great, the mystery is great and the book is great. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in the hopes of receiving a honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and review this great book.
This was another fun visit to Deer Park and the Friendly Paws Shelter. I enjoyed this one as much and maybe a little bit more than the first one–it was a twisting and intriguing mystery, full of possible suspects. The characters were already well-developed so that always makes it easy to go right and remember who was who.
The shelter was holding another cat adoption in conjunction with a book signing at Tara’s bookshop but at the last minute the author couldn’t come. Instead, they managed to get Ulla Townsend, a famous shopping channel diva and former resident of Deer Park. The book sales would benefit the shelter since part of them would be donated. Ulla was not a very nice person so it’s no surprise when she ended up dead but due to previous bad blood and a video that surfaced, Syd was worried their assistant at the shelter, Maggie, would go down for the crime. Worst of all, Maggie was missing!
Will’s new detective partner was just as annoying as the previous one but I was glad something good came out it at the end when everything was wrapped up and the perp was hauled off to jail. I had guessed something was off with one of the characters, then later put it together but I think that was due to the author’s series of clues she left the reader. It was really exciting at the end how it went down and of course Syd helped Will solve another murder with a key piece of evidence.
Leila still cracks me up! Who wouldn’t love to have a friend like her? She’s smart, funny and very faithful to her friends. Syd’s sister Kat wasn’t featured quite as much, but we did see quite a lot of her in the first book so that was ok. I loved how all the kitties that were at the book signing eventually ended up with furever homes. Syd’s kitty Toby once again clued Syd in a few times, almost like they have little conversations with each other. He is so darn cute with his meowy comments, even on her outfits!
I’m really enjoying this series and I can’t wait for the next book to come out!
Who knew that being the public relationship director for a cat rescue could be so dangerous. Sydney McCall can’t seen to stay away from involving herself in solving murders despite the request of her police officer boyfriend, Will. I am enjoying this series and hope there are more to come. Sydney McCall is feisty, loyal, independent and a likable main character. I enjoy her relationship with both her sister and roommate Leila. In fact, all of the secondary characters add to the charm of this series, including the feline characters. I think Toby is making the perfect feline sleuthing companion to Syd. I like how she has conversations with him and it is almost as if he really understands and responds. The mystery was well done. An unlikable character returns home to do a book signing and make amends but ends of dead. There are plenty of suspect with old grudges. I did figure out the identity of the killer, but not until well into the book. It was fun watching Sydney put the clues together and figure it out.
I really enjoy the series and hope there are future installments.
Revenge is best served shiny.
Death By a Whisker by T.C. LoTempio was a pretty different book in terms of a cozy. We have everything that makes a cozy a cozy in this book, but the murder was weird. It took me for a spin, and I do have to say that I was enthralled and wanted to know who killed her.
Sydney McCall
Our sleuth is Sydney McCall, more commonly known as Syd. She works with her sister, Kat, at a shelter called Friendly Paws. Syd owns an orange cat tabby named Toby, and he is a tomcat that now loves being indoors. She is there at the shelter for publicity and to help out when she’s not solving cases that she shouldn’t be solving. Like this newest one.
What I like about Sydney is that she knows that she shouldn’t be doing any sleuthing or getting involved in a case. However, she wants to help her boyfriend to succeed in the workforce. Another thing that I like about her is that she loves animals and will do anything to help them get a home. What I dislike about her is that she isn’t good at lying on the spot and yet she is getting in situations where she has to lie. Another dislike is that she sometimes does things without thinking about the consequences.
Will Worthington
Will Worthington is Sydney’s old high school crush/boyfriend and one of the detectives on the case. We don’t see much of him or the other detective as much as we do in some of the other cozies. What I like about Will is that he is by the book, but he lets Sydney assist with this one because he knows she will be a great help. Another thing that I like about Will is that he has saved Syd’s butt countless times in the book. What I don’t like about him is that he should know not to tell Sydney to stay away from something.
The Crime
The crime in this one was pretty ingenious. The murder victim was a bully back in high school named Ulla Townsend, and she came back to make amends so that she could get to be the spokesperson for a makeup company named Glow. She died at her event with the Friendly Paws Animal Shelter, and she died from an allergic reaction. The fun thing was trying to figure out how this happened, what her allergy was, and who did it. I figured out how it happened before the sleuth and yeah. Can’t tell you what it was or who did it but I do have to say that it was pretty surprising.
Four Stars
Death By a Whisker by T.C. LoTempio is a pretty entertaining cozy mystery series. The sleuth was okay, the love interest wasn’t really in there that much, and the crime was good. I am giving this book a four-star rating as it is good. I recommend this book to those who love cozy mysteries.
Anyways until the next time enjoy this review brought to you by,
Baroness Book Trove.
I received this book for free from Great Escapes Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
If you would like to read more reviews like this one, please go to baronessbooktrove.com
“Death by a Whisker” earns 4.5/5 Clever Cats…Murderously Fun!
I am a fan of T.C. LoTiempo’s Nick and Nora Mysteries, so I was eager to check out her newest Cat Rescue Mystery series. Even though I am starting with the second book in the series, enough background and character connections were revisited to make it easy to join in with Sydney McCall and her rescue cat Toby (a delightful barrel of fun!). Set in North Carolina, the Friendly Paws Animal Shelter is having a big fundraiser and adoption event, and Sydney, publicity, and her sister Kat, director, are excited to have landed hometown star Ulla Townsend, shopping channel diva, for a guest appearance. However, she’s not what they thought she’d be…public disagreements and less-than-positive memories of her by several residents. But dead? They never expected that. And Maggie, the shelter administrator? She’s on the hook for the murder. Entertaining fun! The story seemed to have a slower start than I prefer, but T.C.’s descriptive style and delightful dialogue kept me engage to a very rewarding and exciting finale. I enjoyed the dynamic between the sisters with each taking the lead in their amateur investigation trying to weed through a plethora of suspects whose motives and suspicious behaviors make this a very entertaining story. I highly recommend this series, and starting here is great!
Sydney McCall has returned to Deer Park, North
Carolina. Sydney plus her tabby cat, Toby whose
antics with Melvin the Marvelous Mouse will make
you chuckle, are helping her sister Kat at the
Friendly Paws Animal Shelter.
They are gearing up for a cat adoption and a book
signing at Tara’s bookshop. The Friendly Paws will
receive a percentage of the book sales plus take
applications for some of their fur babies to find their
forever homes.
The book takes off quickly providing the reader with
a myriad of cats described so vividly you can see and
hear them. The story keeps up an invigorating pace
right up to its dramatic conclusion.
The original author has to back out of the signing so
in his place, a former Deer Park resident who is now
a shopping channel star and has written a tell all book
will be there. This person, Ulla Townsend was a cruel
person in high school pulling many pranks that ended
badly on her classmates. In her professional life, Ulla
has not changed. She is not very well liked by her crew.
What a surprise when Ulla has a attack with the end
result of death!!! Seems she had an allergic reaction.
but what caused this reaction??
The characters were all well defined, creative, vivid
and complex involving the reader in the story by the
fluid description used.
There is plenty of mystery, suspense, drama, twists
and turns plus intrigue to keep the reader on their toes.
Snyder gets involved with the investigation even after
she is warned not to interfere by a new arrogant
detective plus she also receives two mysterious notes
to stop investigating.
A well written cat friendly cozy mystery.
I volunteered to read the book. Thanks to the author and
publisher via The Cozy Mystery Review Crew for the book.
My opinion is my own.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Syd and her sister Kat are gearing up for another fundraiser for their Friendly Paws Animal Shelter. This time Ulla Townsend, shopping channel queen and former resident of Deer Park will be the special guest with a book signing. There will also be cats playing nearby that are all up for adoption.
Not everyone is excited about the guest of honor so when she is found dead in the bathroom in the middle of the event there are quite a few suspects including Maggie Shayne from the shelter. Seems the author/queen of shopping left behind some upset people behind when she left Deer Park and the people she has been working with lately aren’t her biggest fans either. With a bit of help from her lovable tabby Toby, and her friend Leila, Syd purr-sues the truth to get Maggie off the hook and the real killer pawing around in prison.
This was a very entertaining read. Cat lovers, rejoice. The felines in this story are super special and I love the pop-up events Syd and Kat host to get these wonderful animals into their fur-ever homes. I am so glad Syd has stayed in Deer Park to work at the shelter.
Ms. LoTempio creates fantastic characters, both 2-legged and 4-legged. They are immediately engaging and readers quickly become invested in their well being. She also gives us those characters that rub us the wrong way. Ulla is quite a diva, and the people she surrounds herself with have secrets, affairs that are not so secret and other reasons to get rid of the woman. They all make great suspects in her murder.
The story starts out slow to refresh the reader’s memory and introduces the new characters but after the body is found the pace really picks up and the pages quickly turning. I was patting myself on the back for figuring everything out only to have a twist and turn send my theory out with the kitty litter. But that is the joy of a cozy mystery, and the reason I love them.
Toby has found a place deep in my heart. His antics with Melvin the Marvelous Mouse made me laugh out loud, especially when taking the empty threats of his new person, Syd. She loves that cat and spoils him rotten, just as she should.
Syd McCall is very passionate about animals. With her work at the shelter she keeps herself busy but not busy enough to keep herself out of trouble. It’s a big day in her small town when none other than Ulla Townsend is coming to town to promote her book and give a part of the proceeds to the shelter. I wouldn’t say everyone was thrilled to find out that Ulla was coming back to town. She did become this famous television personality but can it erase all the horrible things she did to some of her classmates in school? I can’t believe how vicious she was. Ulla is what I call a first class bully.
Syd is really a smart person who has a bit of a problem. She doesn’t seem able to keep her nose out of trouble. The author sets readers up for the crime in a setting that is sure to cause a stir among the community. Ulla is all set to sign her new book as a big crowd starts to grow. I was not surprised that Ulla was going to be the victim and I figured out how she was killed. What I couldn’t figure out was who did The dastardly deed. With a room full of suspects and a list a mile long of people she had tortured in the past, I found it hard to narrow it down to just one suspect. I’m not saying she deserved to die, but let’s just say sometimes your past can come back and cause you harm. I wanted to feel sorry for Ulla, but she was just a conceited and mean person.
I thought the story was well written and I loved that the author showcased pet adoptions. The author really made me want to adopt a cat after reading about all the love able ones up for adoption. I as kinda upset that Syd kept going behind her boyfriends back to investigate the crime. After all, Will is a detective and I’m pretty sure he is good at his job. What makes the story so appealing is their relationship. He seems sensible, smart and patient. Syd is none of those things which makes them the perfect couple. It’s a great read and one that I enjoyed with all the shenanigans Syd got involved in. Overall a good book and one I would recommend to all those who like a fast pace mystery.
I received a copy of this book from The Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. The review is my own opinion.
Author T. C. LoTempio is a fabulous writer. Her Nick and Nora Mysteries won me over and made me a true fan of hers. So, reading her Cat Rescue Mysteries was a no brainer for me.
I really enjoyed DEATH BY A WHISKER though I will admit it was a little slow going at first, maybe the first couple of chapters. But sticking with it was completely worth it!
It was good to be back in Deer Park, North Caroline with the fun characters of this series. And it was wonderful to see the growth in them since the first book. As in the previous book, the relationship between Sydney and Toby made me smile. He’s a cat with his own mind for sure!
The mystery was well done. Very nicely plotted by author LoTempio. There were plenty of suspects to consider in the murder, and they successfully led me to the wrong conclusion.
A purrfectly delightful second installment in this great new cozy series. I’m looking forward to book three!
Wonderful addition to this cute cozy mystery series that circles around an animal shelter. We follow the adventures of Sydney with her car Toby as she gets wrapped up in another murder case due to insatiable curiosity. Full of realistic characters the story has lots of twists and turns until I get only thought I knew who the killer was. Nice intrigue at the end and Toby may be my new favorite cat. This is a must read for Cat lovers and cozy mystery fans. I enjoyed it quite a bit so I give it 4/5 stars.
Syd McCall enjoys being the publicity person for Friendly Paws Animal Shelter, and works closely with her sister, Kat, who is the FPAS director. The town is excited when Ulla Townsend, a former local who’s now a popular shopping channel host, agrees to attend a local fundraiser for the shelter and; hopefully, donate a percentage of her bestselling book sales to the floundering shelter. Ulla loves cats! However, it appears that someone doesn’t like Ulla when she goes into anaphylactic shock and expires.
I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag by giving more details on the murder, but will happily report that several felines find their furrever homes in this light and entertaining cozy mystery. The author provides plenty of suspects for you to dish about their suspicious behaviors and activities, and the finale is a whopper of a reveal!
This delightful cozy is second in A Cat Rescue Mystery series, and it is even better than the first! Syd, Kat, and the ladies of the Friendly Paws Animal Shelter are putting together a pop-up cat cafe at Crowden’s Bookstore. To sweeten the event, a book signing is planned; the cat café and book signing will complement each other. I love the characters, including Syd’s cat, Toby (fka The Wanderer until he adopted Syd). The mystery is intriguing, humorous, and fast-paced.
Ulla Townsend came from the less-affluent part of town, but has been a host on the Shopping Your Way show for the past fifteen years. Her autobiography has people lined up several hours before the event. The shopping network decided to film Ulla’s event, so the bookstore is crowded even before the doors open.
Syd and her sister Kat, the manager of the shelter, have brought the cats they hope to adopt out in the event. Maggie, Kat’s right hand, usually willing to do whatever she can, refuses to help. Maggie knew Ulla in high school, and whatever happened between them, Maggie won’t reveal. Ulla is the queen of snark and is generally rude and nasty to everyone, and her book is full of the dirt she could reveal about co-workers and people she had known back in her high school days.
One positive thing about Ulla is that she adores cats, and there is one that she is particularly attracted to. She is even filmed playing with her favorite. After a break from signing books, Ulla seems not quite well, and collapses. As EMT’s take her away, fans are snapping photos and uploading videos faster than you can say “adopt a cat”. At the end of the day, Ulla is dead, all cats have adoption applications in for except one, and Maggie has been seen in a video outside the bookstore – just before she left town and stopped answering her cell phone. Because of her strong dislike for Ulla, she is now a person of interest.
Syd and Kat are my favorite ladies in this mystery. I envy their work at the shelter! That would be a dream job in many ways, especially as their fur babies are held until adopted. It may be frustrating, but ultimately rewarding, work! Especially among the people in Deer Park, most of whom are supportive of the cause. Ulla is so well defined that I can almost hear her, syrupy sweet in front of readers, and a bully around the rest. All the primary characters are well defined, as well as those who are suspects.
First, I love this series! And second, where can I find some Toby’s favorite Melvin the Marvelous Mouse toys? There is no shortage of suspects in this novel, including those girls and guys who she tormented in school. Literally. The plot twists are well-placed and perfect, changing the mystery over and over. There were a couple people who I liked for the culprits, who should have spent a bit of time behind bars for general principle. I learned some new things, including … I can’t say what! While I had an idea about a part of the crime, I just couldn’t come up with the right person. Which is great, as the real killer had barely registered on my radar and been quickly eliminated. This is an A+ story that I highly recommend! Cat lovers, cozy mystery lovers, and even those who love bookstores will enjoy this. It can be read as a standalone or as part of the series, but either way, don’t miss it!
From a grateful heart: I received a copy of this from the publisher and NetGalley, and here is my honest review.
This is a fun little escapist read. Syd helps her sister run an animal shelter. They are hosting an event to help raise money for the shelter. The celebrity at the event is killed and Syd is worried for her friend. The mystery moved along and I enjoyed the story and the writing style. There were a few typos or editing errors, but nothing distracting. I especially loved Toby the cat. I was so wrapped up in the characters and what was going on in their lives that the murderer took me by surprise. This is not the first book in the series, but I had no problem figuring out the characters and their place in the town. I would read another book in the series.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.
Sydney McCall along with her rescued tabby, Toby, are helping her sister Kat run the local animal shelter. It’s a whole new life for her in her hometown of Deer Park, North Carolina. Syd and Kat are excited about the prospect of the shelter’s newest fundraiser: shopping channel queen Ulla Townsend will be signing books and donating a percentage to the shelter. Maggie Shayne, Kat’s right-hand helper vehemently refuses to have anything to do with the woman, or the fundraiser. However, everything goes well until Ulla turns up dead in the middle of the event.
They believe that Ulla died from an allergic reaction, but to what? Syd and Toby sniff out something fishy. When Syd met Ulla, it was clear she was distasteful and rude, and had enemies. And right before the event, Syd spotted some behind-the-scenes drama between Ulla and her manager. As she begins to investigate, she realizes there is no shortage of suspects, and Maggie is at the top of the list.
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Series: A Cat Rescue Mystery – Book 2
Author: T. C. LoTempio https://www.tclotempio.net/
Genre: Pet/Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books Publishing Date, February 13, 2018, Buy Now!
Death by a Whisker is a delightful pet-based cozy with lots of animals who are literally characters in and of themselves. Along with a few humans who at times remind us why we love animals. This book is pleasurable without being long or overly detailed. It compels the reader to turn the page time after time.
Syd McCall is a warm, caring individual who just happens to love animals and has no life outside of the animal shelter, and her toy killing cat, Toby now that her boyfriend is so busy he doesn’t have time to call. Her sister Kat is much like her but with a little more going on in her life outside of the animals. Syd seems happy with her life, and yet the reader gets the sense that this may not be completely true. Life in a small town isn’t the same as life in New York City, especially not alone.
Maggie and Leila are great characters. Even though they play a smaller role, it will be interesting to see them grow and blossom alongside Syd. Boyfriend, Will is in and out of the story, but he adds a romantic interest that has future possibilities. It doesn’t hurt that he is a cop and sometimes gives Syd info she needs to help solve a case, even after he tells her to stay out of it.
The location used for the story is a small town that on occasion has big city problems. It is a surprise to those who live and work there that murder comes knocking, and not for the first time. However, a bit more detail about the layout of the town and the residents would be a welcome side story that would serve to enhance the reader’s enjoyment.
Revealing the killer is no easy task and will keep readers guessing for a long time. The motive becomes clear faster than the identity of the murderer. With a plethora of suspects all with a solid motive, it doesn’t take long for Syd to narrow it down. When she finally figures it out the reader will be surprised and delighted all at the same time.
Overall Death by a Whisker is a fast-paced, enjoyable read that will have the audience yelling for more. It is highly recommended to anyone who loves animals, town gossip and stories that keep them guessing.